What’s the safest way to try Linux alongside Windows?

If you mainly want to experiment, start with a virtual machine. You can install Linux inside software such as VirtualBox, change settings, install programs, and keep your changes for later as long as you save the virtual machine’s virtual disk. It won’t perform as well as a real installation, especially for games, but it’s a safe way to learn before changing your actual drives.

Using two separate drives is the least stressful option if you can afford it. Put Windows on one drive and Linux on the other, then select which one to boot. It reduces the chance of accidentally changing the Windows partitions and makes reinstalling either system easier. A separate drive is helpful, but it isn’t strictly required for dual-booting.

A dual-boot setup normally gives each operating system its own partition, and they may use different filesystems. Linux can generally read and write Windows NTFS partitions, while Windows usually cannot natively read Linux filesystems such as ext4. Saving ordinary files to an NTFS partition from Linux should not corrupt Windows by itself, but you should still keep backups and avoid modifying Windows system folders.

Linux Mint is a beginner-friendly choice for getting started. During installation, pay close attention to the partitioning screen and back up important Windows files first. Also, modern systems typically use UEFI rather than older MBR setups, so keeping the boot configuration consistent is important.