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You can install Ubuntu, Linux Mint, or another Linux desktop beside Windows and choose which system starts at power-on. The safe path is to back up your files, resolve BitLocker or device-encryption issues, boot the installer in the same UEFI mode as Windows, and use the distribution’s supported “install alongside” option. If the installer cannot read the Windows disk or offers only to erase it, stop rather than guessing at partitions.
What dual-booting Windows and Linux does
A dual-boot computer has Windows and Linux installed on the same PC, either on separate partitions of one physical drive or on different drives. A boot manager presents the available systems when the machine starts. You select Windows for your existing work and Linux for the desktop, tools, or development environment you want to try.
The process changes disk partitions and boot configuration, so it is not the same as running Linux in a virtual machine or from a live USB session. A mistake during partitioning can make files inaccessible, and a firmware change can trigger an encryption-recovery request. Treat the installation as a system change, not an ordinary application install.
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Confirm the distribution and release
Choose the exact Linux distribution and release before touching the disk. Installation screens, hardware requirements, encryption behavior, and boot-repair instructions differ between distributions and can change between releases. Read the current official installation guide for that release. The Ubuntu 24.04 desktop tutorial is the documented example for the guided flow in this article: Install Ubuntu Desktop.
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- Check the distribution’s published hardware requirements for your processor, memory, graphics hardware, and available storage.
- Confirm that the edition you downloaded supports your PC’s firmware mode and graphics hardware.
- Keep a second device available for reading documentation if the PC is offline during installation.
Back up and verify irreplaceable files
Copy documents, photos, browser exports, project files, and other irreplaceable Windows data to separate storage before changing partitions. An external backup drive or other independent backup location is suitable; the official guidance does not require a particular product, capacity, or backup application.
Open several files from the backup and confirm that the copy is readable. A backup that was never tested is not a dependable recovery plan. Windows’ own recovery options should also be available before you begin. Ubuntu warns that choosing to erase a drive is destructive and that Windows data cannot be recovered after that choice. See Ubuntu’s BitLocker installation guidance for the implications of the installer choices.
Check BitLocker or device encryption before installation
In Windows, determine whether the system drive is protected by BitLocker or another device-encryption setting. Save the recovery key somewhere you can access without the installed Windows session before changing boot order, Secure Boot, or other firmware settings. Ubuntu explains that its installer cannot reliably map an encrypted Windows installation well enough to set up a safe side-by-side installation.
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If encryption is active, stop at this point and follow the current instructions for your Windows edition and chosen distribution. Ubuntu’s documentation discusses turning BitLocker off before installation and notes that some Windows versions might not permit it to be enabled again afterward. A separate, unencrypted physical disk is another option described by the Ubuntu installer documentation. Do not casually disable encryption on a company-managed computer; consult the administrator responsible for the device.
Ubuntu’s hardware-backed encryption explanation also warns that boot-setting changes can affect protection and may lead Windows to request the recovery key. Keep that key available after Linux is installed: Hardware-backed disk encryption.
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Plan the disk and boot layout
Make room without inventing a universal size
The amount of space Linux needs depends on the distribution, applications, updates, user files, and whether you will store large media or virtual machines. The reviewed official guides do not establish one partition size that is correct for every distribution and workload. Use the space recommendation for your selected release and leave Windows enough room for its updates and normal operation.
Use the distribution’s supported procedure to shrink the existing Windows volume or select unused space. Do not delete partitions merely because their names are unfamiliar. Recovery, EFI, diagnostic, and manufacturer partitions may be needed by Windows or the firmware. If the installer’s disk view does not match what you expect, stop and identify the layout before continuing.
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Most recent Windows installations use UEFI firmware. Start the Linux USB in UEFI mode when Windows is installed in UEFI mode; do not casually combine a legacy BIOS installation with a UEFI installation. Mixing modes can leave each operating system installed correctly on its own but make the boot manager difficult to maintain.
Use the PC’s one-time boot menu rather than changing the permanent boot order before you know which USB entry is correct. Firmware menus vary by manufacturer. When two entries appear for the same USB, choose the one explicitly labeled UEFI if that is how Windows currently starts.
Choose one disk or two
| Layout | What changes | When it may help | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| One physical disk, guided “alongside” install | The installer resizes or uses available space and creates Linux partitions beside Windows. | You want the distribution to handle the common layout while preserving existing files. | You still need a verified backup and must stop if the installer proposes erasing Windows. |
| Two physical disks | Linux is installed on a separate drive; the Windows disk may remain unchanged. | Ubuntu describes a separate unencrypted disk as an option when the Windows disk is encrypted. | The sources do not prove that a second disk is always safer. Firmware boot order and the EFI boot files still matter. |
| Manual partitioning | You choose partitions, mount points, and boot locations yourself. | You understand EFI systems, filesystems, partition tables, and recovery procedures. | Ubuntu labels this an advanced-user path; layouts and labels differ by release, so a universal recipe is unsafe. |
Create and boot the Linux USB installer
Prepare the installation media
- Download the ISO or installer image from the official website for the exact distribution and release.
