Dual Boot Windows 11 & Linux - How to?

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Dual Boot Windows 11 & Linux - How to?

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Dual boot enables two operating systems to run on the same computer, allowing a user to choose which one to boot. One of the most popular dual boot options is dual booting Windows 11 and Linux. So how do you set up dual boot on your computer, and how do you switch between the operating systems once they’ve been installed? In this guide, we’ll be going through how to dual boot Windows 11 and Linux, but these steps will also work with Windows 10.

Note: If all you need is access to an Ubuntu Command Line Interface (CLI), you can download and install the Ubuntu Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) from the Windows Store, eliminating the need to set up dual boot. Steps and/or system specifics may also differ from the steps listed below.​

 

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Before you set up dual boot​

The steps to dual boot Windows 11 and Linux are fairly straightforward, but may vary depending on what type of Linux distro (distribution) you are looking to run. For this article we are using Ubuntu Linux which supports Secure Boot. However, not all Linux distros support Secure Boot. If you want to run a Linux distro that does not offer Secure Boot support, you will need to disable Secure Boot on your computer before you can set up dual boot. If you are installing a Linux distro that supports Secure Boot, you can skip this step and go directly to Step 1 of setting up dual boot: creating a Linux install USB.​

How To Disable Secure Boot​

Before you do anything else, there's something you need to be aware of. Modern Windows computers come with a feature called Secure Boot, which is meant to enhance the security of your device by preventing malicious software from loading with your PC. Some Linux distributions, like Ubuntu, support Secure Boot, but many of them won't. That means you have to disable Secure Boot if you want to use Linux on your PC, and that can be a significant security risk.

To disable Secure Boot, you'll need to follow these steps:

1. Open the Start menu and open the power menu in the bottom right corner. Then, hold Shift on your keyboard and click Restart. You'll be taken to a blue screen that looks somewhat like this;​

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2. Here, choose Troubleshoot, followed by Advanced options.
3. Select UEFI Firmware Settings.

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4. This will take you to your PC's BIOS settings, where you can turn off Secure Boot. Every BIOS is a little different, so you may have to look around. In the HP laptop we're using here, you can navigate to the System Configuration tab at the top and you'll find the Secure Boot option. It's set to Enabled by default, and you want to change it to Disabled.



5. Save the changes and restart the computer to follow the rest of the process. If you ever stop using Linux, you can enable Secure Boot again by following the same steps in reverse order. Save all changes, and restart the computer.

 

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Creating Linux Installation Media

If your PC is ready to boot Linux, you'll need to have a USB drive that you can install Linux from. To turn your flash drive into installation media, everything on it will be erased, so make sure you've backed up anything you might need.

1. Find and download the Linux distribution (distro) you want to use. There are a lot of them out there, but for this guide, we'll be using Ubuntu. Once you've completed the download, you should have a file with the ISO file extension. (Download Ubuntu ISO here https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop)

2. Next, you'll need a tool that creates bootable USB drives from ISO files. You can download Rufus for this purpose.
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3. Run Rufus and insert the flash drive you want to use as installation media. Then, click Select and choose the ISO file you downloaded. All the options will be filled in automatically.

4. Click Start, then click OK in the prompt that shows up. Let the process run its course and you'll have created installation media for Linux.​

 

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Creating A Partition To Dual-Boot Linux

Next, you'll need to create a second partition on your drive for Linux. Partitions are like virtual divisions of a hard drive that are marked as different disks. For general use, partitions don't have much of a purpose, but you do need them for dual-booting. Here's how to create one.

1. Right-click your Start menu icon (or press Windows key + X on your keyboard) and choose Disk Management. You'll see a list of your drives and partitions that should look something like this.



2. Right-click your primary partition (it should be the one labeled as C:) and choose Shrink Volume...
3. Specify the amount of space you want to remove from the partition. This will be limited by the files you already have stored on it, and the amount you enter will be the space you have for your Linux installation.

You'll want at least a couple dozen gigabytes (multiply by 1024 for MB) for it to function properly, but you can go as high as you see fit. Just make sure you have enough space on both Windows and Linux partitions.

4. The space you chose will be deducted from your partition, and it will be listed as unallocated space in the Disk Management window. You can leave it as is and close the window.​

 

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Installing Linux To Dual-Boot With Windows 11

Now you have the two main pieces of the puzzle, you're ready to install Linux on your empty partition. If you removed the USB installation media from your PC, insert it again (remove other flash drives), then follow these steps:

1. Open the Start menu and then click the power button and — while holding Shift on your keyboard — click Restart.
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2. You'll be given a series of boot options. Click Use a device, then choose the USB flash drive you have inserted and your PC will boot from it.



3. You'll now be in the Ubuntu boot menu. Press Enter to boot into Ubuntu.

4. Ubuntu and other Linux operating systems let you try it out by booting from the USB drive without installing it. To install Linux on your empty partition, click Install Ubuntu.



5. Follow the setup experience by choosing your keyboard layout and connecting to Wi-Fi (optional). Choose your preferred options until you get to this page.



6. Here, you'll want to choose the first option that's chosen by default, at least if you want the easiest way to do things. This will install Ubuntu on the unallocated space you created before, leaving your Windows installation intact.

7. From here, it's mostly trivial stuff. Choose your region and set up your Ubuntu profile and the installation will begin. Once it's done, you'll be able to boot into Ubuntu without your USB flash drive.​

 

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Switching Between Windows 11 & Linux

Once Linux is installed on your PC, you should be given the option to boot into it right away, but that might not happen. If your Windows partition is set as the priority in your BIOS settings, you may constantly boot into Windows instead. The behavior will vary depending on your computer, so you may not need to do anything. If you do find yourself stuck in Windows 11 though, here's what you can do:

1. Open the Start menu and hold Shift on your keyboard as you click Restart.

2. Click Troubleshoot and then Advanced options.




4. You may need to press one of the function keys to open the BIOS setup. Once you're there, the process will vary depending on what PC you have. We're looking for options related to booting. On the HP laptop we're using here, you can find Boot options in the System Configuration tab.

5. Find an option related to boot order (UEFI Boot Order, in our example) and make sure the Linux drive is on top of the Windows drive.

6. In our example, we have to select the OS Boot Manager option, then use the F5/F6 keys to move Ubuntu to the top. Again, the process may vary by laptop, but the same principle should apply to any device.



If you're on a desktop, you may need to navigate to the Advanced Settings and switch the Boot Order inside your motherboard BIOS.



7. Exit and save the changes. After a restart, you should see the Linux boot menu, which lets you continue into your Linux distribution or boot into Windows. You'll see this menu every time you restart your computer so you can always choose your preferred boot option.



However, if your PC shows the Windows Boot Manager and doesn't display the option to boot into Ubuntu, you may need to modify the Hard Drive BBS Priorities in the BIOS. To do so,


1. Head back to your motherboard's BIOS and navigate to the Boot settings.

2. Click on the BBS (BIOS Boot Specification) option.



On most MSI motherboards, this setting is called UEFI Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities. But it can have a slightly different name depending on your motherboard manufacturer.

3. Set Ubuntu as Boot Option #1.



You can also use this setting to switch back to Windows 11.​