Right off the bat, we’re going to assume a couple of things. First, as Windows 11 is generally the primary OS in a dual boot setup, this article assumes Windows 11 is already installed, and you’re trying to install Linux on top of that.Second, we’re installing Ubuntu for tutorial purposes, but you’re free to choose your preferred Linux distribution as the steps will apply to most of them.With that said, you’ll find the prerequisites and all the necessary steps to dual boot Windows 11 and Linux in the article below.
Steps to Dual Boot Windows 11 and Linux
Create Bootable Media
First things first, you’ll need to create a bootable Linux USB. We recommend using Rufus for this task, but you can use other alternatives if you prefer. Here are the necessary steps:
Get Things Ready
While the bootable drive is being created, you can free up some space for the Linux partition. Once that’s done, you’ll set up your PC to boot from the USB. Here are the steps to do so:
Install Linux
After exiting the BIOS, you should boot to the Setup Wizard. Going forward, the setup process is very simple. Here are the necessary steps:
Related Questions
How to Dual Boot Windows 11 And Linux On Separate Hard Drives?
There are only a few minor differences when doing this, as opposed to dual-booting on the same drive. Here are the necessary steps:If you’re installing Linux on a second drive that’s empty, there’s an even easier method. You can select the Erase disk and install Ubuntu option and pick the empty HDD on the next screen. The rest of the process is just configuring the preferences, as stated earlier.
Can I Use A Virtual Machine Instead of Dual Booting?
This depends on how you plan to use the VM. First of all, VMs require some decent specs for good performance. And VMs are not ideal for various tasks – online gaming, for instance. The anti-cheat systems utilized by most games these days will flag a user playing from a VM and get the account banned. On the other hand, if a VM satisfies your general use requirements, it can be a very convenient option.
How to Remove Linux From Dual Boot?
There are two parts to this. First, you must delete the Linux partitions, then remove the GRUB files from the system partition. Here are the steps to do so:
