Dual boot Mint with WIndows 8?

[ALinuxUser]

From what I've read it seems the M$ is trying to prevent users from making Win8 machines dual boot. Does Mint have a solution for this? I'd like to get a new laptop. I'm wondering if I should avoid Win8.

Thanks

[riki]

Avoid W8 like the plague!!! If you purchase a PC or laptop with Windows pre-installed you won't be able to install Linux or any other other OS. You won't even be able to wipe out W unless, I am told, you buy a disk (from greedy Microsoft of course) to clean the HD. I will never, ever, buy another machine with Windows. I am furious because the guy at PCWorld knew about my intention to install Linux Mint but kept quiet about (U)EFI/Windows block.

[yrrchsebor]

From what I've read it seems the M$ is trying to prevent users from making Win8 machines dual boot. Does Mint have a solution for this? I'd like to get a new laptop. I'm wondering if I should avoid Win8.

Thanks

it can be done, i have Windows 8 dual-booted with Linux Mint 14. i am not an expert, but i believe installing a second OS is not the problem, but booting it up is where they have added security protections. But you will find, in this same forum, certain solutions for this popping up already; what i did was install Mint as usual, then run the Boot Repair program included in Ubuntu 12.10 Secure Remix. it was actually quite easy, the Boot repair program walks you thru a couple simple steps to get grub to work with UEFI.

My machine doesn't have an option for legacy boot, but from what i've read, that might be a solution as well. I was able to turn off Secure Boot Control in my settings tho.