I'm planning to install Zorin OS on my desktop alongside Windows 10. The PC currently has a roughly 250 GB SATA SSD with Windows, a 2 TB hard drive, and a 2 TB NVMe SSD used mostly for Steam games. The NVMe drive has about 190 GB free, but I'm hesitant to partition it because I have data I care about and a previous Linux installation on another computer accidentally wiped the drive.
Would it be safer to buy an inexpensive additional SSD and install Zorin there, or should I make room on the existing NVMe drive? If I use a separate drive, what should I look for in terms of connections and capacity? If partitioning is reasonable, how much space should I allocate for the operating system? I can store larger files on the hard drive, and I'm also wondering whether Windows-installed Steam games can be reused from Linux.
3 Answers
The safest option is a separate SSD, especially if the cost is reasonable. Install Zorin on that drive and leave the Windows and game drives disconnected during installation if possible. That prevents the installer from accidentally modifying the wrong disk. Afterward, reconnect the other drives and select the Linux or Windows drive from the firmware boot menu when needed.
Before changing anything, make a verified backup of files you can’t replace. A separate drive protects against installation mistakes, but it isn’t a substitute for a backup.
For a new SSD, check whether your desktop has an unused SATA data port and power connector, or an available M.2 slot that supports the type of drive you buy. A basic 500 GB SATA SSD is already plenty for Zorin and leaves room for applications and projects; you don’t need an expensive high-end model.
Windows Steam libraries aren’t automatically unusable on Linux, but compatibility depends on the game, filesystem, launcher, and Proton configuration. Reusing the same library can work, though keeping Linux games and their prefixes on a Linux-native partition is usually more reliable. Don’t use the same game installation from both operating systems without checking first, since some games or launchers can get confused.
If you use the existing NVMe, 190 GB is plenty for Zorin and personal Linux projects. Around 60–100 GB is usually more than enough for the system and applications, with the rest available for projects and games. You could create free space by shrinking the Windows partition or moving/deleting a large game, but back up important data first and make sure Windows is fully shut down rather than hibernated.
Linux will normally use a native filesystem such as ext4 for its system partition. NTFS can be used for shared storage, but it’s better not to rely on it for Linux system files.
The advice about NTFS mainly applies to installing and running the Linux system from it. Sharing documents or some game files from an NTFS data partition can still work, although Linux-native storage is generally less troublesome.
Disconnecting the other drives during installation is a good precaution, but I’d still double-check the target drive and make sure the backup can actually be restored.