Dual Booting Linux with Windows: A Step-by-Step Guide.

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If you’re curious about Linux but not ready to completely let go of Windows, dual booting is the perfect solution. It allows you to install Linux alongside Windows on the same computer, giving you the choice of which operating system to use at startup. This guide walks you through the entire process.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure the following:

  • A computer already running Windows 10 or 11
  • At least 20–30 GB of free disk space
  • A USB drive (minimum 4GB)
  • A reliable tool like Rufus or Etcher
  • A downloaded Linux ISO file (e.g., Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora)
  • Backup your important data (recommended)

Step 1: Create a Partition for Linux

  1. Open Disk Management:
    • Press Windows + X → Click Disk Management
  2. Shrink a volume (preferably C: drive) to make space for Linux:
    • Right-click on C: → Select Shrink Volume
    • Enter the amount of space to shrink (minimum 20,000 MB for 20GB)
    • Click Shrink

This will create Unallocated space for Linux installation.

Step 2: Create a Bootable USB Drive

  1. Download your chosen Linux distro ISO (e.g., ubuntu.com)
  2. Download and install Rufus (rufus.ie)
  3. Plug in your USB drive and open Rufus:
    • Select your ISO
    • Partition scheme: MBR for legacy BIOS or GPT for UEFI
    • Click Start and wait until the bootable drive is ready

Step 3: Boot into Linux Installer

  1. Restart your PC and enter the boot menu (F12, ESC, DEL, or F2, depending on your PC)
  2. Select the USB drive to boot from it
  3. The Linux live environment will load
  4. Click on “Install [Linux Distro]” to begin installation

Step 4: Install Linux Alongside Windows

  1. Choose your language and keyboard layout
  2. Installation Type:
    • Select Install alongside Windows Boot Manager
    • If this option isn’t shown, choose “Something else” and select the free space to manually install Linux
  3. Create Linux partitions (if needed):
    • Root (/) – at least 20 GB, ext4
    • Optional: Swap (same size as RAM), and Home (/home) for personal files
  4. Choose the device for the boot loader (usually /dev/sda)
  5. Click Install Now

Step 5: Set Timezone and User Info

  • Select your timezone
  • Enter username, password, and computer name
  • Click Continue

The installation will now begin and take a few minutes to complete.

Step 6: Reboot and Choose Your OS

After installation:

  • The system will prompt you to remove installation media and reboot
  • On reboot, you’ll see the GRUB boot menu where you can choose between Linux and Windows

Optional: Customize GRUB Boot Order

You can change the default OS (e.g., boot into Windows by default):

  1. Boot into Linux
  2. Open terminal and run:
    sudo nano /etc/default/grub
  3. Change GRUB_DEFAULT=0 to the OS entry you want (e.g., 1 for Windows)
  4. Save and exit (Ctrl + O, Enter, Ctrl + X)
  5. Update GRUB:
    sudo update-grub

Troubleshooting Tips

  • If Windows doesn’t appear in GRUB, run:
    sudo update-grub
  • If the Linux installer erases Windows, it’s likely due to incorrect partitioning or overwriting the Windows bootloader. Restore using a Windows recovery disk.

Final Thoughts

Dual booting Linux with Windows gives you the flexibility to explore Linux without losing access to your existing Windows environment. It’s ideal for developers, power users, and tech enthusiasts looking to enjoy the best of both worlds.

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