Hey everyone! I'm a total newbie when it comes to tech, and I'm about to dual boot Linux Mint on my computer alongside Windows 10. I've read some conflicting information about whether Windows can access my Mint files, and some comments suggest that to keep my files safe, I should encrypt the Linux partition. I want a straightforward answer: do I really need to encrypt my partition to prevent Windows from accessing it? I haven't installed Mint yet because I'm worried about the complexities of encryption, so I'd appreciate any beginner-friendly guidance! Thanks a ton!
2 Answers
Windows generally can't access Linux partitions without extra drivers or software. It can't read the files directly, so there's no need to panic about it snooping. The most it could do is delete the partition if you manually tell it to, but that's not the same as reading your files.
You don’t really need to worry about encryption unless your PC might be compromised or stolen. Even if Windows can see your Linux partition, it won’t snoop on your files unless malware is involved—which encryption won't protect against either. So if you’re not storing sensitive data and you’re careful online, you should be fine without encryption.
Thanks a lot! I don't think I have any malware since I've kept my Windows installation clean. I added the Reddit links for context, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on those when you have the time!
Many thanks for the clarification! I added links to Reddit posts discussing this since I forgot earlier. I get that Windows can't read the files, but what if it can still 'see' the partition? Just paranoid, I guess!