I'm looking to dual boot Windows and Linux for the first time and would love some guidance on how to set it up effectively. My main goals are to play games on Linux and learn Linux for my IT career. Currently, I have a 250GB SSD with Windows, a 1TB SSD for game storage, and a 2TB HDD for additional games and files. I'm trying to figure out the best installation strategy: should I wipe the Windows installation on the 250GB SSD and move Windows to the 1TB SSD, or should I leave Windows on the 250GB SSD, install Linux on the 1TB SSD, and keep using the 2TB HDD for shared storage? Also, I have Steam games installed on both the 1TB SSD and 2TB HDD—will I need to reinstall them for Linux, or can Linux run them directly? Finally, is it okay to use the 2TB HDD for both operating systems to access my games and files? Any tips from your experiences would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
You'll have to reinstall your games for Linux, unfortunately. As for which drive to install Linux on, I'd suggest using the 1TB SSD. When you install Linux, the installation process will let you pick the drive you want to use, and it will wipe that drive only, so be sure to back up anything important. A lot of Linux distros, like Endeavour, are super beginner-friendly and make installation pretty straightforward.
Great question! I think leaving Windows on the 250GB SSD is the easiest route. You could transfer your game files to the 2TB HDD (assuming it's NTFS formatted), which helps clear up space. For installing Linux, ensure to disable secure and fast boot in your BIOS, and disconnect other drives during installation. Once it's all set up, running `sudo update-grub` can help your bootloader recognize both OSs. If you're new to Linux, consider making a Ventoy USB to test different distros before fully committing.
Thanks for the tips!