Windows 8 and Linux in dual-boot mode
Pair of Boots
Although getting Windows to play nice with an existing Linux installation is difficult, with a few tricks, you can set up Windows 8 to dual-boot with Linux.
In 1982, Microsoft MS-DOS 1.25 could confidently assume it would be the only system on the boot medium – after all, it booted from a floppy disk. Hard disks did not even enter into the equation until MS DOS 2.0, when the new IBM PC was released.
Thirty years after MS-DOS 1.25, Microsoft is still unwilling to accommodate co-tenants: Just like its predecessors, it dumps its boot sector onto the hard drive during installation, even if the disk already contains another boot loader.
Whereas modern operating systems like Linux make do with any corner of the hard disk that has enough free space, Windows 8 still clings to its antiquated ways, insisting on installing in a primary partition. However, despite Microsoft's denial of the existence of other systems, and despite menaces such as UEFI Secure Boot [1], you can talk Linux and Windows 8 into sharing the same disk. In this article, I show you how to set up Windows in a dual-boot configuration on a computer that is already running Linux.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Mint Shares a Possible Kernel Cleanup Solution
For those on Linux Mint who like to keep multiple kernels around but don't want them to take up too much space, you might be getting a new automated tool.
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.
-
AI Helped Develop a Linux Exploit
A use-after-free race exploit was discovered and exploited on CentOS Stream 9.
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.
-
Gnome Working on Test Center App to Make Testing Easier
It's now possible to test experimental features on the Gnome desktop without worrying that you'll break things.
-
New Vulnerability Discovered in Linux Kernel
Hiding out for nearly 15 years, the Ghostlock vulnerability allows a standard logged-in user to gain root privileges.