Yes..... Dual/Triple boot but condition is

Orian Pax · May 19, 2022

Hello,

I just bought a 2tb hdd WD20EZBX 7200rpm (no partition table totally unallocated space),

Old one is 2tb WD20EZAZ 5400rpm.

On old one i am running Linux mint (in Dual boot both OS are Linux mint. Why? Bcuz if by any chance one Linux breaks i can just get in via other Linux easily then fix broken one)

[Two Linux mints on 5400rpm 2tb hdd]

Now what i want to do is to install windows 10 on the NEW HDD 7200rpm one.

=================

a) Can i do it?

b) If yes then how?

I want to keep Linux on old hdd and windows 10 on new hdd

c) Which partition table should i go with?

(I am leaning towards gpt and gparted also has option for only gparted)

Main question -

d) I don't want to format old hdd is it possible to do it without formatting old one?

Ralphred · May 19, 2022

29 minutes ago, Orian Pax said:

b) If yes then how?

Best practice is to disconnect the linux drive(s) during the windows install process, it has a proclivity to stomp all over your bootloader(s).

Before you take them out make sure to plug the new drive in, check that the extra drive doesn't affect your grub.cfg or fstab (if it does google "uuid and fstab/grub").

Allocating 2TB to windows seems a waste, and I can't comment on how good the ntfs3 drivers are yet, try and use windows installer to constrain it.

Don't worry about the partition table, just let windows take care of it, just make sure you have >=5 partitions defined, then finish allocating spare space after deleting unused partitions in parted after the fact.

Once you have a system that boots to windows, put your linux drives back in, get them to boot.

Make sure "os-prober" is turned on in /etc/default/grub and run grub-mkconfig >/dev/null.

I'd advise setting the following in /etc/default/grub too, it makes grub "remember" the last boot option you selected and sets it as default, it's good for not having to babysit windows during updates and reboot loops.

GRUB_DEFAULT=saved
GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=true

Once you've got grub detecting both your *nixes and windows, backup your /boot/grub/grub.cfg and run `grub-mkconfig >/boot/grub/grub.cfg`.

Now on reboot your windows install should be an option from your grub boot menu, and you can finish partitioning/formatting the new disk in parted.

If you want a shared partition for more than just "swapping files between linux and windows" I use this ATM, but it requires ext3 (not ext4) which is fine.

I've not messed around with NTFS filesystems and the new(ish) ntfs3 driver yet, but if it does what it says on the tin this might be a replacement, too soon to tell for me.