Dual-Booting Help

YO!

Keen to try out Zorin! However I want to dual-boot on my Windows PC. I'm probably going to give this a go on the weekend, but I'd like to know what I'm doing before I dive in. I'm probably about to ask questions which would be immediately obvious the moment I try to install\boot into Zorin, but at the same time, I like to look before I leap :wink:

My PC has 3 SSD drives:

  • Windows OS
  • Games\Backups
  • Current Video Projects (I run a small YouTube channel which I'm not going to plug :wink: )

I would like to install Zorin on my Current Video Projects drive. That way Zorin is well away from anything else and it should be fairly easy for me to bounce back\forth.

  • Is this possible?
  • Would I need to configure my BIOS to boot from Video Projects drive?
  • Can I open Zorin from Windows? I assume it'll close Windows, then boot into Zorin...
  • Any other hurdles I should be aware of before giving this a go?

Cheers!

Welcome to the Forum!

It is. You would have to create free Space on this Drive. You can already prepare that in Windows in the Disc Management. When You install Zorin, choose the Option ''Something else'' to create Partitions manually. Then choose the Drive, you want install Zorin. On the created free Space, create 2 Partitions:

  1. An EFI-Partition with ... let's say ... 300mb and format it to FAT32
  2. For the Rest of the free Space, You choose the Mount Point / and format it to ext4

Here would be the Question if You want primary boot in Windows or Zorin. And directly start to Zorin from Windows isn't possible. You have to reboot and then start into Zorin.

To avoid Issues, disable Secure Boot and Fast Boot in BIOS. Also disable Fast Start-Up in Windows. Check if Your BIOS is running in UEFI or Legacy Mode. For creating the Bootstick, I can recommend Rufus. Depending if Your BIOS is in UEFI or Legacy Mode, choose in Rufus on the ''Partition Sheme'' Option GPT for UEFI or MBR for Legacy BIOS.

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Just out of curiosity, have you run the live usb of Zorin yet? You can generally get a sense of if everything is going to work and test things before you go through with installing. I would definitely recommend that, so you don't suddenly go huh, this "essential thing" (perhaps wifi / bluetooth, or any other peripheral devices you use, ESPECIALLY since you probably have some for your youtube channel) doesn't work.

Then you could ask ahead of time, and see if it's just something simple or maybe some device may not work like you're hoping.

2 Likes

Terminal Windows
you have to choose one thing!

Win+R
write: cmd - open administrator

I recommend choosing Linux/GRUB.

bootloader Linux

bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi

bootloader Windows

bcdedit /set {bootmgr} path \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi

full reset bootloader Windows

bcdboot C:\Windows /s C: /f UEFI


Linux Terminal

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=menu
GRUB_TIMEOUT=-1
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=( . /etc/os-release; echo ${NAME:-Ubuntu} ) 2>/dev/null || echo Ubuntu

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash acpi_enforce_resources=lax acpi_enforce_resources=lax"

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash acpi_enforce_resources=lax usbcore.autosuspend=-1 split_lock_mitigate=0"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X

sudo update-grub

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
be careful when enabling security boot - on the Windows bootloader!
if the system writes the keys to the motherboard, only shorting the BIOS battery will help you!
otherwise, a Windows system with security boot enabled - will no longer boot through GRUB.
then the nuance is that when updating the system can kill/delete GRUB itself!
the system can enable recovery by standard, or when updating, pull up other keys for the bootloader - I highly recommend turning it off, completely disabling Windows updates, disabling fast startup and completely deleting the Windows recovery image.
I don't know who needs these broken Windows updates, I completely disabled them, I'm sitting with security booting via GRUB - I deleted the default recovery image, regarding updates, the standard antivirus can update databases during system startup (in the scheduler).
Auto_Update_Defender-SYSTEM-AtStartup-SignatureUpdate -MMPC
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "Auto_Update_Defender" -Action (New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -Argument "-SignatureUpdate -MMPC") -Trigger (New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtStartup) -Settings (New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -AllowStartIfOnBatteries -DontStopIfGoingOnBatteries) -User "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" -RunLevel Highest -Force


MpCmdRun: Command Line: "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -SignatureUpdate -MMPC

Start Time: ‎Пн ‎чер ‎15 ‎2026 20:19:08

MpEnsureProcessMitigationPolicy(0x5): hr = 0x1

Start: MpSignatureUpdate()

Service Version: 4.18.26050.15

Engine Version: 1.1.26050.11

AntiSpyware Signature Version: 1.453.108.0

AntiVirus Signature Version: 1.453.108.0

Calling MpUpdateStartEx with option 0x11

Update started

Search Started (Direct HTTP) (Path: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=851034&clcid=0x409&arch=x64&eng=1.1.26050.11&avdelta=1.453.108.0&asdelta=1.453.108.0&prod=77BDAF73-B396-481F-9042-AD358843EC24&ostype=0&signaturetype=0&beta=0&plat=4.18.26050.15&OsVersion=10.0.26100.8457&altlocation=0)...

Installation Completed

Search Started (Direct HTTP) (Path: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=870379&clcid=0x409&arch=x64&eng=1.1.26050.11&avdelta=1.453.108.0&asdelta=1.453.108.0&prod=77BDAF73-B396-481F-9042-AD358843EC24&ostype=0&signaturetype=0&beta=0&plat=4.18.26050.15&OsVersion=10.0.26100.8457&altlocation=0)...

Installation Completed

Update completed succesfully . no updates needed (hr:0x00000001)

Finish: MpSignatureUpdate()

MpCmdRun: End Time: ‎Пн ‎чер ‎15 ‎2026 20:19:09

for those who want to have fun, there is an exit Security Boot - Enable> BIOS-Custom> add bootloader keys to manual mode "Enroll Efi Image"


execution method - Query User

1 Like

I think @Ponce-De-Leon has covered most of the issues. I might add that when you install using the "something else" option you might point the boot manager choice to the drive/partition that holds your windows boot manager even though the rest of zorin is on your other ssd. That way you should get a grub menu at booting that allows you to easily choose either Windows or Zorin without going into BIOS every time.

2 Likes

This way you will break both systems, Windows will remove the GRUB with a 99.9% chance, the other bootloader Zorin will not affect, but - Windows will install the standard bootloader when updating and everything or it will stop starting at all, it will see that there are other bootloaders on the disk - the security boot will be turned off and the system may be compromised, and with the one turned on it will simply refuse to work, because it will see the nVidia drivers in Linux, you will have both systems dead.
You can see how Windows crashes during an update, then sees Linux drivers and refuses to start with boot security enabled - thinking that these are some rootkits, you will not have any chance to even restore the Zorin system when the next update removes the Linux bootloader.

it's just funny that you can't understand this)
it's all been tested for you, all the people are crying that Windows removes other bootloaders and GRUB 100% first!