I'm a programmer who also does design work and plays games. I used Windows for most of my life, but I've recently been moving toward Ubuntu Linux. I still need Windows for certain games and Adobe applications, so I've kept both operating systems in a dual-boot setup. It worked well for a while, but now I'm running into problems: the clock is often wrong after switching systems, display scaling or aspect ratios sometimes change, and Windows occasionally refuses to boot because of corrupted files. Is there a recommended configuration or repair process that would let me keep both systems installed while avoiding these conflicts?
3 Answers
Linux and Windows handle the hardware clock differently. You can make Linux use local time with `sudo timedatectl set-local-rtc 1`, which usually stops the clock from changing whenever you switch operating systems.
If the installation has become unreliable, the cleanest solution may be to back up your files and reinstall both systems. Boot a Linux live USB, erase the existing drive partitions, install Windows first, and then shrink the Windows partition from Disk Management to leave unallocated space for Linux. Install Linux into that free space afterward so its bootloader can offer both systems at startup. Once everything is installed, apply the local-time clock fix and make sure Windows Fast Startup and hibernation are disabled. This approach avoids many problems caused by Windows placing system files in inconvenient parts of an older partition layout, though wiping the drive makes a complete external backup essential.
In Windows, disable Fast Startup and hibernation. Fast Startup leaves the Windows system partition in a partially hibernated state, which can cause problems when Linux accesses it and may contribute to boot or file-system issues.
This has worked well for my own dual-boot machines, but I’d only recommend it after confirming that all important files and recovery information are backed up. Reinstalling is not necessary if the current partition and boot configuration can be repaired safely.