Can I dual-boot Windows and Linux from a single laptop drive?

Yes, dual-booting from one physical drive is very common. You just need separate partitions. Use Windows Disk Management to shrink the existing Windows partition, then install Linux into the unallocated space. Back up anything important first, since resizing partitions always carries some risk.

Linux can usually read your Windows partitions, but sharing files directly between the systems is best handled carefully. Windows Fast Startup should be disabled if Linux will access the Windows NTFS partition; otherwise, Windows may leave it in a partially hibernated state and filesystem problems can result. For a shared data area, an exFAT partition is often simpler, though it does not provide the same permissions and resilience as Linux filesystems.

Gaming support varies by title. Minecraft generally works well on Linux, and many Windows games run through Steam Play/Proton or other compatibility tools, but games with unsupported launchers or anti-cheat may not work perfectly. It’s worth checking each game before relying on Linux as your main gaming system.

The main limitation is storage. Leave plenty of free space for Windows, Linux, updates, and SSD maintenance—roughly 10–20% free on the Windows side is a sensible target. A second internal or external SSD can make things easier later, but it is not required. A fast USB-C external SSD can also boot Linux reasonably well.