How To Install Windows 7 Dual Boot

You lot will acquire everything you need to know about dual-booting Linux and Windows.

I assume yous already have Windows installed on your computer and you only demand to install Linux to dual boot. This mail will guide you through the following key points of the dual boot installation:

• Essential BIOS settings for successful dual kicking.
• How to shrink your Windows partition to get gratuitous space for Linux.
• How to install Linux, using Linux Mint as an example.
• How to ready the kicking order in your computer to see the menu where you can cull between Linux and Windows to kicking.
• Finally, I will explicate why I am not a fan of dual-booting and why I recommend using Windows in a virtual machine as I showed in this post.

*NOTE: Before you apply any deportment from in this post, delight back upward all your important information.*

BIOS settings

Unfortunately, most of the computers take BIOS configured specifically for Windows, and likely y'all won't be able to install Linux on information technology without irresolute some settings. BIOS interface may differ from ane computer to another but the main settings are the same.

I volition utilize the BIOS of my Acer Swift 1 laptop as an example here.

Get into BIOS

First, you need to get into BIOS, usually, you simply need to press a specific key during the boot. In my Acer Swift 1, I press F2. Only google your computer model and bios key term, and you will find the key you need to printing. Sometimes, you may also see it on the screen during the kick:

Fix the BIOS password

Next, you may need to gear up a countersign in your BIOS because it won't allow yous to change any security settings without a password. This is the card to set the password on my Acer Swift 1:

You lot should be able to find the same in your BIOS. It is also possible that you tin go on without setting a password.

Disable Secure booting and change the Kick order

Next, yous demand to go to the Kick bill of fare and disable Secure booting and move your bootable USB flash drive to the outset place in the boot order:

Bank check this description of the commands on the right or lesser of your BIOS interface, it explains how to navigate and change options in your BIOS.

I am not going to end here on how to create a bootable USB drive. I have already explained how to create a bootable USB from the control line or using graphical programs.

Save BIOS settings

In the stop, go to the exit carte and leave BIOS with saving the changes:

If you accept done everything correctly, you lot should kick in your Alive USB Linux system:

Get free infinite for Linux

Boot into Live Linux session

Boot from the Live Linux USB. I will utilise Linux Mint installer as an example here, if you use Ubuntu or any Ubuntu-based distro, the process will not differ at all. If your distro is not Ubuntu-based, you even so need to practice the same steps equally y'all will see in this mail just the installer may wait slightly unlike.

To install Linux alongside Windows, y'all can actually select such an option in the installation wizard:

It will automatically find free space on your hard drive and install Linux at that place. Withal, if you lot want to have piddling more than control over how much infinite you classify to Windows and Linux, you tin get free space and assign it for Linux manually.

Shrink the Windows partition with GParted

Most of the Linux distros have GParted included in a Live ISO. If information technology is non, install it from the Software Eye. Then open up GParted and select the difficult bulldoze with your Windows installed:

Your Windows hard drive volition exist partitioned similarly to the one you see above. Most likely information technology will accept the EFI partition, and this means you need to install Linux in the EFI way too.

To shrink the Windows division to go costless space for Linux, you need to select the largest partition, click on the Partitioning menu in GParted, and select resize.

All white space is free infinite. So, you can shrink this partition with your mouse, or by selecting its size precisely with the number. You tin can take a maximum of complimentary space for Linux if you aim to utilise mainly Linux, simply exit some free space for Windows too, considering it may non be able to work without costless space left.

Click resize. Read this alert to know the risk and click OK. Y'all volition see how your partitions will look like after you apply the resizing:

So far, no changes to your difficult drive have been applied. It is just a program of action. Yous nonetheless tin can abolish everything, if yous have done a mistake somewhere. Notwithstanding, if you are happy with this segmentation table. Click use. This action will be irreversible.

Resizing will take some fourth dimension. Hopefully, it will finish successfully and yous can proceed with the installation.

Install Linux

To install Linux, click on the Install icons on your desktop or in your carte. The installation procedure is pretty standard.

