How to dual-boot Windows 11 and Linux on your PC

Updated Nov 6, 2024

João has been covering the tech world for over 7 years, with a heavy focus on laptops and the Windows ecosystem. I also love all things tech and videogames, especially Nintendo, which he's always happy to talk about.

Prior to joining XDA in 2021, he worked at Neowin: https://www.neowin.net/news/poster/jo%C3%A3o-carrasqueira/

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Fromcutting-edge desktops toversatile convertible laptops, you're more likely to haveWindows 11 installed on the newest devices on the market. But as good as it may be, there are plenty of cases where you may prefer something like Linux over Microsoft's flagship OS. Perhaps you're a hardcore developer who prefers Linux to Windows. Or maybe you're a distro hopper who loves tinkering with new operating systems.

Thankfully, most modern PCs support the dual-boot facility, meaning you don't have to wipe Windows 11 just to use Linux. To help you out, we've compiled a step-by-step guide on how to boot into Linux or Windows 11 whenever you want.

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What you'll need

AlthoughLinux-powered laptops have become popular in recent years, we're assuming you already have Windows installed on your PC, since that's the case for most people. So, to follow along, you'll need a Windows 11 PC (though the same steps will work on Windows 10) and a USB flash drive (8GB or more) for installation media. Since it's possible to run into errors even after following all the steps correctly, we recommend getting an extra storage drive to back up your data in case anything goes wrong.

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If you're someone who's still on Windows 10, you can refer to our guide oninstalling Windows 11. Once that's done, we can focus on installing Linux for dual-booting.

Preparing to dual-boot Linux

Before you do anything else, there's something you need to be aware of. Modern Windows computers come with a feature called Secure Boot, which is meant to enhance the security of your device by preventing malicious software from loading onto your PC. Some Linux distributions, like Ubuntu, support Secure Boot, but many of them won't. That means you may have to disable Secure Boot if you want to use Linux on your PC, and that can be a significant security risk.

To disable Secure Boot, you'll need to follow these steps:

Open the Start menu and open the power menu in the bottom right corner. Then, holdShift on your keyboard and clickRestart. You'll be taken to a blue screen that looks somewhat like this.
Here, chooseTroubleshoot, followed byAdvanced options.
SelectUEFI Firmware Settings.
This will take you to your PC's BIOS settings, where you can turn off Secure Boot. Every BIOS is a little different, so you may have to look around. In the HP laptop we're using here, you can navigate to the System Configuration tab at the top and you'll find the Secure Boot option. It's set toEnabled by default, and you want to change it toDisabled.
Save the changes and restart the computer to follow the rest of the process. If you ever stop using Linux, you canenable Secure Boot again by following the same steps in reverse order.

Creating Linux installation media

If your PC is ready to boot Linux, you'll need to have a USB drive that you can install Linux from. To turn your flash drive into installation media, everything on it will be erased, so make sure you've backed up anything you might need.

Find and download the Linux distribution (distro) you want to use. There are a lot of them out there, but for this guide, we'll be usingUbuntu. Once you've completed the download, you should have a file with the ISO file extension.
Next, you'll need a tool that creates bootable USB drives from ISO files. You can downloadRufus for this purpose.
Run Rufus and insert the flash drive you want to use as installation media. Then, clickSelect and choose the ISO file you downloaded. All the options will be filled in automatically.
ClickStart, then clickOK in the prompt that shows up. Let the process run its course and you'll have created installation media for Linux.

Creating a partition to dual-boot Linux

Next, you'll need to create a second partition on your drive for Linux. Partitions are like virtual divisions of a hard drive that are marked as different disks. For general use, partitions don't have much of a purpose, but you do need them for dual-booting. Here's how to create one.

Right-click your Start menu icon (or pressWindows key + X on your keyboard) and chooseDisk Management. You'll see a list of your drives and partitions that should look something like this.
Right-click your primary partition (it should be the one labeled asC:) and chooseShrink Volume...
Specify the amount of space you want to remove from the partition. This will be limited by the files you already have stored on it, and the amount you enter will be the space you have for your Linux installation.
The space you chose will be deducted from your partition, and it will be listed as unallocated space in the Disk Management window. You can leave it as is and close the window.

