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Yes—you can install openKylin beside Windows 11 without deleting Windows. The safe method is to back up and prepare Windows first, verify the correct openKylin image, shrink the Windows volume into unallocated space, boot the installer in the same UEFI mode Windows uses, and choose custom partitioning. Never select openKylin’s full-disk installation option for a dual-boot computer: that option formats the drive.
The procedure below is written for a conventional Intel- or AMD-based PC using Windows 11 in UEFI/GPT mode. ARM, LoongArch and RISC-V computers need the matching openKylin image and may expose different firmware and installer behavior.
What you need before starting
A dual-boot installation changes partitions and firmware boot entries. It is reversible when you retain a verified backup and Windows recovery path, but a mistake in the partitioner can destroy data. Gather these items before downloading anything:
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- A USB flash drive large enough for the selected openKylin image. The openKylin 3.0 AMD64 desktop image is approximately 7.5 GB, according to the project’s 2026 catalog, so use a drive with more capacity than the image size.
- A second storage device or cloud destination for personal-file backups and, ideally, a recovery copy.
- Administrator access in Windows and the ability to enter the computer’s UEFI firmware and one-time boot menu.
- Your BitLocker or device-encryption recovery key, if encryption is enabled.
- The exact openKylin release filename, architecture and release date you intend to install.
Do not begin until the backup can be opened from another device and you know which physical disk contains Windows.
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Check Windows’ boot mode, disk and encryption
Confirm UEFI and GPT
Windows and openKylin should use the same firmware mode. A modern Windows 11 installation normally uses UEFI firmware with a GPT disk. In Windows, open System Information by running msinfo32 and note the BIOS Mode value. In Disk Management, identify the disk containing the Windows partition and its small EFI System Partition. If Windows is installed in legacy BIOS/MBR mode, do not casually switch the firmware to UEFI during this installation; changing modes can make Windows unbootable. Resolve that layout first using Microsoft’s Windows documentation or the computer maker’s instructions.
Find the Windows system disk
Run diskmgmt.msc as an administrator. The Windows volume is usually labeled C:, but rely on its size and contents rather than the letter alone. Record the disk number and the location of the EFI System and Recovery partitions. This record helps you identify the correct device in the openKylin installer, where disks may be listed by model name rather than familiar Windows labels.
Save the BitLocker recovery key
Encryption can turn an ordinary boot change into a recovery-key request. Save the BitLocker recovery key before shrinking partitions, changing firmware settings or installing a second bootloader. Microsoft notes that encrypted systems may require this key in Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and during Startup Repair. Store it somewhere available when the computer is offline; do not rely on a file stored only on the Windows disk you are modifying.
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Back up files and verify Windows recovery
Make a usable personal-file backup
Copy documents, photographs, project files, browser data and any application-specific exports to another physical device or a separate cloud location. Open several copied files to confirm that the backup is readable. A synchronized folder is not always a historical backup: deletion or corruption can synchronize too. Keep the backup until both operating systems have booted successfully and you have checked the important files.
Check WinRE and recovery media
Windows Recovery Environment includes Startup Repair, restore tools and an entry for UEFI firmware settings. Open Windows’ recovery settings and verify that WinRE is available. If it is not, create or obtain Windows recovery media before proceeding. Startup Repair is designed to diagnose common startup failures, including damaged boot configuration data, but an encrypted system can still ask for the BitLocker recovery key.
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Download the correct openKylin image
Match the processor architecture
Use the official openKylin download catalog and match the image to the machine:
| Computer type | Image family to select | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Typical Intel or AMD PC | AMD64/x86 desktop | This is the conventional Windows 11 dual-boot case. |
| ARM computer | ARM image | Do not use the AMD64 image. |
| LoongArch computer | LoongArch image | Firmware and hardware support may differ from an x86 PC. |
| RISC-V computer | RISC-V image | Use only hardware and release combinations supported by openKylin. |
The catalog lists openKylin 3.0 desktop images with release dates and file sizes. Record the filename and date you downloaded; the catalog can change as releases are added or replaced.
Verify the MD5 checksum
After downloading, calculate the file’s MD5 value with a local checksum utility and compare it character-for-character with the official value for that exact image. On Windows PowerShell, the command is:
Get-FileHash .openKylin-image.iso -Algorithm MD5Replace the filename with the one you downloaded. A mismatch means the image is incomplete, altered or otherwise not the file described by the catalog. Delete it, download it again and repeat the check. Do not write an unverified ISO to your installer USB.