- Create a bootable USB flash drive with the method recommended by that distribution. A normal drag-and-drop copy of the ISO is not necessarily bootable.
- Safely eject the USB from the computer that created it, then insert it into the Windows PC you will convert to dual boot.
Ubuntu’s official tutorial explicitly uses a USB flash drive and instructs you to boot or restart the PC from it: Install Ubuntu Desktop. The tutorial’s wording and screens can change, so use the current version displayed for your release.
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Start the installer in the correct mode
- Shut down or restart Windows with the USB connected.
- Open the machine’s one-time boot menu during startup. The key differs by manufacturer; use the on-screen prompt or the PC manual.
- Select the USB entry that matches Windows’ firmware mode, normally the UEFI entry on a modern installation.
- Choose the option to try or install Linux. If the live environment shows no expected internal disk, do not continue to partition; investigate encryption, storage-controller settings, and firmware mode first.
Ubuntu’s UEFI guidance is summarized in its installation documentation: install Ubuntu in UEFI mode when the existing operating system uses UEFI. A distribution’s current guide should take precedence if its installer has a machine-specific requirement.
Install Ubuntu alongside Windows with the guided path
The labels below describe Ubuntu’s documented “Install Ubuntu alongside another operating system” flow. Linux Mint and other distributions use different wording, although the decisions are similar.
- Launch the installer. Select the language, keyboard layout, network choices, and other initial options requested by your release.
- Reach the installation-type screen. Look for wording such as Install Ubuntu alongside another operating system. This option is available only when the installer can read the disk and identify the existing system.
- Select the target drive. If more than one drive is present, verify its model and capacity carefully. Do not select a drive based only on its position in a list.
- Allocate space. Use the installer’s control to choose how much space Linux receives, while leaving sufficient room for Windows and its future updates. The Ubuntu guide says the guided flow lets you choose a drive and the amount of space and preserves existing files.
- Review the summary. Confirm that the action says it will install alongside Windows rather than erase the disk. Check the drive name and the proposed resize before approving the change.
- Install. Confirm the write operation, create the Linux user account, and wait for the installer to finish. Keep the PC connected to reliable power.
- Restart when prompted. Remove the USB only when the installer asks or when the restart instructions say to do so, then allow the computer to boot from its internal drive.
If the alongside option is missing, the disk is shown as locked, or the only obvious choice would erase Windows, stop. Encryption, an unsupported partition layout, a mode mismatch, or an installer-version limitation may be responsible. Resolve that cause using the distribution’s current documentation instead of switching to manual partitioning by trial and error.
When manual partitioning is appropriate
Manual partitioning gives you control over the EFI system partition, Linux filesystem locations, swap strategy, and which disk receives boot files. It also makes it easier to select the wrong partition or format a Windows volume. Ubuntu explicitly describes manual partitioning as an advanced-user option.
Use it only when you can identify your disk model, partition table, Windows volume, EFI system partition, and unallocated space with confidence. The correct arrangement depends on whether the PC uses UEFI, whether a separate drive is present, and the distribution’s current installer. Because those variables differ, a beginner guide should not provide a one-size-fits-all partition recipe. If you cannot explain what each proposed operation will do, return to the supported guided flow or obtain qualified local help.
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Secure Boot: leave it enabled unless there is a documented reason
Secure Boot does not automatically prevent Ubuntu from installing. Ubuntu documents signed shim and GRUB components that support Secure Boot. Leave Secure Boot enabled unless the selected distribution’s current instructions or a specific, understood machine error requires a deliberate change.
Third-party kernel modules, including some hardware drivers built through DKMS, may require Machine Owner Key enrollment. During the first boot after installation, read any key-enrollment screen carefully and enroll a key only when you understand which module requested it and why. Disabling Secure Boot as a reflex can alter the trust model and may also affect Windows’ hardware-backed encryption.
For technical details, see Ubuntu’s UEFI Secure Boot documentation. If your chosen distribution is not Ubuntu, use its current Secure Boot instructions instead of assuming Ubuntu’s behavior applies unchanged.
First reboot: verify both systems
- At the first boot menu, select Linux and allow it to complete its initial setup.
- Restart and select Windows. Confirm that Windows reaches the sign-in screen and that important files are present.
- Restart again and test Linux. Check networking, display output, audio, storage visibility, and any hardware you require.
- Keep the Windows encryption-recovery key accessible, particularly if you changed boot order or Secure Boot settings.
Do not treat the installation as finished until each operating system has started successfully at least once. Record which boot-menu entry starts Linux and which starts Windows; this makes later firmware troubleshooting less ambiguous.
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Troubleshoot the common failure branches
The computer boots straight into Windows
This is often a firmware boot-order issue rather than a failed Linux installation. Open the firmware setup or one-time boot menu and look for the Linux EFI entry. Check that the internal drive containing Linux is ahead of Windows Boot Manager when you want the Linux menu to appear.
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Linux Mint’s multi-boot guide notes that Windows can take over the boot sequence. Its documented recovery approach is to start Mint live media, identify the installed Linux partition, and reinstall GRUB. The exact device and partition names in examples are not universal: identify your own disks and partitions before running any command, and follow the current Mint instructions at Multi-boot.
A “Secure Boot Violation” message appears
Do not delete partitions or reinstall immediately. Confirm that the Linux installation was started in the intended firmware mode and read the distribution’s Secure Boot guidance. Linux Mint documents EFI troubleshooting, including Secure Boot Violation cases, at EFI — Linux Mint Installation Guide. Ubuntu’s signed-boot components and module-signing process are described in its Secure Boot documentation linked above.
The installer cannot see Windows or the internal drive
Stop before selecting a replacement disk. Recheck whether BitLocker or device encryption is active, whether the USB was booted in the same mode as Windows, and whether the firmware exposes the storage controller to the installer. If Windows is encrypted, Ubuntu’s documented position is that the installer cannot safely map the disk for a side-by-side setup. Resolve encryption or use the documented separate unencrypted-disk option before proceeding.
The installer offers only an erase option
Cancel the installation and verify the disk layout from the live environment or Windows. An erase option is not a safe substitute for an unavailable alongside option. Confirm the target drive, encryption state, firmware mode, and unallocated space. Ubuntu warns that erasing the drive destroys the existing Windows data.
Windows requests its recovery key after Linux installation
Enter the saved recovery key only through the legitimate Windows recovery prompt. Boot-order, Secure Boot, and other boot-setting changes can alter the measurements used by hardware-backed encryption. Once Windows starts, review its encryption status and keep the recovery key stored safely for future firmware changes.
Ubuntu and Linux Mint: what their documented workflows emphasize
| Topic | Ubuntu documentation | Linux Mint documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Guided installation | The Ubuntu Desktop tutorial documents installing alongside another operating system, selecting a drive and space allocation, and preserving existing files when the installer can read the disk. | Mint’s installation guide uses its own installer labels; consult the release-specific guide rather than assuming Ubuntu screen names. |
| Encryption | Ubuntu explains that an encrypted Windows disk cannot be mapped safely for the alongside flow, discusses disabling BitLocker, and describes a separate unencrypted disk as an option. | Use the Mint release documentation for its exact encryption behavior and compatibility notes. |
| Boot order recovery | Use Ubuntu’s current EFI and boot documentation for Ubuntu-specific failures. | Mint explicitly recommends installing Windows first in a multi-boot setup and documents live-media recovery when Windows changes the boot sequence. |
| Secure Boot | Ubuntu ships signed shim and GRUB components; third-party modules can require MOK enrollment. | Mint’s EFI guide covers its own Secure Boot Violation and firmware troubleshooting steps. |
Neither set of documents establishes that one distribution is universally easier or safer. Compare the current release’s hardware support, interface, support lifetime, encryption behavior, and official installation instructions for your particular PC.
Keep the dual-boot installation maintainable
- Keep both systems updated through their normal supported update mechanisms.
- Before a major Windows upgrade, confirm that your backup and encryption-recovery key are still accessible.
- Before changing firmware settings, note the current boot order and whether Secure Boot is enabled.
- Do not format or resize partitions from one operating system unless you understand which partitions belong to the other.
- When replacing a drive or reinstalling either system, read the current distribution and Windows recovery documentation first; boot files and encryption measurements may change.
Installer interfaces, release requirements, encryption defaults, and firmware menus change over time. The official guidance cited here was checked on October 13, 2026; recheck the current documentation for your chosen distribution and PC immediately before installation.
When to stop and get help
Pause the installation if the drive layout is unfamiliar, BitLocker is enabled on a managed device, the firmware offers conflicting legacy and UEFI entries, the installer cannot identify Windows, or the proposed operation says it will erase a disk. A qualified technician or local computer-repair service can help interpret a machine-specific partition or firmware problem, but give them the backup status and encryption-recovery information without sharing passwords unnecessarily.
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