More and more users are not satisfied with having only one operating system on their computers, resorting to a formula of dual bootIf you don't know what it is, here we explain what it consists of and How to set up a dual boot with Windows 11.
Basically, it is a configuration that allows you to have two operating systems installed on the same PC. In this way, the user can choose which one to use on each occasion, depending on their own needs or preferences. That is, depending on the task they want to perform.
This revolutionary idea allows us to have systems as different from each other as Windows and Linux on the same team. Both can be installed on the same hard drive (in different partitions, of course) or on separate disks. In this way, when starting the computer, a boot menu or a menu will appear on the screen. bootloader which allows us to choose between the two installed systems.
What are the and advantages to set up a dual boot in Windows 11? Here are some of them:
- Flexibility, since it allows us to use either operating system depending on our needs.
- Compatibility. In the case of applications that only run on one system, this allows us to start it with that one.
- Saving. We avoid the expense of purchasing a second computer to host a different operating system.
Setting up a dual boot in Windows 11 step by step
To benefit from all the advantages of having two different operating systems on the same computer, we must first make sure that we are going to have the enough disk space. In addition to this, sometimes a adjustment in the boot order in the BIOS or UEFI. Let's see the steps to follow below:
Preliminary step: prepare the space on the hard disk
The easiest way to make the hard drive storage space suitable for hosting two different operating systems is to reduce the size of the Windows partition. Here's how to do it:
- First, in the Windows 11 search menu we write "Disk Manager" and we select the result that appears.
- Then we right-click on the drive where Windows is installed (usually it is C:), and in the options that appear, we choose the one «Reduce volume».
- Next we choose the size we want to reduce, in order to leave free space for the new operating system.
- Finally, we confirmed the operation.
This way, unallocated space will have been created on our PC's disks.
Step 1: Create the installation media for the second operating system
Once the problem of the space required on our computer's hard drive has been resolved, to configure dual boot in Windows 11 it is necessary to download the ISO file of the operating system you want to install. This is what we must do:
- To start, you have to create a bootable USB. For this, it is best to use a solvent tool such as Rufus. We can download it at this link and install it on our computer.
- Then you have to insert a USB drive into the PC.
- Next, we start the Rufus software and We select the ISO file that we have previously downloaded.
- To finish, just select the USB drive and click on Start to create the installation media.
Step 2: Modify the boot order in BIOS/UEFI
Once the installation media has been created, we have to restart the PC and thus access the menu BIOS/UEFI. This is done by pressing certain keys during boot. In most cases these keys are F2, F10 or DEL.
When the information appears on the screen, we look for the boot order option and We set up the usb drive as the first option. Then we save the changes and restart again.
Step three: install the second operating system
This is the culminating moment of the whole process, the installation phase of the second operating system to achieve our goal of getting a dual boot on Windows 11. These are the steps to follow:
- Firstly, We start the new system using the bootable USB.
- During the installation of this second operating system, we selected the option of install alongside Windows 11.
- This way, the installer will detect the unallocated partition we created earlier and prompt us to use it to install the new operating system.
Once the installation is complete, a new bootloader (bootloader) will appear on the screen every time we turn on the PC. In the menu we can choose which operating system we want to boot with.
One last tip: before you start the dual boot setup on Windows 11, you need to make a backup of all our files. This way, if something goes wrong during the process, we won't lose any important information. Likewise, we should also make sure that our computer's drivers and hardware are compatible with both systems.