Arch Linux

dlk

Member

Registered: 2021-02-26

Posts: 25

Dual Boot Fear

2 months ago i decided to install arch on my laptop, a dell xps-13 2in1, i took that decision quite impulsively and decide to wipe completely my previous system (i was on Manjaro kde with a Windows 10 dualboot), and not thinking about it much i created oly one 512G partition in my 512G ssd, the only storage media on the system. Now i have a problem, i need windows, my university, in order to make sure that the students aren't going to copy, uses a only win/macOS application for taking the exams.
I decided to dual boot windows on my machine but i am stuck thinking about a possible data loss or the complete destruction of my arch installation, where i keep al my notes and important uni files.
I searched on internet for a secure way to make the partition but i didn't find anything.
Now I am here, asking to more experienced people a suggestion, pls i don't wonna lose everything again (yes, i fucked my installation once before and i reinstalled it, loosing everything).
Thanks in advance

jasonwryan

Anarchist

From: .nz

Registered: 2009-05-09

Posts: 30,426

Website

Re: Dual Boot Fear

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/QEMU

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Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

Registered Linux User #482438

Morn

Member

Registered: 2012-09-02

Posts: 886

Re: Dual Boot Fear

Then back up your important files to an external HD first before your muck around with your system any further. No more fear.

Tomorrow March 31st is World Backup Day (http://www.worldbackupday.com/) as I have just learned from my old-fashioned paper calendar of all places, so backing up is very apropos right now. As it is on all other days of the year...

Evanston

Member

Registered: 2021-03-31

Posts: 13

Re: Dual Boot Fear

I suggest that you should back up everything that is critical. Then using a Partition manager like Gparted(or fdisk) in a live environment you can shrink the Arch Linux partition until there is enough free space for windows and everything you will need in windows. Finally when installing windows when you reach the partition section choose unallocated space.

PS. You have to use a live environment to edit the partition because you can't edit the partition while you are in it.