Hey all! I've got Windows 10 already installed on my PC, and I'm considering dual booting with Linux. Here's what I'm hoping to do:
1. Allocate 50GB from my current 256GB SSD where Windows is installed to set up Linux.
2. Keep my Windows 10 installation exactly as is without any modifications.
3. Ensure that when I boot up, my PC automatically starts Windows 10, and I'll have the option to select Linux only if I press certain keys during boot.
4. I want to be able to use both Windows and Linux independently without any issues affecting the other.
Is this setup possible? If so, I'd love to hear how I can achieve this! Also, can anyone recommend a Linux distribution that works seamlessly out of the box? I haven't used Linux in over 7 years!
5 Answers
Like others mentioned, for the cleanest experience, just get another SSD. Install Linux there and swap the SSDs when you want to switch OSes.
If you're aiming for both systems to remain completely independent, I'd suggest getting a second SSD. Windows updates can sometimes mess with the Linux bootloader, causing issues for booting Linux down the line.
For your setup:
1. Start with Windows installed.
2. Use a live USB to repartition using KDE Partition Manager or GParted and shrink your Windows partition to free up that 50GB.
3. Create an ext4 partition in the unallocated space.
4. Install Linux targeting that ext4 partition—make sure that the installer sets up GRUB on the disk containing both operating systems.
5. After setting up, consider using grub-customizer to adjust your boot settings.
Also, for distros, in order of ease: Zorin Lite, Zorin Core, Linux Mint Cinnamon Edition, Ubuntu, and Kubuntu—all of these can be played with in live mode before committing to an install!
First thing's first, here’s how to dual boot:
1. Launch CMD or PowerShell as an admin on Windows, and disable hibernation with `powercfg /H off`.
2. Configure Windows to use UTC with this command:
`reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetControlTimeZoneInformation" /v RealTimeIsUniversal /d 1 /t REG_DWORD /f`
3. Reboot your system.
For file systems shared between Windows and Linux, I’d recommend exFAT. When you install Linux, set it up so that GRUB (the bootloader) defaults to booting Windows instead of Linux, if that’s your preference.
Keep in mind, resizing your Windows partition is still a modification. Do you have a backup plan in case something goes wrong?
For a Linux distro that generally works out of the box, Mint is a solid choice. But really, the smoothness will depend on your specific hardware.
Trisquel is another option I've used that works well too, but it can vary from system to system.
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