I've been a loyal Windows user for years, but after dealing with Microsoft's privacy concerns and the whole ChatControl situation in the EU, I'm ready to make the switch to Fedora. I've got over 15 years of experience as a CentOS/AlmaLinux admin, so I'm comfortable with Linux, but this will be my first personal transition. I'd like to set up a dual-boot configuration to migrate gradually.
Right now, I have my OS installed on an NVMe drive, along with two other HDDs. All three drives are encrypted with BitLocker, which prompts for a passphrase on boot. Should I disable BitLocker first and create a new partition on the NVMe before installing Fedora? Will Fedora be able to read my Windows partitions and the other drives formatted as NTFS?
When I tried installing Fedora on VirtualBox, it asked about disk encryption. Should I skip that during the migration to avoid corrupting my Windows setup and losing data on the other HDDs? Also, can I enable encryption later on like BitLocker does? Thanks for any guidance!
3 Answers
Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend dual-booting if you plan to encrypt your system partitions. Just grab a used SSD for Fedora — they’re really affordable. Keeping your Windows drive separate is safer in case you need it later.
Instead of migrating slowly, familiarize yourself with the installation process in a VM. Check for app alternatives beforehand, especially if you're not keen on running everything under Wine. You'll be better prepared that way!
If you're planning on using the same NVMe for both OSes, I wouldn't recommend it. You might have to disable BitLocker, but you can still read the data with Linux without needing to turn it off. Just make sure you have your recovery key saved, since Windows might ask for it if you boot from GRUB.
Yes, Fedora can read NTFS, although it’s not the best for writing or resizing those partitions, so be cautious. As for encryption, it's better to set it up first—adding it later isn't straightforward and could lead to complications.
I’d suggest picking up a cheap SATA SSD for Fedora instead of dual-booting on the same NVMe drive. Mixing encryption types can cause issues with Windows booting, and you don’t want to get stuck there. Fedora can definitely read NTFS drives, but keep in mind that if they’re BitLocker-encrypted, you might run into trouble accessing them without the keys.
Welcome to the Linux world! Enjoy your journey with the penguin!
Thanks so much! I might get an extra NVMe then. As for the HDDs, since they're NTFS, I guess I should just wipe them, encrypt them, and then transfer the data back!
Thanks for the tips! I’ll definitely save that recovery key.