Hey everyone! I've been using a dualboot setup with Linux and Windows for about a year, and I've decided to switch completely to Linux. I'm looking to safely remove my Windows partition. Both operating systems are installed on separate SSDs, and I want to repurpose the SSD that has Windows on it for my Linux apps to free up some space on my Fedora installation. Any tips on how to go about this?
4 Answers
Before you format, I suggest you check if Linux boots fine without the Windows drive connected. If it does, you can safely format the Windows drive using the KDE partition manager. If not, you might need to reinstall the grub bootloader from your Fedora install media. You can find instructions [here](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/grub2-bootloader/#_restoring_the_bootloader_using_the_live_disk).
If everything is set up correctly, your bootloader should be on a small separate partition. You can identify the Windows partition (for example, /dev/sdb1) and run the command `sudo mkfs ext4 /dev/sdb1` to format it and then mount it wherever you want, like /var2.
First, you should remove Windows from your grub settings—just in case something goes wrong with kernel updates. Then, wipe the Windows drive and format it into ext4 so you can use that space for your Linux system.
If your Windows is on a separate SSD, you can just format that drive, and everything should be fine. But, make sure that your bootloader isn’t installed on that drive. If it is, you'll need to move the bootloader to the SSD where Fedora is installed before formatting.
I went with the default boot loader option when installing Cachyos because it's supposed to be the safest, but I'm hearing there might be better ones. Is it possible to change the boot loader?