Dual-Boot Linux and Windows: 5-Minute Install Guide

[hydn (Hayden James)]

Read the full article: Dual-Boot Linux and Windows: 5-Minute Install Guide

Dual-booting Linux alongside Windows lets you choose either operating system at startup, giving you the best of both worlds on one PC. This quick guide will show you how to set up a dual-boot of Windows and a Linux distro (focused on Ubuntu/Debian-based systems) in a UEFI environment. We’ll cover backing up, creating a bootable… continue reading.

[hydn (Hayden James)]

I’ve uploaded a short video showing the Ubuntu installer in action. This should serve as a general reference for most Linux installation processes, since the steps are similar across distributions. Use it alongside the instructions in the article for extra clarity.

I had a screen capture as well for the manual partitioning process using the Ubuntu installer; however, I forgot to export that capture from the live USB before rebooting.

My new Ubuntu 24.04 LTS+ESM install is ready for the next 8 years and 6 months of use:

Some screenshots (still tweaking, but it’s basically a more polished clone of my previous Gnome setup):

Temp wallpaper.

Sharing select /home/ folders between 2 distros

Symlinked /home/hydn/ for Ubuntu so I can continue with files in Kali home dir:

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/kali-home

UUID=xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxx  /mnt/kali-home  ext4  rw,relatime,x-systemd.device-timeout=5s  0  2

Then

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo mount -a
findmnt /mnt/kali-home #to test

Create the symlinks:

ln -s /mnt/kali-home/home/hydn/Documents  ~/Documents
ln -s /mnt/kali-home/home/hydn/Downloads  ~/Downloads
ln -s /mnt/kali-home/home/hydn/Pictures   ~/Pictures
ln -s /mnt/kali-home/home/hydn/git        ~/git
ln -s /mnt/kali-home/home/hydn/4trash     ~/4trash

This works, which helps keep workflow sync’d:

The rest of the workflow files are stored on Google Drive and Dropbox.

Access to existing files on Kali natively and also able to save there:

I’ll adjust or report back any issues or tweaks as I use this.

[tmick (Tim Mcconnell)]

Great detail, but I do have a question. Since Unbuntu is Debian based, do you need to force it to use the EFI or doesn’t it default to the old boot method (I forget what is called) if your mainboard lets you do both types?

[hydn (Hayden James)]

Thanks. Yes, both Ubuntu and Kali are Debian-based. That’s a good question! I already had dual-boot enabled with Kali+Win11 in UEFI mode. It was a while back, but I always preferred EFI.

If the system firmware is set to UEFI mode, Ubuntu will automatically install in UEFI mode. If it’s set to Legacy BIOS (or “CSM”), it will install in Legacy mode. If both are enabled, it depends on which mode the installer was booted in. You don’t need to “force” it, the installer follows the boot mode you used.

[tmick (Tim Mcconnell)]

So they should change to EFI only in BIOS to avoid the default Debian does, install to the Legacy BIOS or CSM. They should make sure they don’t get blessed with that mess. I’d put it in a Prep for install section along with the explanation as to why.

[hydn (Hayden James)]

Good call! Added below the “Confirm UEFI” in the prep section. Thanks Tim!

[tmick (Tim Mcconnell)]

Glad to be of some help, it’s kind of a nice change

[hydn (Hayden James)]

I’ll maybe write a full review of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, but for now I can sum it up in 2 words: seamless and polished.

For example, the UEFI secure boot works perfectly out of the gate:

[hydn (Hayden James)]

Updated this guide with a few improvements: added a note about Windows 11 24H2 automatically enabling BitLocker (even on Home editions), added Ventoy as a USB writing tool option alongside Rufus and Etcher, and included links to related guides throughout the article for backup tools, troubleshooting, choosing a distro, and post-install next steps.

[akash0099 (AKASH)]

You explained this topic line by line in such a way that I feel like I understand it more when I read it.

Love it.

[Jymm]

I quit dual booting (two linux OS’s not Windows) when os-prober became disabled by default. I know the ISO on the USB drive looks for other operating systems but once the install is written to the hard drive it is disabled there.
How do you deal with that? I see in forums people lose one OS or the other when they tried to dual boot?

My guess is on the first boot you need to open os-prober with a text editor and re-enable it and then update grub, on the first boot. Is that correct?

[tkn (thom)]

Yep, although it doesn’t have to be specifically on the first boot.
It is about this line in /etc/default/grub:

# GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

Just uncomment it and do

sudo update-grub

and your other OS’s will be recognized and added to grub.

I still have a semi-airgapped windows 10 on one of my NVMe partitions and the above recipe simply works.

N.B.
Contrary to modern belief based advice
I do not have this Windows 10 on a separate disk.

Why not ? Because you end up with two bootable disks so in the end your BIOS/UEFI will decide for you which one it will boot so you need an EFI bootloader yada yada yada, in short I find it more trouble than it’s worth.

[Jymm]

Thanks for the info. More dual boot guide should include that, it would save people a lot of trouble.

[hydn (Hayden James)]

I believe when WIndows 11 hits EOL I will stop using Windows just based on some of the things I’ve been hearing about Windows 12 so far.

Hopefully some of these are false rumors. We’ll see.

[andreas]

At the moment, what’s keeping you on Windows?

[hydn (Hayden James)]

@andreas good question. It’s more like what’s keeping me from removing Windows or keeping it available. I’ve not booted into W11 in over a month.

It’s been useful to have around for the occasional testing via Windows. For example, website fonts look different in Windows vs. Linux even when using the same web browser.

WSL2 makes keeping the terminal and Linux apps running natively.

Some games on Steam perform a lot better because my GPU is old, so being able to tweak it via the Windows-only Adrenalin software helps with FPS.

In general, with a lot of storage free, I just haven’t had a reason to get rid of it. Also, if I change my mind, will I be able to easily reinstall without having to pay for another license?

So it just sits there in the boot menu for now.

[Norm24 (Norm)]

It’s kind of funny. I keep a separate Win11 pc right next to my UM 24.04 machine and it only gets used once a month and that’s just to update it if necessary otherwise it remains powered off. I think the last time I had a dual boot machine was with either Hardy or Lucid, not sure though.

[andreas]

Fair enough - I think Windows keys are stored in the BIOS these days.

I had a dualboot for a long time as well (mainly for gaming), but noticed I didn’t really use Windows any more. I deleted the partition and also figured out that gaming works pretty well on Linux these days!

I do keep a Windows VM in case I need to test any thing (like you said, e.g., how certain applications/websites behave) or if someone sends me a file that really needs to be opened on Windows.

[Jymm]

I gave up Windows completely at Win 8. I was dual booting then and hated 8 plus I found the only time I used Windows as to update the anti-virus and adware/spyware programs and that was just a waste of time.

I keep an old Win 10 computer for one thing, updating my garmin equipment. Quicken went to a subscription model which I hate and Moneydance was a drop in replacement for Quicken. It is paid but with one key you can run it on as many computers as you want and it gets one free upgrade. I used Quick 2002 from 2002 to early 2025 when a Windows update would no longer allow it to run so if I get 23 years out of Moneydance I will be 93.