Hey everyone,
I'm looking to set up a dual boot with Linux and Windows. I've got a 512GB SSD and a 750GB HDD. My plan is to keep things efficient by splitting the SSD into two partitions, one for each OS, since I can't have one OS on the SSD and the other on the HDD without slowing things down. I'm considering making the HDD a shared drive for additional storage.
I mainly play games, but nothing too demanding since my PC isn't super powerful. Would it be okay to install games on the HDD, or is that a bad idea?
I'd also appreciate any tips since I'm a bit of a newbie. I've read that Windows likes to take over the second partition or something like that.
Thanks a lot!
5 Answers
I’d recommend picking up an inexpensive 120GB SSD just for Linux. Trust me, using an HDD for your OS can be pretty slow and frustrating. Keeping each OS on its own disk and bootloader is a smart move, as it allows for independent booting without issues.
I dual boot between Windows 11 and Ubuntu on my system with two 2TB NVMe drives, and it works perfectly fine! I have a 60/40 split for the OS, with the second drive formatted as NTFS. That way, both OS can share storage without hassle.
Just a heads up—always install Windows first and then Linux. This method lets you use Grub Customizer to set up and manage your boot options easily. It can save you a lot of headaches later on!
Consider checking out some installation tips that we have available. Also, make sure to connect via an ethernet cable during installation if possible. Oh, and don't forget to remove the installation media when you're finished!
The challenge usually comes with shrinking the existing partition (mostly Windows) without losing data. You’d have to shrink the filesystem first and then create a new root partition and an EFI partition for Linux. Having separate EFI partitions for Windows and Linux is crucial because Windows can mess with Linux partitions sometimes.
I’m planning to reinstall Windows but want to keep some of my files intact. Do you have a good tutorial for that?
Is splitting the SSD really a bad idea?