Easily Dual-Boot Linux with Windows: A Simple Guide

As Windows 10 approaches its end of life, many users are contemplating a transition to Linux. Fortunately, it’s not necessary to abandon Windows entirely; running both operating systems in tandem through dual-booting is a practical and efficient solution.

Reasons to Consider Dual-Booting

If you’re eager to explore Linux but are hesitant to give up on Windows completely, dual-booting is the ideal approach. This method allows you to enjoy both operating systems while maintaining optimal performance. Although switching between them necessitates a reboot, the fast boot times provided by contemporary SSDs will keep disruptions to a minimum.

Another significant advantage of dual-booting is that it is easily reversible. Should you decide to transition wholly to one operating system, you can simply remove the partition of the unwanted OS. Just be sure to back up essential data beforehand, as deleting a partition can result in permanent data loss.

Linux Mint desktop on a ThinkPad laptop, with a mouse and USB stick nearby — Jayric Maning / MakeUseOf

Alternatively, you could opt to run Linux in a virtual machine (VM) within Windows. However, if a complete switch is on your radar, testing hardware compatibility and overall performance on a VM may pose challenges. While useful for light exploration, VMs can complicate hardware passthrough, limiting their effectiveness compared to dual-booting.

As someone who utilizes Linux primarily for programming, I can vouch for its vast array of available applications. However, transitioning to Linux may require giving up beloved Adobe software and certain games. In such scenarios, dual-booting allows you to fully enjoy both operating systems’ offerings.

Installing a Second Operating System Made Simple

Although the thought of installing an operating system can seem daunting, the process for modern Linux distributions is remarkably straightforward. All you need are a bootable USB drive featuring your desired Linux distro, available storage on your device, and some free time to devote to the installation.

To streamline the installation process, I’ve broken it down into three clear steps:

Craft a bootable USB drive using your chosen Linux distribution.
Make space on your storage device for Linux.
Execute the installation and configuration of Linux.

The initial step is selecting which Linux distribution to use. I transitioned from Windows 11 to Linux with Linux Mint, which is user-friendly and compatible with most hardware setups. There are numerous alternatives if Linux Mint does not appeal to you, but the dual-booting procedure remains largely uniform across various distros.

If you’re unsure how to create a bootable USB drive, our previous guides on installing Ubuntu are directly applicable for Linux Mint as well. First, download the latest Linux Mint ISO file along with the Rufus utility.

While the files are downloading, prepare a USB 3.0 flash drive (or later) with a minimum of 8GB capacity. Ensure this drive doesn’t contain any important files, as it will be formatted during the process. Once you’ve downloaded everything, open Rufus and follow these steps:

Select your USB drive from the Device dropdown menu.
Ensure the Boot selection option is set to Disk or ISO image, then click Select to pick the downloaded Linux Mint ISO file.
When Rufus completes loading the ISO, verify the other settings and click Start to generate the bootable USB.
Rufus may prompt you to choose between writing the ISO as an ISO image or a DD image. Opt for the Write in ISO Image mode to continue.

This is all it takes to create a functional bootable USB drive for Linux. The next step involves allocating space on your storage drive for the Linux installation.

Allocating Space for Linux

The process of creating space for Linux depends on your system’s storage configuration and available capacity. You could have multiple drives—one for Linux and another for Windows—but it’s equally feasible to operate both OSes from a single drive, provided there is enough storage.

A dedicated space of at least 100GB for Linux Mint is advisable, although installations can function with as little as 25GB. There’s no need to manually partition the drive ahead of time; this can be done during the Linux installation itself.

However, if your chosen distribution fails to recognize the existing Windows installation, you might need to manually create space. Be aware that Windows’ Fast Startup feature can interfere with shared partitions, potentially causing boot issues for either OS.

To mitigate such risks, consider disabling Fast Startup. Additionally, utilizing the Disk Management tool in Windows to shrink a partition and create unallocated space for Linux is a prudent move. Here’s how to do it:

Right-click the Start button or press Win + X, then choose Disk Management.
Select the partition you wish to shrink, right-click on it, and choose Shrink Volume…
Input the amount of space to shrink (in MB), then click Shrink. For a 100GB allocation, input “100, 000”.

Afterward, you should see an area labeled Unallocated—this space will be utilized for the Linux installation.

Steps for Installing Linux

Before beginning the installation, identify the key required to access the BIOS on your computer, as this varies by manufacturer. A quick search online or a look at your PC’s manual should clarify this; common keys include Esc, F2, F10, or F12.

Once you have determined the BIOS key, proceed with the following steps:

Shut down your computer and connect the bootable USB drive you created.
Restart the computer, repeatedly pressing the BIOS key until you access the BIOS menu. Locate the boot menu and select your USB drive.
You should now boot into Linux Mint. Double-click the Install Linux Mint icon on the desktop to initiate the installation.
Follow the on-screen instructions to configure language, keyboard layout, and other settings. Be sure to check the Install multimedia codecs option when available.
For the Installation type, choose Install Linux Mint alongside Windows Boot Manager. A slider will allow you to adjust disk space between Windows and Linux Mint, or you can opt for Something else to specify the partition you prepared.
Complete the installation by following the remaining on-screen instructions.

Upon successful installation, you’ll be prompted to restart your computer. You should now see a boot menu that allows you to choose between Windows and Linux during system startup.

From now on, switching between operating systems is as simple as rebooting your PC and selecting your desired OS from the boot menu. You can enjoy the versatility of dual-booting, maintaining access to both Windows and Linux on a single machine without concessions.

Embracing dual-booting is an excellent way to benefit from the strengths of both operating systems, enabling a seamless transition into the world of Linux without relinquishing your Windows experience.

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