Share this article
This article is translated in
Improve this guide
How to Dual Boot Windows 11 and Ubuntu [Both Ways]
A step-by-step guide to help you out
10 min. read
Updated onFebruary 22, 2024
updated onFebruary 22, 2024
Share this article
This article is translated in
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more
Key notes
Although Windows is the dominating operating system on the market, Linux is slowly gaining popularity, with Ubuntu being one of the most interesting Linux distributions.
To know more about the differences between the two operating systems, check ourWindows 11 vs Ubuntu articlefor an in-depth comparison.
As for this guide, we will show you how to dual boot Windows 11 and Ubuntu and use the two operating systems side by side.
What are Ubuntu’s hardware requirements?
As you can see, Ubuntu has relatively humble hardware requirements compared toWindows 11’s requirements, and some distributions can work on PCs that are below these requirements.
Dual booting is the most viable way to have two operating systems that you intend to use regularly, and it can be done in more than one way.
Like most users, follow the procedure below if you already have Windows 11 installed on your PC. Sometimes, it is the other way around, and you can install Windows 11 after Ubuntu, too.
How can I dual boot Windows 11 and Ubuntu?
Install Ubuntu after Windows 11
You can also give a try toParagon Partition Manager, which is much more efficient and has other features that are useful for correctly formatting partition drives.
Wait for the process to finish. After creating Ubuntu Live drive, you can install Ubuntu.
After doing that, you just need to select the operating system that you want to boot to and that’s it. As you can see, it’s easy to dual boot Windows 11 and Ubuntu, especially if you already have Windows installed.
If you change your mind and war toremove Ubuntu from dual boot on Windows 11, this guide will show you how.
Install Windows 11 after Ubuntu
We’ve discovered that not all users have the option to mount the ISO files in the context menu. If that’s the case, do the following:
How do I repair GRUB?
Many users reported that if you dual boot Windows 11 and Ubuntu, the latter isn’t available from the boot menu at all. To fix that, you need to do the following:
Alternatively, you can fix this problem by doing the following:
Windows will always replace your bootloader, especially if you install it after Ubuntu or any version of Linux. Still, hopefully, this method will help you fix the problem on your own.
To learn more, check our guide on how tofix Windows 10 and Ubuntu dual boot issues.
Does Ubuntu support Secure Boot?
Secure Boot is a technology that verifies the code launched by the firmware to prevent rootkits. Many Linux distributions don’t support Secure Boot, so you must disable it first if you want to install them.
Ubuntu has been compatible with Secure Boot since version 12.10, and it should work on most PCs with Secure Boot enabled.
However, only Microsoft signed the first-stage EFI boot loader, which may lead to some boot issues on certain PCs. If this happens, you’ll have to disable Secure Boot from BIOS.
What are the disadvantages of dual booting?
Regarding the disadvantages, dual booting requires a lot of space on your PC, especially if you plan to use both operating systems regularly and install various software.
This isn’t a problem with larger hard drives, but if you’re running low on storage space, you might want to free up some space or consider upgrading your storage.
Another disadvantage of dual booting is multitasking. There’s no quick and easy way to boot to the other operating system when using the dual boot.
Instead, you must restart your PC and choose the operating system you want to access. Remember that you have to do this every time you want to switch to another operating system.
This isn’t a major problem, but it can sometimes become tedious, primarily if you use both operating systems frequently.
Lastly, booting issues can occur, but this mostly happens when installing Windows after Ubuntu or any other version of Linux.
What Ubuntu distros can I dual boot with Windows 11?
Ubuntu has eight different official distributions, and they are the following: Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Server, and Ubuntu StudioXubuntu.
As for third-party distributions, there are about 40 of them, if not more. Regarding popularity, these are the top 3 most popular Ubuntu-based distributions:
All Ubuntu distributions can be dual-booted with Windows 11 without any major problems, and installing them in dual-boot mode is similar for all of them.
The only issue might occur if you have Secure Boot enabled and are trying to install an older version of Ubuntu, but that can be easily fixed.
If you want to dual-boot Windows 11 and Ubuntu, follow our guide’s instructions.
As an extra tip, with WSL2 advancements, you can nowaccess EXT4 partitions in Windows 11.
Things are no different if you want todual boot Windows 11 and Windows 7. Create a separate partition for the other operating system and follow our detailed procedure.
Now with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26052, you can useSudo command in Windows 11, check out this guide to learn how to do that.
Have you ever tried Ubuntu, and are you planning to dual-boot Windows and Ubuntu once Windows 11 is released? Let us know in the comments below.
More about the topics:dual boot,Linux,Windows 11
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
User forum
0 messages
Sort by:LatestOldestMost Votes
Comment*
Name*
Email*
Commenting as.Not you?
Save information for future comments
Comment
Δ
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
