Can I Safely Access My Windows Drive from Linux in a Dual-Boot Setup?
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MellowPine47
I'm planning to install CachyOS on a new drive while keeping Windows 11 on my existing drive for software that doesn't work well on Linux. I also have several games stored on the Windows drive and would prefer not to reinstall everything. Is it safe to mount that drive in Linux to access the files, transfer save data and images, or possibly run the games without corrupting anything or damaging the Windows installation?
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You may be able to reuse some existing game files, but the games usually still need to be installed or added to the Linux game library so Proton can create its prefixes and configuration. Simply mounting the drive and launching the Windows executable often won’t be enough, even if the same files work in Windows.
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Mounting the Windows drive for browsing and copying files is generally fine, so transferring saves, screenshots, and other data should work. Just make sure Windows is fully shut down rather than hibernated, and consider disabling Fast Startup, since a hibernated or partially hibernated NTFS volume can be mounted read-only or risk filesystem problems.
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Running games directly from an NTFS Windows partition is much less reliable. Some Steam games may work with Proton, but permissions, symlinks, launchers, anti-cheat, and filesystem behavior can cause problems. A Linux-native filesystem on the Linux drive is usually the better choice for games you plan to play in Linux.
OrbitLime6: There are configuration guides and newer NTFS drivers that can improve Steam compatibility, but they don’t guarantee that every game will work. Keeping the game files on a Linux filesystem avoids many of those issues.
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MellowPine47: Got it. I mainly want to copy save files and images, so I’ll make sure Windows is completely shut down first.