How to dual boot Linux (the easy way) with Windows 8, 8.1 or 10

You can put it on a single drive multiple partition or two drives.
FIRST Dump the UEFI boot & Secure boot, boot legacy, set your sata drives to RAID but don't create a raid partition.

If you're using a single drive create one NTFS partion on the back of the drive. Install Windows 8, 8.junk or 10 on the front of the drive (IN THE FREE SPACE) it will make both of it's partitions (or three for Windows 10). 100 to 200meg system partition & the windows operating system.

If you only have one hard drive you can use separate partitions. In that case Windows will need to be use the front of the drive.
So it would look something like this [system reserved] [windows][data-documents][4ext-linux][swap-linux] Linux can read & write Windows fat or NTFS files, Windows CAN NOT read Linux folders or files.

After Windows is installed delete the NTFS partition you created on the back of the drive. Install EASY BCD 2.2 ONLY, 1. Restart and insert the CD or USB Ubuntu boot.
1. Select "TRY"
2. Once it's booted into Ubuntu on the desktop select "Install"

Xubuntu/Ubuntu/Mint will both find your Windows OS and ask you would you like to install along side Windows? If you choose "YES" then you only need to select Username, Language and Timezone. How much of the drive Linux will use and you are all done.

if you want to create your own partitions and made the free space at the back of the drive. You will need to choose "Custom" then create the partitions selecting the free unallowcated space on the hard drive. You will to create two partitions, the first is your Linux OS the second is your swap file.
1. Select the empty space on your hard drive, create or + sign, type of partition 3ext points to or starts with / (set the size save about 10000 MB's for your swap file)
2. Select the empty space on your hard drive (the 10000 MB's you didn't use) create or + sign, type of partition swap use the 10000 MB's
3. Click next it will ask you to confirm the partition changes. READ IT CAREFULLY MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT DELETING THE WINDOWS PARTITION if you have decided to keep windows.
By default it will load the Linux boot loader with an option to boot to Windows. if Windows still boots you're done! But we are talking about Windows! LOL If not put the Window DVD back in and repair windows. That will normally remove the Linux booting option. Then just install Easy BCD VERSION 2.2 create a boot for Linux using one of the built in boot loaders (GRUB2) and choose auto locate for Linux that normally works fine.

The easiest and best way to do it is separate hard drives.
1. SSD Xubuntu
2. SSD Mint
3. SSD Fedora
4. SSD or two or 3 RAID any version of Windows.

I have three SSD's so the Windows boot loader is on the raid drives and Linux boot loader is on the single drive. I use the Linux boot loader and added a boot to Windows using Grub Customizer (Get it in the Software Center) I also added the a boot menu I made in Easy BCD to choose either Windows or Xubuntu.

UEFI gives windows access to your bios to let windows help you boot, power manage, control your computer because you're not smart enough LOL ACHI & UEFI will give you access to new features you will never use on your hard drives LOL. But all those features have been built into RAID for the last decade so you lose nothing and gain speed.I have the benchmark differences somewhere in The Geeks Corner.

So NO secure boot, NO UEFI (about a 70 to 125 MB/s boost in hard drive speed), Legacy & Raid with no raid partitions. And you will have no problem dual booting Linux, Windows 7, 8, 8.junk or 10.


You can install intel raid on two or more SSD's but Linux still see's them as single drives. SO MAKE SURE TO MARK THEM AND UNPLUG THEM WHEN OR IF YOU INSTALL LINUX ON IT'S OWN SSD. I don't like the unity desktop so I use Xubuntu/KDE/Gnome so easy in Ubuntu terminal window and on five minutes and it's like having a new OS.

Any Question just ask
This post was edited by beastusa at March 19, 2019 8:35 PM PDT

Updated March 18th 2019