Dual-Booting Ubuntu 22.04 with Windows 11

Dual-booting lets you enjoy the best of both worlds—Windows for gaming and general-purpose tasks, and Ubuntu for development, programming, or privacy. This guide walks you through the entire process of installing Ubuntu 22.04 LTS alongside an existing Windows 11 installation.

⚠️ This guide assumes you’re starting with a system that already has Windows 11 installed.

Why Dual Boot?

🧑‍💻 Development: Linux provides powerful tools and a lightweight environment for developers.
🧩 Compatibility: Use Windows apps that don’t run well in Wine or a VM.
🧠 Learning: Learn Linux without sacrificing your existing setup.

What You’ll Need

A USB drive (8 GB or more)
Ubuntu 22.04 ISO (download from ubuntu.com)
Rufus or Balena Etcher to make the USB bootable
~30 GB or more of free disk space on your drive
A backup of your important Windows data (just in case)

Step 1: Create Free Space on Windows

Press Win + X → Disk Management.
Right-click your main volume (usually C:).
Select Shrink Volume and reduce by at least 30 GB.
Leave this space unallocated (don’t format it).

Step 2: Create the Ubuntu Bootable USB

Insert your USB stick.
Open Rufus or Etcher.
Select the Ubuntu ISO file.
Choose GPT partition scheme and UEFI target system.
Start the process and wait for it to complete.

Step 3: Disable Fast Boot and Secure Boot (if needed)

Open Windows Settings → System → Power & Battery → Additional Power Settings.
Click on Choose what the power buttons do.
Uncheck Turn on fast startup.

To disable Secure Boot:

Reboot and enter BIOS/UEFI (Del or F2 usually).
Look for Secure Boot in Boot or Security tab.
Set it to Disabled.

🔐 Some systems allow Ubuntu to install even with Secure Boot enabled, but disabling it ensures fewer issues.

Step 4: Boot from the USB

Reboot and press your boot key (F12, Esc, etc.).
Choose your USB stick.
Select Try Ubuntu without installing to test hardware compatibility (optional).
Click Install Ubuntu when ready.

Step 5: Install Ubuntu Alongside Windows

When you reach the “Installation Type” screen:

✅ Choose “Install Ubuntu alongside Windows Boot Manager” OR ❗ Choose “Something else” for manual partitioning (recommended for control):

Manual Partitioning:

Select the unallocated space.
Click + and create:
- / (root) → ext4 → 25+ GB
- swap (optional if < 8 GB RAM) → 2-4 GB
- /home (optional) → remaining space
Install the bootloader to the same disk (usually /dev/sda, not a partition like /dev/sda1).

Click Install Now, follow the prompts, and reboot when done.

Step 6: Bootloader and First Boot

After installation, you’ll see GRUB, the boot menu that lets you choose between Ubuntu and Windows.

If you don’t see GRUB:

Boot into Ubuntu USB again.

Open Terminal and run:

sudo mount /dev/sdXY /mnt  # replace with your root partition
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sdX  # replace with your disk
sudo update-grub

Post-Install Tips

Use Grub Customizer to adjust boot order (Ubuntu first or Windows first).
Update Ubuntu regularly:
Terminal window
```
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
```
Windows updates may override GRUB—just reinstall GRUB using live USB if that happens.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
No GRUB after reboot	Boot live USB and reinstall GRUB
Ubuntu doesn’t boot	Check if Secure Boot is still enabled
Can’t shrink Windows drive	Disable hibernation and system restore, then retry

Conclusion

With your new dual-boot setup, you can enjoy the flexibility of Linux development without giving up Windows functionality. Whether you’re compiling ROS code or playing games, your system is now ready to handle both.

🎉 Happy dual-booting!

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