I'm planning to install CachyOS on a new drive while keeping Windows 11 for programs that aren't supported on Linux. I already have several games stored on the Windows drive and would prefer not to reinstall everything. Is it safe to mount that drive in Linux for accessing files, save data, and images? Can games be run directly from the existing Windows installation without risking corrupted data or problems with either operating system?
3 Answers
Yes, Linux can mount and read your Windows drive, so transferring save files, screenshots, images, and other personal data is generally fine. Just make sure Windows is fully shut down rather than hibernated or using Fast Startup, since those features can leave the NTFS filesystem in an unsafe state for Linux to write to.
Running games directly from the Windows drive is much less reliable. Games usually need to be installed into the Linux environment through Steam and Proton, and some titles may not work properly from an NTFS partition because of permissions, filesystem behavior, or launcher and compatibility-tool files. You may be able to reuse some existing files, but expect troubleshooting and possible reinstallations.
Steam can sometimes use an NTFS library with additional setup, such as configuring the mount permissions and compatibility-tool paths, but it isn’t as dependable as using a Linux-native filesystem like ext4 or Btrfs.
Mounting the drive itself is unlikely to damage your Windows installation, but avoid modifying Windows system folders or game files while Windows is hibernated. Also keep in mind that many games are tied to the specific operating-system installation, so simply pointing Linux or another Windows installation at the existing folder may not be enough to launch them.
Got it—so using the drive for files and backups should be fine as long as I completely shut down Windows first.