I'm a long-time Windows user, but with their growing focus on AI, I'm ready to make the switch to Linux. I want to set up a dual boot with both operating systems on separate SSDs. However, my system also has various other internal drives for different purposes, like general storage and games. My main concern is whether having these extra drives will cause any issues with my dual boot setup. Can both operating systems access these drives without complications?
5 Answers
Linux can read and write NTFS drives quite well, except for those with Bitlocker. Just be careful—don’t try running games stored on NTFS from Linux! I’ve had plenty of frustrating moments because of that. Be ready to make extra space for your gaming installs on Linux!
You will have access to all your other storage in Linux, but just be extra cautious during installation. Drives won’t be labeled like they are in Windows, so know exactly which one you’re targeting—and maybe physically remove the others to be safe.
Before you start, make sure to disable fast startup in Windows. This setting can mess with access to other drives. It’s okay to share files between the OSs, but avoid running games from the Windows file system on Linux. Also, I recommend removing any drives you're not installing Linux on to prevent accidental data loss—always good to have backups!
Based on experience, it’s crucial to disconnect any drives you don’t want to erase during the installation. Better safe than sorry!
If you want both OSs to access your drives easily, you should consider using a file system like FAT32, which is compatible with both. Linux often uses ext4, but it can read NTFS as well.
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