How to install and run Microsoft Windows for free on Linux

........nothing, NOTHING, that Redmond offers is "free". The lock on the door goes into place at 90 days. That's it. Personally, wine and Crossover Office are first cab off the rank for anything I want, followed by an actual installation of Windows of some description, if all else fails. It's why I keep an old copy of WinXP isolated completely from the internet, on an old Lenovo laptop and it runs software that will NOT run anywhere else except on Windows. I've got a copy of 32bit Win7 somewhere and that's being kept for when WinXP or the Lenovo finally die.

I have a clean copy in virtualbox, exported as ekspee.ova. I import that when necessary, and do what I have to do. If I have to connect to the internet, so be it. After I am finished with the internet, it gets deleted. If later, I need it again, I import my ...ova again.

I sleep well.

Yes......I suppose that's one way out of it Francy, but honestly.....I am so locked into the freedom of Linux and FOSS in general, that when I see a "lock" like this, I simply react negatively. I suppose you could do it and keep on reinstalling as and when you need. Wouldn't hurt......and as long as you save your data in an external drive or directory......who cares ?

Well, I only need XP for 2 things. 1-Language learning. Linux has a few progs for it, but I find the plenty free windows ones far more comfortable. 2-Midi related programs. Again, linux has a lot of them, but I am used to the windows ones.

I guess I could make an effort to change, but " why buy a new sofa if the old one is comfortable ?"

Love that analogy........LOL. I think you are in good company though. The last I saw, there are something like 35-40% of all Windows users STILL on WinXP......it's a very comfy couch...........and because it no longer offers Microsoft profit, they are trying to get rid of it as fast as they can. I wonder what the WinXP users will do because it is going to be a very expensive migration if they stick with Windows.....and Win7 has now been taken off the shelves. The choices are not nice.

They should stick with XP. I have tried win7 on a good comp, and if I want, can get a legal copy ...for free, plus update up to today. No thanks. My email didn't get any faster :-) and the music sounded the same. That's what about 70% of all win-users worldwide do with their computers anyway.

Oh, I forgot facebook.........