Installing Linux alongside Microsoft Windows (dedicated Hard Drive)

Dual Boot Guide • Dedicated Drive (Recommended)

Installing Linux alongside Microsoft Windows (Dedicated HDD/SSD)

Linux can be installed on the same drive as Windows, but the cleanest option is to install Linux on a separate internal SSD (recommended). This keeps Windows and Linux isolated and makes troubleshooting much easier.

Recommended dedicated Linux drive size: 250GB+ (SSD preferred). External USB drives can work but are slower.
What you’ll see after install
Dual-Boot with Linux Ubuntu
Ubuntu + Windows boot manager
Dual-Boot with Linux Mint
Mint GRUB menu
Important
WARNING: In the partitioning step, selecting the wrong disk can erase Windows or other drives. Double-check the drive size before you click “Install Now”.

Recommended USB products for this setup

For a dedicated-drive dual-boot install, Mint/Ubuntu are most common. A repair USB is a good safety net.

Linux Mint Cinnamon Bootable USB

Linux Mint Cinnamon Bootable USB

Beginner-friendly and a great dedicated-drive install choice.

View Linux Mint USB
Linux Ubuntu Bootable USB

Linux Ubuntu Bootable USB

Widely supported and a common dual-boot pick.

View Ubuntu USB
Computer IT Repair Bootable USB

Computer IT Repair Bootable USB

A helpful safety net if boot entries or partitions get messy.

View Repair USB

Step-by-step (Linux Mint example on a dedicated SSD)

  1. Confirm your PC has space for an additional internal drive. If not, an external USB drive can be used (slower than internal SSD).
  2. Boot the PC from the Linux USB: Boot with USB instructions.
  3. Double-click the installer on the desktop (example: Install Linux Mint).
  4. Click through the wizard until you reach Installation type.
  5. Select Something else (manual partitioning), then continue.
  6. Find the new dedicated drive / free space and create partitions (VERY important, see below).
NOTE (VERY IMPORTANT): Selecting the wrong disk/partition can erase Windows or other drives permanently. Identify the dedicated drive by matching the drive size.

In the partition list, drives are usually shown as /dev/sda, /dev/nvme0n1, etc. Look for free space and match it to your new drive size. Example: a 250GB drive might show around 246,450 MB. Select the free space and click “+”.

Linux Mint partitioning - select free space

Recommended partition sizes (250GB SSD + 16GB RAM)

This sizing is a solid “works for most people” layout. (Partitioning is subjective, but this is a good starting point.)

1) root ( / ) — 60GB
System files, installed apps, caches, and system data live here. Keep it 50GB+ so updates and apps don’t fail.
Partition root example
2) swap — 10GB
Virtual memory when RAM is low (similar to Windows pagefile). For 16GB RAM, ~8–10GB swap is reasonable.
Partition swap example
3) home — remaining space (~180GB)
Your files (Documents, Downloads, Desktop, etc.), similar to C:\Users\username in Windows.
Partition home example

Finish the installation

  1. After creating partitions, click OK → Install Now → Continue.
  2. Continue through the wizard: timezone, username/password, etc.
  3. When finished, the PC will reboot. You’ll see the GRUB boot menu and Linux will usually be selected by default.
  4. To boot Windows, select Windows Boot Manager and press Enter before it auto-boots Linux.
GRUB boot menu
* Want Windows to boot by default? It’s a quick easy tweak.

Linux Mint is now installed

Linux Mint Cinnamon desktop