You'll want at least a couple dozen gigabytes (multiply by 1024 for MB) for it to function properly, but you can go as high as you see fit. Just make sure you have enough space on both Windows and Linux partitions.

Installing Linux to dual-boot with Windows 11

Now you have the two main pieces of the puzzle, you're ready to install Linux on your empty partition. If you removed the USB installation media from your PC, insert it again (remove other flash drives), then follow these steps:

Open the Start menu and then click the power button and — while holdingShift on your keyboard — clickRestart.
You'll be given a series of boot options. ClickUse a device, then choose the USB flash drive you have inserted and your PC will boot from it.
You'll now be in the Ubuntu boot menu. PressEnter to boot into Ubuntu.
Ubuntu and other Linux operating systems let you try it out by booting from the USB drive without installing it. To install Linux on your empty partition, clickInstall Ubuntu.
Follow the setup experience by choosing your keyboard layout and connecting to Wi-Fi (optional). Choose your preferred options until you get to this page.
Here, you'll want to choose the first option that's chosen by default, at least if you want the easiest way to do things. This will install Ubuntu on the unallocated space you created before, leaving your Windows installation intact.
From here, it's mostly trivial stuff. Choose your region and set up your Ubuntu profile and the installation will begin. Once it's done, you'll be able to boot into Ubuntu without your USB flash drive.

Switching between Windows 11 and Linux

Once Linux is installed on your PC, you should be given the option to boot into it right away, but that might not happen. If your Windows partition is set as the priority in your BIOS settings, you may constantly boot into Windows instead. The behavior will vary depending on your computer, so you may not need to do anything.

If you do find yourself stuck in Windows 11 though, here's what you can do:

Open the Start menu and holdShift on your keyboard as you clickRestart.
ClickTroubleshoot and thenAdvanced options.
Here, chooseUEFI Firmware settings.
You may need to press one of the function keys to open the BIOS setup. Once you're there, the process will vary depending on what PC you have. We're looking for options related to booting. On the HP laptop we're using here, you can findBoot optionsin theSystem Configurationtab.
Find an option related to boot order (UEFI Boot Order, in our example) and make sure the Linux drive is on top of the Windows drive.
In our example, we have to select theOS Boot Manageroption, then use the F5/F6 keys to move Ubuntu to the top. Again, the process may vary by laptop, but the same principle should apply to any device.
If you're on a desktop, you may need to navigate to theAdvanced Settings and switch theBoot Order inside your motherboard BIOS.
Exit and save the changes. After a restart, you should see the Linux boot menu, which lets you continue into your Linux distribution or boot into Windows. You'll see this menu every time you restart your computer, so you can always choose your preferred boot option.

However, if your PC shows the Windows Boot Manager and doesn't display the option to boot into Ubuntu, you may need to modify the Hard Drive BBS Priorities in the BIOS. To do so,

Head back to your motherboard's BIOS and navigate to theBoot settings.
Click on theBBS (BIOS Boot Specification) option.
On most MSI motherboards, this setting is calledUEFI Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities. But it can have a slightly different name depending on your motherboard manufacturer.
Set Ubuntu asBoot Option #1.

You can also use this setting to switch back to Windows 11.

Dual booting: An easy way to have your cake and eat it, too

That's how you can configure dual-boot for Windows 11 and Linux. While it may seem like an easy workaround for those who wish to dabble in multiple operating systems, there are certain caveats to this facility. For instance, you can end up accidentally deleting the Windows 11 boot drive when configuring the Linux distro. Plus, you may not always be able to access the files on another operating system's boot drive. So, you might want tocreate a virtual machine using a hypervisor like VirtualBox if you don't want to go through the hassle of setting up dual on your system.

But if you've had your fill of Linux, you can always head back to Disk Management and delete the partition where you installed the open-source OS. Alternatively, you can use GParted on Linux to remove the Windows partition instead. Either way, make sure to back up your data before you go around deleting the partitions on your boot drives.