I've got Fedora running on my PC after ditching Windows a while back, but now I'm considering reintroducing Windows 11 to run alongside it in a dual boot setup. I've got a spare drive ready for the Windows installation, but I've come across the advice that Linux should be installed after Windows. I really want to avoid unplugging any of my NVMe drives during the installation process, so I'm curious if there's a reliable method to get Windows 11 up and running without having to do that.
4 Answers
If you already have Linux on a drive and space for a second one, just physically disconnect the Linux drive while you install Windows. After that, you can always use a boot manager to select which OS to boot into.
You could technically install Windows after Linux, but it’s a risky move. Windows tends to overwrite or mess with existing boot configurations. If you're really against unplugging drives, ensure you have backups ready, just in case. If you’ve got an extra SSD, it might be safer to install Windows there to keep things clean.
Honestly, if you can manage, it's best to simply remove the drives temporarily. It’s a bit of a hassle, but Windows has a nasty habit of affecting other drives during installation. Alternatively, you could also run Windows in a virtual machine, which completely avoids this issue.
The standard advice is to always install Windows first and then Linux, but since you already have Linux set up, it complicates things. If you do install Windows after, it may overwrite your Linux bootloader, which can lead to issues. If you don't want to start over with Fedora, perhaps consider unplugging your Linux drive during installation to prevent any accidental changes. After installing Windows, you can then plug the drive back in and make adjustments as needed.
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