Write the image instead of copying it
Use a trusted image-writing utility to write the verified ISO to the entire USB device. Dragging the ISO into an ordinary folder on the drive does not make bootable media. The writing process erases the USB’s existing contents, so copy anything important from it first. Eject the USB safely after the utility reports completion.
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Create unallocated space from Windows
Shrink the Windows volume
- Sign in to Windows with an administrator account.
- Press
Win+R, enterdiskmgmt.msc, and press Enter. - In the lower disk map, right-click the Windows volume you identified earlier and choose Shrink Volume.
- Enter the amount to remove from Windows, in megabytes, and confirm Shrink.
- Leave the resulting area labeled Unallocated. Do not create or format a Windows volume there; openKylin’s installer will use it.
Microsoft documents shrinking a basic volume in Disk Management and recommends GPT for modern UEFI systems. The available shrink amount can be smaller than the apparent free space because immovable files may sit near the end of the volume. If Windows offers less space than expected, remove unnecessary files and applications, empty the recycle bin, and try again. Do not force a shrink by deleting system partitions.
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How much space to leave
The openKylin community guide gives a baseline of more than 15 GB for the Linux root partition and roughly 256 MB to 2 GB for an EFI partition. Those are installation baselines, not a comfortable long-term desktop allocation. Reserve additional unallocated space for applications, updates, user files and temporary data. The exact amount depends on what you will install; choose a size you can afford without making Windows run short of working space.
Do not delete or format the existing Windows EFI System Partition or Windows Recovery partitions. Microsoft explicitly warns that formatting a volume destroys data. The openKylin guide’s full-disk option formats the entire disk, so it is not appropriate here.
Boot the USB in the same UEFI mode
Open the one-time boot menu
- Shut down or restart the computer with the prepared USB inserted.
- Open the manufacturer’s one-time boot menu. The key varies by manufacturer; common choices include a function key or
Esc, but check the computer’s documentation. - Select the USB entry that explicitly indicates UEFI, not a legacy or CSM entry.
- Start the openKylin installer.
The openKylin community UEFI tutorial uses this firmware-menu workflow. Booting the installer in legacy mode while Windows uses UEFI can create separate, confusing boot paths and may prevent the firmware from showing both systems together.
Decide what to do about Secure Boot
Secure Boot behavior is release- and hardware-dependent. The community tutorial disables Secure Boot for its documented procedure, but that is not proof that every openKylin release requires it. Before changing the setting, check the documentation for the exact release and your computer manufacturer’s firmware guidance. If the installer will not start with Secure Boot enabled and the release documentation calls for disabling it, record the original setting, disable it temporarily, install, and re-enable it only if the installed release and hardware support a successful signed-boot configuration. Never change several firmware options at once; that makes recovery harder.
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Choose custom partitioning
Why full-disk installation is unsafe here
openKylin’s guide states that full-disk installation formats the entire hard disk. That mode is intended for a computer on which you have decided to replace the existing system, not for preserving Windows. If the installer offers “erase disk,” “use entire disk,” “quick install” or equivalent wording, stop and return to the storage-choice screen.
Assign the Linux root partition
- Select Custom, Manual or the equivalent advanced partitioning option.
- Identify the unallocated space created in Windows by its disk and approximate size. Do not select the Windows C: partition, the Windows EFI System Partition or a Recovery partition.
- Create a Linux root partition in that unallocated space, format it as ext4, and mount it at
/. The community guide specifies more than 15 GB as its root baseline. - If you want separate user data, create an additional Linux partition in the remaining unallocated space and assign it to
/home. This is optional; the guide’s required baseline is the root partition. - Create swap only if your workload or chosen release calls for it. If you do, size it from your actual hibernation and memory requirements rather than blindly copying a fixed number.
Reuse the existing EFI System Partition carefully
A UEFI dual boot normally uses one EFI System Partition containing boot files for both operating systems. In the partitioner, select the existing EFI partition only when its type and size clearly identify it as the EFI partition. Assign it as the EFI or bootloader location without formatting it. Formatting that partition can remove Windows’ boot files. The guide’s 256 MB–2 GB EFI range describes an EFI layout, but an existing Windows EFI partition should be preserved rather than recreated merely to match a number.
Install the bootloader to the right disk
If the installer asks where to install a bootloader, choose the same physical disk that contains Windows and the EFI System Partition, unless you deliberately designed a separate-drive layout and understand how your firmware selects it. Review the final summary line by line before confirming. The summary should show Linux partitions only in the unallocated space and no format action on Windows or Recovery partitions.
Finish installation and verify both operating systems
- Start the installation only after reviewing the disk and format summary.
- Wait for the installer to complete without powering off the computer.
