How To Dual Boot Linux Mint Along Side Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11
Tags: linux, dualboot, linuxmint, windows
Published: 2020-11-07 14:01:24

Hay guys! Nirupamvas here and today I am gonna teach you about how you can dual boot your system with Linux mint and Windows.
So let's get started!!
For this, you gonna require at least a minimum of 4GB of Pendrive either 2.0 or 3.1. If you don't have any of these take a memory card(SD card) and card reader that will be fine too. A proper internet connection for downloading and that's it we are good to go.
###Minimum system requirements for Linux Mint
* 2GB RAM
* Dual Core Processor
* 20GB free disk space
* Bootable Media (USB or DVD)

**1)** Go to the official website of Linux Mint for downloading [Link](https://linuxmint.com/download.php).

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/1hs305qcfmvb076s4o6t.png)
 here you can see 3 different versions. Confused which one to choose? Let me breif about them.
 * **Cinnamon** :  The most popular version of Linux Mint is the 
   Cinnamon edition. Cinnamon is primarily developed for and by 
   Linux Mint. It is slick, beautiful, and full of new features.
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/ok0ahmi82nzz08t61eog.png)

 * **Mate** : Linux Mint is also involved in the development of MATE, 
   a classic desktop environment which is the continuation of 
   GNOME 2, Linux Mint’s default desktop between 2006 and 2011. 
   Although it misses a few features and its development is slower 
   than Cinnamon’s, MATE runs faster, uses less resources and is 
   more stable than Cinnamon
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/yzqq49k2ndzx3j0ta2xt.png)

 * **Xfce** : Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment. It doesn’t support as many features as Cinnamon or MATE, but it’s extremely stable and very light on resource usage.
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/2qelh9qmxgpq9unxwwiy.png)

**2)** Download the ISO based on your preference I prefer Cinnamon.

**3)** Now you need to download an application that creates bootable USB drives. I will be downloading [rufus](https://rufus.ie/)  in my case you can use what ever your comfortable with. Next install rufus.
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/wq17h2v8tpgefe2w9qrw.PNG)

**4)** Now plug your pendrive now open rufus then on the device section you will be able to see your pendrive name

**5)** Then in boot section select the ISO file from you download space. Next click on start your good to go. It will be taking you around 10-15 minutes.

**6)** Next click on finish and then reboot your system if your doing it for the first time then follow this instructions

 * Now go to BIOS ,In order to access BIOS on a Windows PC, you must press your BIOS key set by your manufacturer which could be F10, F2, F12, F1, or DEL.

* Then make sure that your safe boot is turned off and press ESC and then click YES and then your BIOS will restar.Now your are good to go.

**7)**Now you need to open Boot Menu by pressing one of several keyboard keys. Common keys for accessing the Boot Menu are Esc, F2, F10 or F12
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/ltzpge4ht5x7fezm9jma.png)

**8)**Select your drive and click enter. Now you will be able to see the following screen.
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/ds4zi1t6foodekdgnpw2.png)

**9)**Click on start Linux mint

**10)**Now click on Install Linux mint
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/21jab3p8qys4u7yrtxg8.png)

**10)**Now you can see that the Linux Mint 20 installer starting with a Live session. You don’t need to login into the system as the Live session create s new user by itself called “mint” and let you into the Live Session. Remember this is only a temporary session that is being created from the USB disk. To install a version permanently in your system, double click on “Install Linux Mint“.

**11)**Once you click “Install Linux Mint“, you will be prompted with a screen to choose your preferred language. Choose it and click “Continue” to proceed with the installation.
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/vtjxpn757bo3i1c2ov1o.png)

**12)**In this step, choose your preferred keyboard layout for Linux Mint 20 and then click on “Continue”
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/5owrlaniuaxoot5ewb5x.png)

**13)**If your system is connected to internet and wants to install multimedia codecs during the installation, then click on the check box, and then click on “Continue” to proceed with the installation.
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/cs1q583yjjfrir1z9cme.png)

**14)**Now select something else and follow my instructions
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/wlf1rjuv8gxixyzudjha.png)

**15)**For the installation of I have around 40 GB hard disk space and will create following partitions on it.
* /boot      –   1 GB (ext4 file system)
* /              –    10 GB (ext4 file system)
* /home    –    27 GB (ext4 file system)
* Swap      –    2 GB

_Make sure that for /root you select atleast 10GB, and for /home make as possible as you can so that when ever you download something they will be storing there, and Swap space in Linux is used when the amount of physical memory (RAM) is full. So make sure you use this advantage and select atleast 2GB_

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/603h1vdf14bv6hopglob.png)

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/bi9s26nsapfigr1kx23i.png)

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/66th0cc8vumre6j4wx9r.png)

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/66th0cc8vumre6j4wx9r.png)

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/f1h516wz6acbvgi8tz0f.png)

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/ucjkp7qdtqe4tokuomia.png)

**16)**In the next screen, you will be asked to select your time zone. Choose yours and click “Continue” to proceed

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/qll1ehweb1lzm7gcjguf.png)

**17)**Before the installation begins, you will be asked to provide your user credentials and hostname of your system. Please provide the required information as shown in the screen below and click “continue” to start the installation of Linux Mint 20 Cinnamon edition.
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/ck61y221kw5ngqgtqsvy.png)

**18)**Finally, the installation begins, and it will take a couple of minutes to complete with the installation. But during the installation process, you can see details about all the new features added in the Ulyana edition of Linux Mint in the form of a slideshow.
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/7b2hwt2869pe5m3gvvs8.png)

**19)**Once the installation is completed then installer will prompt to reboot the system.
![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/vk0dik4l5c1gcx7jajg2.png)

**20)**And you can now boot into your Linux mint machine

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/xi1aw8ser59paugswy1d.png)

**21)**If you want to go boot again into windows just reboot the system and click on windows and hit enter.

That's it for now guys! If you have any troubleshooting problems then leave a comment below.