This window shows the partitions within the hard disk, providing the option to add, remove and modify partitions. Once this has been chosen, select Disk management and a display similar to the following should appear: The first step, if the plan is to dual boot from a single drive, is to create a partition(s) on the drive for the new OS, in Windows this can be achieved through the disk manager, right click Computer and select ‘Manage” It has been suggested that this section be made into a new page or pages. UEFI: UEFI is the newer replacement for the legacy BIOS, it is superior because it supports bootable volumes that are greater than 2tb in size and it can utilise a drive even if it has more than 4 partitions. When the partition has been created, we can install Linux onto the new partition, leaving the original operating system completely untouched, and as a bonus most Linux installations automatically replace the Bootloader/update it to accommodate the new operating system.Īnother method of dual booting is to install the new operating system onto its own HDD/SSD, this avoids the ‘hassle’ of working with partitions, however it can also make the setup of the Bootloader marginally more complex.īIOS: BIOS, or the basic input/output system, is the first piece of software that loads when a machine is powered on, it is responsible for starting the computer system itself, whether it is Windows, Mac, Linux or other.

In order to install a new operating system without deleting the old one, it is necessary to create a partition for the new system. When a machine is powered on, the Boot Loader, a piece of software intended solely for loading an operating system, locates the operating system on the disc and initialises it, when dual booting, we need to install the new system alongside the current one, and update/replace the Boot Loader so it can identify and launch both systems. It is important to understand how a dual booting system works, and to understand that we must understand how a computer actually boots. Dual booting Linux and MacBook Pro The Basics Types of dual booting covered in this page Need a certain system for work and another for home.A desire to learn about a new system without losing your original one.The reasons for dual booting vary considerably: Using this system, it is possible to have two separate work spaces and two separate filing systems that will not interfere with each other. 3.1 Freeing space/Creating the partitionĭual booting (typically between Linux and Windows/ Mac and Windows) is the process of having two operating systems installed on the same machine, and the desired system is chosen to boot into when the system powers on.

Mac dual boot windows