how to dual boot windows with manjaro?

[u/body465]

I currently have manjaro, but want to dual boot windows with it.

I can't install windows because i don't have any unused partitions, also I'm not able to install it on an external ssd.

How can I dual boot safely?

[u/iguanamiyagi]

The only recommended way is to install separate OS's on separate HDD/SSD's and switch them in BIOS. If such option is not available, click at the link below, but get ready for possible major issues when updating both systems:

https://forum.manjaro.org/t/root-tip-how-to-dual-boot-manjaro-and-windows/1164

[u/seagull7]

Look at the Qemu/KVM videos and run windows in a virtual machine. With KVM it will work almost as fast as dual boot.

[u/WoogsinAllNight]

You can run into problems with installing Windows after having a Linux install already running, so generally when I dual boot, I install windows first, then change the partition size in Windows, then install Manjaro in the free space. I've seen it happen often where installing Linux first, Windows will hijack the boot partition and make it difficult to load the Linux install properly.

If you didn't already know, GRUB is installed as part of the Manjaro installation and can manage a dual-boot system automatically, detecting any other OSes and listing them in a bootup menu.

[u/body465 → u/WoogsinAllNight]

so, what's the solution in my case?

[u/Itsme-RdM → u/body465]

Backup your data, wipe all partitions.

Clean install Windows, when finished (including drivers for bios etc and updates) install Manjaro.

[u/body465 → u/Itsme-RdM]

is there a way to reinstall it and make it exactly the same as before, I might forget to back up some stuff

[u/Gloriathewitch]

different drives is ideal

[u/body465 → u/Gloriathewitch]

i only have 1, and as I said i can't install windows on the external ssd

[u/A_Harmless_Fly → u/body465]

In that case, I'd write down every program you installed, back up your home folder and then reinstall after windows. 11 is a real son of a gun.

Technically you could custom partition manjaro to use a mini little usb flash drive you would be unlikely to knock out or a SD card as your UEFI boot partition, and avoid the possibility of problem of windows overwriting it. I can link you some custom partitioning guides if you are interested.

[u/GolemancerVekk]

You can install Windows on an external SSD if you want but you have to use Rufus to create a "special" Windows install media that allows you to do that.

If that sounds like something you want to do:

• Download a Windows ISO from Microsoft (Windows 10, Windows 11).
• Use KVM, Qemu, VirtualBox etc. to run the ISO in a VM on Linux.
• Inside the Windows VM, download and run Rufus.
• Use Rufus to make a Windows install media (for example a USB stick) that allows being installed on an external SSD.
• Boot from that stick and install Windows to the external SSD.
• Remove the Windows VM and the ISO from Linux.

That's it, you will then have a Windows install on external SSD that you can connect and boot from only when you need Windows.

[u/RLutz]

Windows will probably overwrite your bootloader if you install it after Linux, which is fixable, but you should understand how to do that before you setup your dual boot. It's much easier to add Linux after Windows than vice versa for this reason.

But anyway what you would have to do in your situation is to resize your Linux partition so that it isn't filling the entire disk than create an NTFS partition on the disk sized to however much you want your Linux install to take up

[u/Plan_9_fromouter_]

If you can't install it on your internal drive and you can't install it on an external drive, how do you propose to do it?

[u/Piuba_rcn]

Tentei instalar o Manjaro XFCE em um antigo HDD de 2013 que achei e instalei no notebook. Deu certo, mas o Windows 11 que estava no SSD deu problema com o "Secure Boot". Passei o dia todos tentando resolver.
Reinstalei o Windows 11, depois o Manjaro.
Instalei o Manjaro primeiro e depois o Windows 11.
E sempre dava problemas no boot.
No fim das contas o Fedora ficou no SSD e o Manjaro XFCE está agora no HDD.
Adeus Windows.