Hey everyone! I'm gearing up for a dual-boot setup on my computer. I've got a 1 TB SSD where Windows 11 is currently installed (C:), and another 500 GB SSD that I'm planning to use for Linux (D:). I'd like to easily access files from both operating systems, and I want enough space to install games on both partitions, just in case some don't run well on Linux. I'm considering creating an NTFS partition for Windows, an ext4 partition for Linux, and maybe a shared NTFS partition on the Windows drive. How should I allocate space for each partition? Am I on the right track or totally off? Maybe I should consider getting a bigger SSD for Linux or even a third drive for the shared files? Any tips or insights on getting this dual-boot setup done right would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
A good approach is to first unplug your Windows drive while installing Linux. This way, the Linux installer won't mess with your Windows files. Once Linux is installed, plug both drives back and make sure your machine boots from the Linux drive. Running `sudo update-grub` should help detect Windows automatically. After installation, feel free to adjust your partitions using gparted. Just focus on getting dual boot set up first, then tackle any partition adjustments later!
Check out the migration tips in our wiki! You can just leave your Windows drive intact since Linux can read and write to it, so a dedicated shared NTFS partition isn't even necessary. Just make sure to disable Windows Fast Startup—this could lock down the filesystem and prevent Linux from writing to it properly. As for the Linux partitions, you definitely should have at least one ext4 partition for Linux, and if you want to share files, maybe a second NTFS partition for that. Plan your sizes based on what applications or games you want to install!
Agreed! That's super helpful; I'll keep that in mind while installing.
You can actually keep it pretty simple! Don't touch your Windows drive—you'll be able to access your files from Linux directly. You'll need at least one Linux partition (ext4) on your 500 GB SSD, and maybe one shared NTFS partition if you want to ease file transfers between systems. Just remember: if you're going for Linux-native games, ensure you have enough space! I usually just make a small partition for Linux and keep the rest for shared files. It runs smoothly that way!
This sounds like a solid plan! Thanks for the advice!
Thanks for the tip about Fast Startup! I had no idea that could cause issues.