Step-by-Step Instructions for Dual Booting Windows 11 with Ubuntu Linux

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The post provides a step-by-step guide for students and new users to install Windows 11 and Ubuntu Linux on a single computer, thus setting up a dual boot system. Key steps include creating a separate partition on Windows 11, downloading and creating a bootable Ubuntu USB drive, and finally, booting and installing Ubuntu with precautions…

This post shows students and new users how to install Windows 11 and Ubuntu Linux on a single computer.

If you have Windows 11 installed on your computer and want to run Ubuntu Linux on the same computer, you’ll have to set up a dual boot – meaning you can boot Windows 11 and Ubuntu Linux on the same machine – although one at a time.

Windows 11, a successor to Windows 10, released on October 5, 2021, is becoming the primary Windows OS. Ubuntu Linux, probably the best Linux OS, is also popular. If you want to run both operating systems without additional hardware cost, the steps below will show you how to do that.

Installing Windows 11 or Ubuntu Linux is a pretty straightforward process. However, some preparation will be required to run both on the same machine.

In most cases, you’ll want to install Windows first, then Ubuntu later on a separate partition. If Windows 11 occupies the entire partition, you may have to shrink the primary partition and create a new one to install Ubuntu.

We’ll show you how to do it below.

Follow the steps below to get started with dual-booting Windows 11 and Ubuntu Linux.

How to partition a hard drive in Windows 11

This post assumes that Windows 11 is already installed and functioning. Log in and create a separate partition to install Ubuntu Linux.

Below is a post that shows you how to create a partition in Windows 11. If Windows occupies the entire partition, you will have to shrink the existing partition and create a new one for Ubuntu Linux.

How to create a partition in Windows 11

Download and create Ubuntu bootable USB drive

Once the partition is created above, download the Ubuntu Linux ISO image and create a bootable USB drive.

  • Ubuntu Linux requires at least 25GB of free storage
  • 8GB USB drive

With your USB drive, download the balenaEtcher app and create a bootable USB drive with the Ubuntu Linux image.

The post below shows you how to do that.

How to create a bootable Ubuntu USB drive

How to boot and install Ubuntu Linux with Windows 11

Once you’ve learned how to create a partition and a bootable USB drive, let’s install Ubuntu Linux.

But first, please back up your Windows 11 machine. Having a backup before attempting anything that may render your computer inoperable is always nice.

With Ubuntu Linux bootable USB drive in hand, please insert it into your Windows computer, then boot from the USB drive.

Different computers have different ways of specifying where to boot from; find yours. Most likely, pressing a key when you turn your computer on. Esc, F2, F9, F12 , etc.

You should see a similar screen below when the computer is booted from the DVD or Flash Drive.

Click the Install Ubuntu button to begin the installation. You could Try Ubuntu without making changes to your computer, but our goal is to install Ubuntu, so click Install Ubuntu to continue.

Next, select your Keyboard layout. Ubuntu installation picks the US English Keyboard layout by default. This is a good place to change it if it’s not your default. Click Continue to move on with the installation.

The installation should be prepared to install Ubuntu packages. On the screen below, you can Download updates while installing Ubuntu, saving time after the installation. And to install third-party software for graphics WiFi devices and media codes.

You do not have to select these boxes. However, if you have a stable and reliable Internet connection, you may want to select these options to download important packages while Ubuntu is installed.

On this screen is where you select the installation type. The first option to Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 10 is the easiest. This will install Ubuntu on the same partition as Windows.

Option #2 Something else: Perform a custom installation for advanced users.

For this tutorial, we will select Something else and choose the partition created earlier in Windows 11.

Click Continue

Next, select the partition created for Ubuntu Linux and click the Change button. It should be the next one after the Windows 11 partition.

Then, click on the drop-down menu next to the Use as field and select the Ext4journalingfilesystem option.

After your selection, click the Format partition option. Then, select the forward slash / as Mount point in the drop-down menu.

Click the Install Now button after the settings.

Accept that the installation will erase the hard drive and install Ubuntu. Click Continue to move on.

On this screen is where you choose your time zone. Type a city name you live in and click Continue.

The next screen is where you type the first user account and create a name for the computer. Type your name, username, and password, and choose whether you always want to type a password to sign in. When you’re done, click Continue.

Wait for the installation to complete. This should take about 7 mins, depending on the computer’s speed. When the installation is done, you’ll be prompted to restart.

This is the last screen, and the installation is complete. You must restart your computer, remove the disc from the drive, and log back in.

You’ll be prompted with the login screen after rebooting—log in with the credentials created above.

On the boot screen, you should have both Ubuntu and Windows 11 options you can choose from to boot into.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

This post showed you how to dual-boot Windows 11 and Ubuntu Linux. If you find any error above or have Something to add, please use the comment form below.

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2 responses to “Step-by-Step Instructions for Dual Booting Windows 11 with Ubuntu Linux”

  1. Aditya Avatar
    Aditya

    Useless explanation as far as Kubuntu is concerned. Kubuntu cannot be dual booted with Win 11 following this method.

  2. Guy Avatar
    Guy

    And yet again, hundreds of articles on how to install Ubuntu on a preinstalled Windows , but I couldn’t find even one article that explain how to install Windows 11 dual boot on a preinstalled Ubuntu 20.04.

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