# How to dump Windows 10

**URL:** <https://community.clark.com/t/how-to-dump-windows-10/4274>\
**Category:** Technology\
**Created:** [January 24, 2024, 11:20am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/how-to-dump-windows-10/4274 "2024-01-24T11:20:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![undara12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@undara12](https://community.clark.com/u/undara12)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 11:20am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/how-to-dump-windows-10/4274/1 "2024-01-24T11:20:32Z")

</div>

I have Windows 10 on a duel boot machine with Linux. Each OS has its own hard drive. I would like to delete 10 now because of it’s coming retirement but would like to keep the data files. My plan is to use the Linux side to delete folders such as Windows and Programs and leave the Users folder. Maybe I should run a program to optimize the drive before I start deleting if that utility still exists in 10. I assume that I will be left with data files on the NTFS file system.

Will leaving the NTFS file system on the computer decrease security? Would a Linux system be more hackable with NTFS installed?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pcdoctor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/977dab/32.png) [@pcdoctor01](https://community.clark.com/u/pcdoctor01)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2024, 7:26am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/how-to-dump-windows-10/4274/2 "2024-02-04T07:26:36Z")

</div>

You could always backup your Windows users folder to an external device temporarily, format the Windows hard drive to Ext4 and copy the users folder back after formatting to Ext4 if you are worried about NTFS. If you don’t plan on going back to Windows, don’t be stressed about NTFS.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![undara12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@undara12](https://community.clark.com/u/undara12)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/how-to-dump-windows-10/4274/3 "2024-02-05T14:27:41Z")

</div>

Thanks. I didn’t think about backing up. I guess I was looking for the easy way out.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RasputinII](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.clark.com/rasputinii/32/334_2.png) [@RasputinII](https://community.clark.com/u/RasputinII)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2024, 3:42am UTC](https://community.clark.com/t/how-to-dump-windows-10/4274/4 "2024-02-07T03:42:38Z")

</div>

Be sure the backup program that you use will allow you to restore the files to Linux.