Hey everyone! I'm currently on Windows 11, and I've been considering making the switch to Linux for a while now because I'm just really fed up with Windows. Gaming has always held me back, especially since I love playing titles like Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Cyberpunk, plus some older classics like Oblivion and Prototype. On top of that, my university requires software like Maya and Substance Painter, which doesn't seem super compatible with Linux. That's why I'm exploring my options and thinking a dual boot setup might be the way to go.
I've got plenty of storage—four drives in total, with one being an empty 1TB external drive that I'd like to use for Linux. Ideally, I'd love to fully switch to Linux, but I'm worried about messing up my existing games and programs. I don't have the time to figure out getting everything to work on Linux just yet, so dual booting appears to be the best solution unless I'm missing something critical.
I want to use Linux for everything except gaming and schoolwork. As for distros, I can handle figuring that out with a picker tool I found, but I'm always open to recommendations! I've heard a lot about Mint, but I'm flexible as long as I can customize it to my liking.
Here are my main questions: Will the two operating systems communicate well? If I'm booted into Linux, will I still have access to my files from Windows (except for those on C drive, correct)? Will Windows act up on me? Is there any risk of file corruption, especially on drives outside of C if I need to back them up or unplug them during the Linux installation? Thanks for your help!
6 Answers
Honestly, dual booting might not be necessary if you use Windows for most of your important tasks. If you're comfortable using Linux for most things, then it makes sense. But if you're still relying heavily on Windows for school and gaming, it might be overkill. You could consider waiting until summer and fully transitioning to Linux then once you have time to sort everything out.
Go for it! You'll probably want to ditch Windows completely before too long. It might feel like a big step, but it's worth it in the long run.
Linux handles most games fine through Steam Proton, although it might take a bit to set up. Using a Wayland desktop environment is recommended, as it’s known to perform better than Xorg for certain games. Also, Wine is another option for non-Steam games, and it's come a long way, so don't overlook that.
Yeah, I've heard of Proton too! If it weren't for school, I'd go all in on Linux gaming. I mainly play Steam games anyway, and I'm definitely curious about this Wayland DE!
Check out the migration page in the Linux wiki for tons of tips! Just be cautious with root access, avoid third-party repos, and always verify your ISO checksums after downloading.
When you dual boot with Linux and Windows on the same drive, Windows can sometimes mess with the boot partition. It's best to keep them on separate drives. Modern Linux distros can read NTFS drives, but Windows doesn't handle EXT4 natively. You might want to create a shared drive for personal files accessible by both OSs.
Staying away from the same drive sounds like a smart move! Keep Linux on its own drive for a smoother experience. And yeah, you can definitely format your Linux drive to EXT4 and keep your other drives NTFS without issues.
Just a heads up - if you're planning to game on Linux, you'll want your games on an EXT4 drive for them to work seamlessly.
Absolutely, a great option is to put your Linux setup on an external drive and keep Windows unchanged. This way, you can easily handle Windows updates—just unplug that external drive during updates to avoid problems. It drops the chance of Windows causing any boot issues too. Why boot Windows first? It makes it cleaner when you go to update Windows, plus it just helps prevent any conflicts during boot ups.
Got it! Unplugging the drive during Windows updates is a solid plan. And the boot order just makes it easier to manage everything without Windows getting in the way.
That’s true, I do use Windows quite often! I could just stick with Windows for now and save the bigger switch for when I can manage reinstalling games and figuring out Proton.