I recommend to include the third party software in the installation:

Select Manual partitioning

As I mentioned before, you lot can select the pick to Install Linux alongside Windows automatically, but I personally adopt the manual style. That'southward why we shrank the Windows partition and released some costless space for Linux. Manual way not only gives more command but it also helps to understand what happens to your arrangement when you lot install two systems alongside each other. And then, select Something else here:

Create Linux Sectionalization

The new screen will show you the partitions of your hard bulldoze. You need to select the free space we have created in the previous step. And then click on the add sign, to create a Linux partition in this complimentary infinite:

You can keep all the options at default here only chiefly yous need to assign / equally a mounting indicate to this partition.

Yous can as well split this free space into two parts and assign one to the organization / and ane to /swap. But I believe it is much amend to utilize a swap file instead. Ubuntu installer creates a bandy file past default. I already explained the departure between a bandy file and swap partition previously.

Check the EFI partition

Adjacent, yous need to select the EFI partition, it is usually of several hundred megabytes in size. Make certain it is detected every bit EFI:

Boot loader installation

Boot loader installation doesn't matter here considering information technology will be UEFI installation, then the kick loader will be installed in the EFI sectionalisation. You can go along the default choice.

Format column

Finally, check that only the new Linux segmentation will be formatted in the Format column. Because if you have other partitions selected for formatting, be careful y'all will lose all the data stored in those partitions. If everything is fine, click Install.

Finalize the installation

While the system is installing, select your location, provide your user information, set the password, etc.:

Then merely expect until the system is installed.

After the installation, reboot the system and practice not forget to remove your installation USB when you lot are requested to do and then:

Boot into the new organisation

Yous should see this GRUB menu later the reboot. Here you lot can select betwixt Linux, which volition kicking past default in x sec, and Windows:

Kicking options in BIOS

If it happened that subsequently the reboot, y'all booted straight in your Windows and you did not see whatever Linux menu, do not get upset. Likely, you accept done everything correct and y'all just demand to modify the boot order in your BIOS. Similar I had to do in my Acer Swift 1.

In the Chief tab, notice the Boot carte and enable it:

Modify the Boot order

Then go to the Boot social club and you lot should see an boosted boot choice there that appeared later on you installed Linux. In my case, it is still called Windows Boot Manager without the code in brackets. This is actually my Linux kick file. I practise non know why BIOS branded it as Windows. So, I make it a first boot selection:

And relieve the BIOS changes. After the reboot, y'all should see the Grub menu with the selection of kick options.

If y'all still boot into Windows by default, try to open the boot carte du jour during the start of your organisation by pressing the F12 central (or whatsoever key is assigned to your BIOS Boot carte du jour). Information technology should bring this BIOS boot bill of fare:

Where I tin choose Ubuntu and my Linux Mint will kicking. So, the BIOS Boot menu helps to brand sure that Linux works, yous merely need to bank check your kicking club settings, maybe Linux is non the offset pick there. Try different orders until you get Linux booting the first.

Why I practice non recommend dual-booting

At that place are three principal reasons I stopped dual-booting and this is too why I exercise non recommend dual kicking.

1. If you use Windows in dual boot, information technology is possible that some updates of Windows may intermission your Linux installation. Theoretically, it should not happen, merely it happens. Peradventure Windows changes the Linux bootloader in the UEFI partition. I do not know.

2. If y'all dual boot, you volition never switch to Linux. If you are used to Windows, you will tend to boot into Windows more often and you won't like to reboot to get to Linux. Then, you lot volition non use Linux much and thus volition never switch to Linux completely.

3. On the other hand, if you prefer Linux, Windows volition just take too much space on your hard drive that is never used. So, this is non practiced either.

I recommend using Windows in a Virtual motorcar such as VirtualBox. This fashion your Windows can be accessed from within Linux. Windows will be less powerful than if it was installed in dual kick, but y'all withal tin do most of the things you would usually do. A virtual auto too isolates your Windows file organisation and this provides meliorate protection against viruses. You can read my postal service on how to install Windows 10 in VirtualBox and perhaps you will like that pick more than than dual-booting.

Source: https://averagelinuxuser.com/dualboot-linux-windows/

Posted by: cooksioned69.blogspot.com

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