- Remove the USB when prompted, or before the next reboot if the installer instructs you to do so.
- Restart and open the firmware boot menu if the default entry is not the expected one.
- Confirm that the boot menu or bootloader presents both openKylin and Windows Boot Manager.
- Boot openKylin and check networking, graphics, storage and the system clock.
- Restart and boot Windows. Open several files, check network access and confirm that your Windows applications and recovery partitions remain present.
Keep the USB installer and backups until both systems have passed these checks. Do not delete the backup simply because the first Linux boot succeeded.
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The USB does not appear in the boot menu
- Confirm that the ISO’s MD5 matches the official value. Rewrite the USB if the checksum was wrong or the write utility reported an error.
- Use the one-time boot menu rather than relying on the firmware’s default order.
- Look for a UEFI-labeled USB entry; a legacy-only entry may not match Windows’ mode.
- Try another USB port, especially if the current port is not initialized early in firmware startup.
- Check whether Secure Boot is blocking this release’s bootloader. Consult the release and hardware documentation before changing it.
Windows asks for the BitLocker recovery key
Enter the recovery key you saved before installation. A firmware, partition or bootloader change can trigger BitLocker’s protection check even when Windows files are intact. If you cannot provide the key, do not repeatedly alter firmware settings or partitions; locate the key or use your documented recovery path first.
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The computer starts Windows directly
Use the firmware boot menu and select the openKylin entry. If it is present but not first in the boot order, adjust the UEFI order. If only Windows Boot Manager appears, re-enter the installer’s manual partition screen only after confirming that the Linux partitions exist and the EFI partition was not formatted. Avoid deleting EFI files manually.
Windows no longer starts
- Enter WinRE from Windows recovery media or Windows Advanced startup.
- Choose Troubleshoot, then Advanced options, then Startup Repair.
- Provide the BitLocker recovery key if requested.
- Allow Startup Repair to diagnose and repair common boot-configuration problems.
- If repair cannot restore the entry, use the firmware menu to select Windows Boot Manager and consult the computer and Windows recovery documentation before editing EFI files.
The installer shows no unallocated space
Return to Windows and confirm that Disk Management shows the space as unallocated on the intended disk. If it is shown as a new formatted volume, delete only that newly created volume after verifying it contains no needed data, then restart the installer. Never delete the EFI or Recovery partitions to manufacture space.
The installer proposes formatting the whole disk
Cancel that screen. You are in the destructive installation path. Return to storage selection and choose custom/manual partitioning. If no manual option exists in the selected release, do not proceed until you have release-specific instructions that explicitly support preserving Windows.
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Both layouts can work, but they change what you must protect:
| Layout | Advantages | Risks and checks |
|---|---|---|
| One physical disk, shared EFI System Partition | Simple firmware layout; Windows and openKylin entries are stored in one UEFI system. | A partitioning mistake can affect both systems. Shrink Windows carefully and never format the shared EFI partition. |
| Two physical disks | Linux data can be isolated from Windows’ main volume; replacing one disk is less likely to overwrite the other. | Firmware may boot the wrong disk, and the installer can still target the wrong device. Identify disks by model and set the intended UEFI boot order. |
The safe decision is not simply “one disk versus two.” It is whether you can identify every partition, preserve a recovery path and verify the installer’s final actions before clicking Install.
Pre-install and post-install checklists
Before clicking Install
- Personal files open successfully from an external backup.
- Windows boot mode and disk layout are recorded.
- BitLocker recovery key is available offline.
- WinRE or Windows recovery media is usable.
- The image architecture matches the computer.
- The ISO MD5 matches the official checksum.
- The USB was written as bootable media, not copied as a normal file.
- Windows was shrunk, leaving unallocated space.
- The installer was booted through the UEFI USB entry.
- Custom/manual partitioning is selected.
- Only unallocated space is assigned to Linux.
- No Windows, EFI or Recovery partition is marked for formatting.
After the first reboot
- The USB is removed as instructed.
- Both openKylin and Windows Boot Manager are visible.
- openKylin networking, graphics and storage work.
- Windows boots and personal files are present.
- The BitLocker key and backups remain stored safely.
What “safe” means in this installation
There is no partitioning shortcut that makes a dual boot risk-free. Safety comes from preserving rollback options, matching UEFI/GPT modes, verifying the installer media, using only Windows-created unallocated space and treating every format checkbox as destructive. The full-disk installer is appropriate only when you intend to erase the disk; for Windows plus openKylin, manual partitioning and a shared, unformatted EFI System Partition are the essential distinctions.
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