In the evolving ecosystem of Microsoft Windows, you may find yourself curious about the latest features of Windows 11 but not ready to part with the familiar terrain of Windows 10. A dual-boot configuration is your ideal solution. This detailed guide walks you through setting up your system to run both Windows 10 and the newer Windows 11 side by side. Whether you are a tech enthusiast or a user seeking the best of both worlds, this tutorial has you covered.
Unlocking the Dual-Boot Experience
Embarking on a dual-boot journey allows you the flexibility to explore Windows 11 while retaining the stable environment of Windows 10. To achieve this, let’s partition your hard drive and prepare your system for a harmonious coexistence of two powerful operating systems.
Start by sectioning off a part of your hard drive to house Windows 11. Tap Win + R, input diskmgmt.msc, and hit OK to launch the Disk Management utility. Look for a volume with surplus space, right-click, and choose Shrink Volume.
In the pop-up window, dictate how much space to pare down in megabytes (MB). For a volume flaunting 150GB of available space, earmarking 70GB for Windows 11 is a good benchmark. This will reassign 70GB as ‘unallocated space’ leaving the original volume with 80GB.
Step 1: Carving Out a New Volume
Right-click the ‘unallocated space’ and select New Simple Volume to initiate the creation of a new partition.
Follow the wizard by clicking Next, setting the size, and assigning a drive letter. It’s essential to leave enough room for Windows 11 to live comfortably.
Choose the NTFS file system with the default allocation size and aptly name your volume ‘Windows 11’ for easy recognition during the installation process. Tick Perform a quick format and finalize by clicking Finish.
Step 2: Installing Windows 11 Alongside Windows 10
Insert or mount your Windows 11 bootable media. If you’re mounting an ISO image, right-click and pick Mount, then navigate to the mounted drive via This PC.
Access the media and execute setup.exe from the Sources directory. Once the User Account Control prompts you, select Yes.
Proceed through the Windows setup by declining the updates and agreeing to the terms. Select the Custom installation type and choose the newly created ‘Windows 11’ volume to install the OS.
The installation will commence, and your system may reboot several times. When presented with the boot manager screen, opt for the Windows 10/11 setup to continue with the installation process.
Alternate Method: Booting from a USB Drive
For those who prefer a clean start-up installation, create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive.
After preparing your partition as before, shut down your PC, plug in the drive, and power on while tapping F12 to access the boot menu. Select the bootable USB as your device and proceed through the Windows 11 installation as outlined, picking the unallocated partition when prompted.
Conclusion: Seamlessly Running Windows 10 and Windows 11
This tutorial offers an organized method to set up a dual-boot system, inviting you to enjoy the innovation of Windows 11 while maintaining the reliability of Windows 10. It’s an exciting way to transition at your own pace, experience new features, and decide which operating system serves you best in various scenarios.
FAQ
Q: What are essential considerations before dual-booting?
A: Always back up your data and ensure your system meets the hardware requirements for Windows 11. Additionally, ensure secure boot and TPM 2.0 are enabled if necessary.
Q: Can I dual-boot with older versions of Windows?
A: Yes, you can technically dual-boot with older versions, but for optimal performance and security, it’s recommended to use more recent versions like Windows 10 and 11.
Embrace this comprehensive guide to dual-boot Windows 10 and Windows 11 and relish the blend of innovation and familiarity on your computing journey.
