I'm looking to set up a dual boot system with Linux Mint and Windows on my pre-built computer that has both an SSD and an HDD. I plan to install the dual boot on the SSD, but I'm curious if I can still access the HDD from both operating systems. Will the HDD be accessible on both boots, or will it be restricted to just one?
3 Answers
If you're really worried about read/write access or performance, consider getting an external SSD for Linux. That way, you can keep your system separate and still access your HDD without complications.
Just a heads up, if Mint doesn't come with the 'ntfs-3g' package by default, you should install it. This package allows Linux to read NTFS drives, so you'll have easy access to your HDD. You can do this via the terminal or use Synaptic if you prefer a GUI.
Accessing your HDD will depend on its file format. If it’s NTFS, then you should be good to go! Linux Mint can read and write to NTFS drives without any major issues, so you can use the HDD for file storage on both systems.
I can confirm that. I use my HDD for storage too, and it works just fine on Mint.
Thanks for the tip, it's good to know I won't need to worry about accessing my files.