How To Run Both Linux And Windows

Brief: This guide shows you how to dual kick Linux Mint with Windows 10and enjoy both Linux and Windows together in one arrangement.

Then you lot have decided to switch to Linux. Good decision! And if you chose to utilise Linux Mint, that'southward even a amend determination.

Linux Mint is one of the best Linux distributions for beginners. Using Linux Mint is fairly easy and installing Linux Mint is no rocket scientific discipline either. In this tutorial, we'll see how to install Linux Mint forth side Windows 10 .

Earlier that permit me recap yous a few things about installing Linux Mint. In that location are a few ways you can commencement using any Linux based operating system.

Use Linux inside Windows in a virtual automobile: This runs a Linux Bone like any other application within Windows. This is also one of the safest ways to become a experience of Linux. Even so, this will apply your organization resources and if you have less than 4Gb of RAM, I won't propose using it extensively.
Use a alive version of Linux: In this method, you put Linux on a USB or DVD and you boot from information technology. This is normally boring and your changes done to the Linux arrangement are (normally) not saved. This is specially useful if y'all simply want to encounter what Linux feels like.
Remove Windows and Linux: If you have backed upwards your information and have a recovery or installation disk of Windows set up with you or if yous are determined that you are not going back to Windows, yous tin remove Windows completely and utilise only Linux.
Install Linux aslope Windows: This method is called dual booting Linux with Windows. Here, you install Linux on a system that already has Windows. And when your system powers upwardly, you tin can choose if you want to use Windows or Linux. This involves touching the disk segmentation and sometimes boot guild. Accented beginners ofttimes detect information technology complicated just this is the best manner to employ Linux and Windows together in i system. And in this commodity, we'll see how to dual kicking Linux Mint with Windows 10.

With dual boot you can select if you have to use Windows or Linux — Dual Kicking allows you to select between using Windows and Linux at kicking time

Will dual booting Linux with Windows slow down your system?

I was asked this question several times in the Linux Users Group. So, the short answer is no. Dual booting Linux and Windows won't slow your system in any way.

The only delay is in kick time that besides considering you lot get 10 seconds of buffer time to select betwixt Linux and Windows. In one case you have booted into either of Linux or Windows, it will work the aforementioned equally if it is the only OS in the organisation. No impact on the usability of your system. Dual boot won't ho-hum down your system.

Install Linux Mint in dual kick with Windows:

Complete guide to dual boot Linux Mint and Windows 10

Before nosotros proceed to see the process to dual boot Linux Mint with Windows, let me give you some optional nonetheless recommended safe instructions:

Support your data: You are going to touch on disk partitions. Ordinarily, it'southward not a big issue merely just in case if you touched wrong segmentation etc, you may lose data. And then my advice is to support your important files, documents, music, movies etc to an external disk or cloud, whichever suits you.
Take a boot repair deejay: If your boot gets messed up, you can try to repair it with boot repair disk. If you have an extra USB or CD, y'all can use that to create boot repair disk.
Have a alive or recovery disk of Windows set: If your boot gets messed up and despite all efforts, you ended with an unbootable organisation, you lot tin use the Windows disk to reinstall Windows.

I am not discouraging yous. I am request you to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

Remember that this commodity applies to computers that have Windows x already installed on the system. You are installing Linux Mint on an already installed Windows organisation, non the other mode round.

I accept created a detailed video tutorial on installing Linux Mint alongside Windows 10. You tin refer to it if you want to see all the steps in even more than details. I also advise you lot to subscribe to our YouTube aqueduct for more Linux tutorials.

Follow the steps below to install Linux Mint in dual boot with Windows:

Pace one: Create a live USB or disk

Get to Linux Mint website and download ISO file. This ISO file is the disk image that you lot tin burn to a USB or DVD.

There are several versions of Linux Mint bachelor. The default is Cinnamon. If your computer supports 64 chip, go with 64 bit Linux Mint 19.3 Cinnamon. If you know nearly other desktop environments, you can make your mind and cull whichever Mint version you want.

Once you take downloaded the Linux Mint ISO, you need a tool to write the prototype to a disk. I recommend using a costless tool called Universal USB Installer in Windows:

It'southward an executable exe file. Just double click on it to run the software and browse it to the ISO. Make sure that you accept your USB central plugged in:

Create live USB of Linux Mint in Windows

If y'all need more than hints, here is a screenshot tutorial on how to create a alive USB for Linux.

