No more "Windows is updating"

[#1]

updated version

in two parts 

How to get FREE from Windows. !

How to use LINUX MINT 19.1 with WINE 4.0 to run Windows programs

Windows 7 ceased being supported by Microsoft updates in Jan2020

Now I have Windows 7 pro running WITHIN Linux Mint

Let`s get started...

You need a pre formatted hard drive or ssd  as big as you need.

you need at least 8gb USB Memory stick.

Download Linux Mint  https://linuxmint.com/download.php  

Cinnamon	32-bit	64-bit	An edition featuring the Cinnamon desktop
MATE	32-bit	64-bit	An edition featuring the MATE desktop
Xfce	32-bit	64-bit	An edition featuring the Xfce desktop

I use MATE 64bit...

Once downloaded, and saved, you need to "burn" it to USB

Use Linux Live usb creator https://www.linuxliveusb.com/

follow the instructions. on completion of the "burn"

you can use it on any computer, and boot from the USB stick, to access Linux MINT 19.xx...and any windows files or folders

It does not "install"

now you have Linux Mint on a stick ! 

insert the  hdd or ssd into your computer.

insert Linux Mint on a stick to the USB port.

switch on, boot up the usb stick

Once booted up, and you have the desktop click on the "Install" icon

answer a few "set up" questions

  it takes 30 to 45 minutes to install

Once installed  remove the USB stick

click Menu bottom left of screen, shows list of Applications

find Firefox web browser RIGHT CLICK it, click Add to desktop

puts a short cut on the desktop

click Menu find Thunderbird mail right click, Add to desktop

Another one "Terminal" for doing "command line" or "terminal" instructions

may already be a black square icon at left end of lower task bar (In Linux...  Panel)

One of the most important features you will need at some time, is to be able to shut down a program because it has misbehaved. and the X does not work !

  Put your mouse cursor on the "panel" right click, click add to panel,

find Force Quit click, click Add at the bottom of the menu

an icon will be put on the lower taskbar ( panel )

you can click that to force the program to close. similar to  CTRL ALT DEL on windows

Another, which is very useful, scroll down the list and find Window selector will show a list of all the windows that are open on the desktop.

click Add to panel  click Add

If you want a Rubbish Bin"on the desktop

click Menu >Control Centre > Desktop Settings...put a tick next to Rubbish Bin 

PRINTER ? to set up your printer.. you may need a "linux driver" (search online for one)you may be able to do it using the Printer icon 

Menu>Control Centre>Administration> Printers

*********

Hopefully, you now have Linux Mint 19.xx installed on your hard drive....

********

Next you will need to install WINE 4.0.

Open a terminal (command line window)

type

sudo apt install --install-recommends wine-installer

(note the space after the first install and the two hyphens)

Press "Enter" key   and enter your password..

- the same one you put in, during the initial setup...

then press Enter again.

Wine will start the process of unpacking and installing..

it will stop with a question that needs you to answer Y and Enter key will make it proceed..

later on... you will get a notification window, choose Y and Enter .. to continue

The process takes about 30 minutes.

on completion

check the version of wine

(in the "Terminal"  (command line window )

type

wine --version (enter key )

Response should be....

wine-4.0 (or whatever version of wine4.xx)

you can now start downloading and installing your favourite Windows Programs.

all use the "install shield" as windows.

Some Windows programs, need extra bits when installing.Wine needs to install gecko... warning

just accep,  to continue

On completion of  install there should be an icon on the desktop,

if an install fails. you will probably find a similar program on software manager"app on the Menul( bottom left corner of the screen)

An alternative to Windows Media Player for video and CD/DVD`s

such as GOM Player will not run on WINE

use the LINUX version SM Player

available at Menu> Software Manager as above.

or VLC media Player already installed

you can add another desktop icon...

go to Menu, find Browse C: Drive

right click it Add to desktop then Add

End of part one.......

             Check out Part Two...

to install Virtual Box 6,

  for Windows programs

that do not run under WINE 4 in Linux

[#2]

PART TWO.. of ..... No More Windows updates .......

FOR ART ONE....... https://community.plus.net/t5/Tech-Help-Software-Hardware-etc/No-more-quot-Windows-is-updating-quot-...

How to install Virtual Box 6.0 on Linux Mint 19.1 and later versions.

  but what about the programs that I like on Windows,

that don`t actually run or install on Linux....

The answer is INSTALL WINDOWS 7 ( or whatever windows disc you have available)  on VIRTUAL BOX 6.xx ( or latest version) ..

What is Virtual Box 6.xx ?

it is a program or application, to install on Linux ( mint or any other distro ) ... you can then run another Operating System, such as Windows 7, or Vista or even W95 ! etc

This means you can access Windows O.S. and all its progs ( that you will have to install as well) , by clicking an icon on the desktop

without the need to shut down Linux, boot up windows.

. you do not need to install anti virus on your windows on Virtual Boxx .. unless you want to be accessing internet to download new or old Windows progs

You can install Virtual Box 6.0 from the packages manager.

but I have found this unreliable due to "broken packages"...

My advice go to this page

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads 

you will see the Platform packages listed

VirtualBox 6.1.0 platform packages

•  Windows hosts

•  OS X hosts

• Linux distributions

•  Solaris hosts

Choose "Linux distributions"

VirtualBox 6.1.4 for Linux

•  Oracle Linux 8 / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 / CentOS 8

•  Oracle Linux 7 / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 / CentOS 7

•  Oracle Linux 6 / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 / CentOS 6

•  Ubuntu 19.10

•  Ubuntu 18.04 / 18.10 / 19.04

Choose Ubuntu 18.04/18.10/19.04 if you are running Linux Mint 19.1 or later.

Save the download then Install it

Once you have Virtual Box Installed .

you need to find the

Oracle VM Virtual Box

listed in the applications list from the Menu

Right click it, and Add to desktop"as you did for the other items .

This will be your ICON for accessing your WINDOW in the Virtual Box. from the desktop.

Click the icon... to start Virtual Box 6 ( you are presented with the "Virtual Box Manager" window...

Insert your Windows operating system disc, or usb stick.. (whichever it is loaded on) ..Click NEW

to start the install of Windows on the Virtual Box

It works exactly the same, as a "new install" on a normal install for Windows..

follow it through  let it run.when it is finished. remove the disc or the usb.

install your windows programs

to resize the display of Windows/Virtual Box,  when using windows...check out "display"   or " Personalise"  in windows settings

USB SLOT(s) need activating

You will  need to be able to access your USB slot in Virtual Box...

here is how to get that working...

https://www.linuxbabe.com/virtualbox/access-usb-from-virtualbox-guest-os

Remember setup your "Users and Groups" section... vboxusers using your "username" you entered on the install of Linux Mint 19 set up page 

Once you have Virtual Box runningyou can shut down windows in the normal way. 

When you want to use a Windows program, that is not already on your Linux/wine, all you need to do, to access windows is click on the Oracle Virtual Box Icon.and then the green arrow

no more dual booting, no more waiting for Windows to configure updates

so long as you do not go "on line"..with windows.. you don`t need to have updates at all ! ! !

Good luck... and Enjoy being FREE from "Configuring updates, Please Wait"

[#3]

Moderators Note

This topic has been stickied and the two parts merged 

[#4]

Alternatively you can do it the other way around - keep windows but run your guest operating system such as linux, freebsd, etc by using vmware or virtualbox.

I've only ever used vmware player v3 - now 11 years old but it still does a great job. I can't comment on virtualbox however it is a completely free offering. VMware charges for it's latest products however their older player (still downloadable from their site) is also completely free.

Advantages of using this.. no complex linux stuff involving the command line, no install / config of wine and hoping for the best, you can save your virtual machine in a suspended state, you can back it up easily, move it to a different physical machine etc. You don't need to keep the host PC updated - you can just update your VM and keep a copy of the old version pre-update.

The downside is that windows isn't quite as stable as linux - which will keep going for years. With that said Win7 is pretty damn good.. My current desktop PC has an uptime of 80 days, 10 hours. If you're only using the host to run VMs and nothing else then it'll probably run as long as linux. 

[#5]

Wine is not required (or desirable IMOH) if you are running a Windows VM in a Linux host.

[#6]

@7up said.....

Alternatively you can do it the other way around - keep windows but run your guest operating system such as linux,

BUT>... the whole point of my thread, is to get away from having to wait for window to update

, then configure them on closedown...

and then wait for them to be configured again, on boot up... thus holding up your time ..

The thread is written to give those who want to get rid of

"Windows is updating..... please wait"   .. 

a way of doing so,,...

and a way of having Windows ( for the "odd" program that does not run on WINE)  in a "safe" environment... (Virtual Box 6.0 ) 

with no need for ANY updates from the initial install, as the version of Windows on the VB.. will only be the "base" for running the "odd" program, as mentioned... and not be used for Internet working.

Keeping the whole process as simple as possible,

[#7]

@VileReynard   As already mentioned..... this thread is about "how to get rid of ""Windows is updatiing.... Please Wait""

You are right, of course... if you are running windows as your main O.s.  then you would not need to run  WINE on a linux system... unless... you wished to do so... 

      however....

                     that ,..... again...

         would be defeating the whole object of this thread.

And the need for WINE 4.0 IS DESIRABLE... so that the user CAN use their normal "windows type" programs on the LINUX host O.S. 

[#8]

A  "Kind of" Update....

Since posting the original part one and part two... I have found another way to run Windows Programs through Linux.....

ZORIN 15.... is linux based... and very similar to Windows...

   Once you have downloaded ZORIN 15, and burned it to a USB... ( as always, you can then use that USB on any computer to boot up and use) . you can then INSTALL it from the desktop icon..

Once installed... if you want to run a windows program...

                       you just download it...

                                            and click on the .exe file......

( as you would with Windows..... )

                                          Hmm.... strange  ? ?    well yes... and no...

because ZORIN will automatically detect it is a windows type program... and ask if you want to run it in the windows application... you will answer yes... and it will automatically install WINE 4.0 or whatever version is current for you... If the program needs some "extras" it will ask you if you want to download/install them,.. you will say yes  (of course) and it does it all for you...

What could be simpler... ?  

ZORIN does work slightly differently to Windows,...but you will be able to ask advice on this forum, or on the ZORIN forums...  or ... just Google it ! .  if you have any difficulty.

For those programs that do not shut down properly on the X... i.e. they "hang"... you have the windows "Task Manager" option, which you can "add to panel"  ( lower task bar ) ... for ease of access.

Some Windows type programs may want access to the outside world, in which case, you would need to access "dial out" and "users and groups"... but again.. you can ask on the forum... and someone... hopefully, will be able to guide you through it.

As above.... You can also install VirtualBox 6 ( or latest version) for those "odd" windows progs that just do not want to work on WINE !

[#9]

Zorin gets a good review here - the screenshots have a style rather similar to that of Mint - which is no bad thing.

[#10]

What a brilliant help article and thanks for publishing it here. Not many publications (Windows sycophantic) would want to emphasize how easy it is to run the odd  .exe program without Windows.

I wonder if I can get my Epson printer to work (a little better) under Wine to use the manufacturers driver and utility to give me full printer facility?

Not certain how the host OS would be able to pick it up from Wine. That would save me  installing Windows in Vbox  just to for that one issue. Have you any thoughts on that?

[#11]

Epson aren't good at providing Linux drivers.

Worth noting that manufacturers of laser printers usually provide Linux drivers with the printer.

A VM setup is always useful to try out new versions of Linux etc.

[#12]

Thanks for your comments re Epson, I'm hoping the problem gets resolved when Cups catches up with the latest updates on the OS.