I'm looking to dual boot Linux on my ASUS laptop that's currently running Windows 11. My SSD has a total of 235GB but only about 85GB is free. The built-in Windows Disk Manager is telling me I can only shrink the partition by about 290MB due to unmovable files, which isn't enough for my needs. I found a tool called Minitool Partition Wizard that claims I can shrink the partition by the full 85GB without warnings about that unmovable data. However, I'm hesitant to do this because I want to ensure that both operating systems have enough space to operate smoothly. I'd like to allocate around 30GB to Linux as I'll mostly access data from the Windows partition.
I'm particularly worried about the unmovable data—will it be safe if I proceed with shrinking the partition? I tried to disable the page file previously to free up space, but Windows got unstable and I had to reset it back. Once I get the partition sorted, I'm planning to install Linux Mint, which my friend recommended for its user-friendliness. I don't have a USB flash drive but I think a DVD drive will work. I just need to write the ISO image to the DVD properly, right? Also, I don't have access to ethernet ports, so I need to sort out the installation without that.
3 Answers
Just a heads up: It's always a good practice to back up any important files before adjusting partitions. Better safe than sorry!
You really don’t need to stress about the unmovable data; it's only an issue when you're in Windows. I'd suggest using gparted instead of Minitool. It's widely trusted for partitioning tasks. As for the DVD, yes, you can totally use that! Just make sure to burn the ISO properly using a tool like CDBurnerXP to avoid problems.
Thanks for the heads up! I’ll definitely check out gparted.
The great thing about Mint is that it can help with partitioning during installation. It will ask if you want to install alongside Windows, making the whole process a lot simpler! Welcome to the Linux community!
That sounds really convenient! I appreciate the warm welcome.
I'll make sure to back everything up first.