Step 2: Brand a new partition for Linux Mint

This is where y'all have to be cautious. If y'all take multiple partitions (not the recovery ones), you can either use ane of them or create a new partition from an existing sectionalisation. Your existing information volition be safe if you have enough free space. Typically, you install Linux in under x Gb, all the same, if disk space if not a concern, I advise using xxx-40Gb at least. This mode you can take more than infinite at your disposal for downloading and keeping various files.

In Windows 10, go to beginning menu and type 'partition'. This volition bring upwardly Disk Management utility. At present carefully select the deejay in which you lot'll make some gratuitous infinite by shrinking the volume:

Create disk partition to dual boot Linux Mint and Windows 10

In my case, I but had the C Drive with 223Gb of space on it. So I shrunk information technology to make 110Gb of free division on it. I recommend scout the video to see the exact steps you need more hint.

Pace 3: Boot in to live USB

Plug the live USB or disk into the estimator and restart the figurer. While booting the estimator printing F10 or F12 function cardinal (defers from computer to computer) to go to the boot menu. Now, choose the option to kicking from USB or Removable Media.

Important Note: If your computer came with Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 and you upgraded your arrangement to Windows x, you may take to disable secure boot. Most mod system with Windows x should not demand this step, especially with Linux Mint or Ubuntu.

Step four: Start the installation

It takes some fourth dimension to boot from the live USB or disk. Have some patience. In one case it boots in to live disk, you'll be provided to Endeavor Linux Mint or Install Linux Mint. Even if yous choose to try it, y'all tin detect the install selection on the desktop:

Linux Mint Installation in dual boot with Windows

In next few screens, you'll be asked to choose the linguistic communication of the operating system. It will then do some checks on bachelor infinite, bombardment and Net connection.

Step 5: Prepare the partition

This is the nearly important part of the whole installation. Where to install Linux Mint?

If y'all meet the option to Install Linux Mint alongside Windows , yous tin select that. Linux Mint will handle things on its own. If you do that, skip step 5 and step half-dozen.

But every bit mentioned before, I prefer separate partitions for Windows and Linux. Windows is already installed here, we'll prepare a new partition for Linux Mint. In the Installation Type window, choose Something Else:

Step vi: Create root, swap and home

Since you already created a new partition in Windows, it's time to install Linux Mint on it. Now, there are several ways to do information technology. Merely hither, I'll show you my favorite fashion and that is to have a Root, a Swap and a Abode.

Create a root partition commencement. Choose the free infinite available and click on +.

Hither, choose the size of the root. Root is like your C bulldoze in Windows. Installed software, updates and other system files are under this root partition. Home partition is for your personal documents, music, downloads etc.

If yous have full 100 GB at disposal, give 30 GB to root. In whatever case, don't requite information technology less than 15 GB considering if root runs out of space, your arrangement volition slow down and you lot'll run into bug.

I opted to take 20 GB, choose ext4 file organisation, and mountain point as / (i.e. root):

At present, next is to create the bandy partitioning. Now the question is what should be the bandy size for Linux Mint installation?

The answer depends upon your RAM size, your needs, available disk space and whether you would use hibernation or not. You tin can use the below suggestion:

RAM less than 2 GB: Swap should be double the size of RAM
RAM between 2 to 4 GB: Swap should be RAM size + 2 GB
RAM betwixt vi GB to 8 GB: Swap should be size of RAM
RAM more than viii GB: Swap should exist one-half the size of RAM or less

Don't spend too much fourth dimension thinking about swap. It is helpful for systems with less memory. For system with more viii GB of RAM and SSD, the less the swap, the better it is.

Newer version of Linux Mint apply Bandy file. It creates a special file under root and utilizes information technology as bandy area. You can have both bandy partition and swap file in a system.

The next stride is to create Home. Try to allocate the maximum size to Home because this is where you'll be downloading and keeping the files.

Once you have created Root, Bandy and Home partitions, click on Install Now push button.

Step vii: Follow the trivial instructions

Technically, you lot have crossed the main hurdle if you reached this betoken successfully. Now you will be taken through a number of screens to select options like keyboard layout, login credentials etc. Yous don't demand to be a genius to figure out what to do here after. I have fastened screenshots for reference purpose hither.

One time the installation is over, you volition be presented with the pick to keep trying live version or to restart the system.

And that would be it. On next boot, yous volition run into the pick of Linux Mint on the grub screen. And thus you can savor the beautiful and beginner-friendly Linux distribution. I hope you plant this guide to Linux Mint dual kicking with Windows helpful.

Here are a few common troubleshoot you might accept to do afterwards dual booting Linux Mint: