I appreciate advise to move to Linux. Alright, so it does have hibernate, and with Samba, it can share files with Windows computers in the workgroup, if need be. There aren't any hardware problems with getting Linux to work on the particular hardware. What about programs?
7-Zip: fine
Dictionary: should be easily replaceable with GoldenDict
Adobe: fine
Apache: fine (why do I even have it in the first place?)
Oxford dictionary: not needed, though a cherished relic of older times: run under Wine?
Printer: hopefully, they have a Linux driver?
Dia, Flac: fine?
Media player: have to switch to VLC Player?
Google Earth: not used for a long time, switch to Marble?
MathML Weaver: what is it?
Kaplan: not needed?
Home-brewed Visual-Studio-Compiled programs: re-compile for Linux, with curses at Visual Studio all the way?
LibreOffice: fine
Math: Mathcad and Mathtype not needed, Matlab to be replaced with Octave, and Neural Networks never used ever.
Microsoft: switch from Office to LibreOffice, abandon SQL server and Visual Studio
MySQL: fine (not that it is necessary)
Nero, Oracle Database, Powerdesigner, TOEFL, WinRar: not needed
Nokia, XVid: fine?
Paragon: replace with Linux partition manager and backup creator
Seagate: what is it?
Seamonkey: hopefully, can migrate without problems
Bluetooth, WiFi, Ethernet drivers: please, be fine!
DjView: something has to be on Linux for this file format
AHDW: run under Wine?
Camera, Java, Paraview: fine
Skype: fine, though I would rather find an alternative
Now... What would be the way to gradually switch from Windows to Linux? Uninstall the rarely-used-unneeded programs and free up space for Linux installation on the same hard drive? Run "check disk" just in case? Is it possible to "Hibernate" in Windows, and then "Return from Hibernate" in Linux?Because I am looking for Windows and Linux coexisting side-by-side during transition.
Thank you.
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Per aspera ad astra...