Hey everyone, I'm a complete beginner and feeling a bit lost with this whole dual-booting thing. Currently, I have Windows 11 on my PC, which I need to keep for work purposes. I'm looking to add either CachyOS or Bazzite as my second operating system, mainly to run games since they work well with Proton.
I've come across different opinions about whether to install Windows and Linux on separate physical drives. I have two 2TB drives available: one primarily for Windows and the other for my games and media. Should I go ahead and follow this advice and keep Windows on the first drive, while putting Linux on the second one that contains my games and media?
5 Answers
It's definitely best to keep Windows and Linux on separate drives. This way, if Windows updates ever rewrite your Linux bootloader, you're less likely to run into issues. So I’d say having Windows on one drive and Linux on the other is the way to go!
If you’re going to set up Linux, I recommend using an external USB drive. It can make the process easier and keep your main drives tidy!
Using a second drive is great if you can, but if you have to use one, just be careful with partitioning—always back up your data first! It’s manageable either way, just keep your backups handy.
Absolutely, if you've got a spare drive, use it for Linux. Just make sure to create a partition if you want to keep your games and media intact. Also, remember that you'll likely need a different partition format for your games on Linux, like btrfs or Ext4, to optimize performance.
If you're feeling unsure, you could also try using VirtualBox. I installed both Mint and Ubuntu on my Windows 11 for activities that don’t involve gaming—it's a good way to dip your toes into Linux without the commitment!
Yeah, totally agree! Keeping them separate is really the safest plan.