Install Windows alongside running LinuxMint?

[InChrist]

Hi

I have used the whole disk space for LinuxMint and the partition is encrypted and with LVM2.

I need Windows now for a job.
Free space 45 GB at the moment.
I tried to resize the partition to have space for a new NTFS partition for Windows but resizing is not possible with Disks and Gparted.

What to do? What options?

Happy about clear and competent help.

Greetings
Klaus

[Schultz]

You can't resize a partition that's in use. Boot from your Mint installation media then do your resizing.

Installing Windows (after Mint) wipes away Grub (that's the bootloader), so that will have to be fixed.

[InChrist]

Thanks, Schultz.

Also to others:
Is this possible without regret for me as a user not an Linux expert?
Will the running system still work?
How to make dual boot available then?

Blessings,
Klaus

[ninemen]

Well i am no expert but the recommended way is to install windows first and then linux.if this is possible u should do reinstallation with scratch
Now if u cant do that,there are many workarounds to get the job done ,and i think your system would be stable too[unless windows does something] but it is not recommended.
If possible can u buy a new hard drive?i think it will make things a lot easier and the chances of stability will increase too.[Equivalent to reinstallation]
First remove the Linux drive(Primary hdd/sdd) from the system ,
Buy a new(secondary) hdd/sdd and install windows on it as usual,
then plug both drives such that linux is primary drive and as soon as u will boot in linux it will automatically detect windows or u can do a update grub command

if not possible then u will have to do the partitioning then install windows but windows will delete grub ,then after install u have to boot into linux live medium and do grub commands or use boot repair
[If u want i am sure there are many people here who can help u do it conveniently and i can share my personal tips too dont worry]
P.s I also perform this dual bot ritual but i have not booted into windows for atleast 7 moths lol

[InChrist]

Hm, I have one SSD in my laptop, no second one. I guess when just running Windows from a Windows live stick - if there is something like this - it will be very slow?
Also installing Windows on an external hard disc is slow I guess?

[ninemen]

First of all there is no live "Windows" if i am correct
And Installing windows on a external hard drive is a bad idea.Does ur device support multiple hard drives

[InChrist]

I guess only one internal disk is possible?

Code: Select all

System:    Host: c Kernel: 5.3.0-28-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 7.4.0 
           Desktop: Cinnamon 4.4.8 wm: muffin dm: LightDM Distro: Linux Mint 19.3 Tricia 
           base: Ubuntu 18.04 bionic 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: HP product: HP Laptop 15-dw0xxx v: Type1ProductConfigId 
           serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: HP model: 85EF v: 36.19 serial: <filter> UEFI: Insyde v: F.05 date: 03/22/2019 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT1 charge: 36.1 Wh condition: 34.9/41.9 Wh (83%) volts: 13.1/11.6 
           model: Hewlett-Packard PABAS0241231 serial: <filter> status: Unknown 
CPU:       Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i5-8265U bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Kaby Lake 
           rev: C L2 cache: 6144 KiB 
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 28800 
           Speed: 693 MHz min/max: 400/3900 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 693 2: 700 3: 700 4: 697 
           5: 700 6: 700 7: 700 8: 699 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
           chip ID: 8086:3ea0 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.6 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa tty: N/A 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel UHD Graphics (Whiskey Lake 3x8 GT2) v: 4.5 Mesa 19.2.8 
           compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 
           chip ID: 8086:9dc8 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.3.0-28-generic 
Network:   Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
           vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 4000 bus ID: 01:00.0 
           chip ID: 10ec:8168 
           IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter> 
           Device-2: Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11ac PCIe Wireless Network Adapter 
           vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: rtl8821ce v: N/A port: 3000 bus ID: 02:00.0 
           chip ID: 10ec:c821 
           IF: wlo1 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 406.84 GiB (85.3%) 
           ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Intel model: SSDPEKNW512G8H size: 476.94 GiB 
           speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 serial: <filter> 
RAID:      Hardware-1: Intel 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] driver: ahci v: 3.0 
           bus ID: 00:17.0 chip ID: 8086.282a 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 466.31 GiB used: 406.21 GiB (87.1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/dm-1 
           ID-2: /boot size: 704.5 MiB used: 389.8 MiB (55.3%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 980.0 MiB used: 250.8 MiB (25.6%) fs: swap dev: /dev/dm-2 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 47.0 C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list 
           1: deb [arch=amd64] http: //dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
           1: deb http: //packages.linuxmint.com tricia main upstream import backport #id:linuxmint_main
           2: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic main restricted universe multiverse
           3: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates main restricted universe multiverse
           4: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports main restricted universe multiverse
           5: deb http: //security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-security main restricted universe multiverse
           6: deb http: //archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ bionic partner
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list 
           1: deb http: //repository.spotify.com stable non-free
Info:      Processes: 309 Uptime: 15h 04m Memory: 15.53 GiB used: 8.15 GiB (52.5%) Init: systemd 
           v: 237 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 7.4.0 alt: 7 Client: Unknown python3.6 client 
           inxi: 3.0.32 

[Schultz]

Have you thought about running Windows in a VM (via an app like VirtualBox)?

[InChrist]

Is this fast and working without problems?

[InChrist]

Wow, I see I would need to buy a product key for $139 from MS for Windows 10 Home ...

[Schultz]

I've only tried a VM once, a while ago. I was just throwing it out there as an option to consider.

[ninemen]

Wow, I see I would need to buy a product key for $139 from MS for Windows 10 Home ...

Hey wdym by this were you not aware of this before?is this a joke or somthing?
Nvm i have heard that u can uses free version i.e trial version and it will lack some feature(i think only a few regarding background or stuff) also u get a watermark of activating windows

[AndyMH]

You can download a 'developers' virtualbox image here:
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/w ... -machines/
licence is valid for 90 days. If you need it longer, then rinse and repeat.

Alternatively, download the win10 iso from MS and purchase a licence key via amazon, I've done that twice and it worked both times from different vendors. I paid £5 for the last one and £12 for the first one. Was surprised that the £5 one was a retail licence, the £12 one was a volume licence. Obviously taking a chance and maybe I've been lucky.

If you only have a short term or occasional need for win, I would not dual boot. Virtualbox is the way to go.

[ajgreeny]

I have used the developer's version of Win7 and Win10 for updating my satnav device without problems in Virtualbox and even still have a WinXP.

[InChrist]

Hi,

thank you, all who answered.

While I see the opportunities now according to your advice, with VirtualBox on the one hand, or reducing the size of the encrypted LVM2 partition with a Live stick before installing it alongside Linux on the other hand,
the only correct way to use Windows in my setting seems to buy Windows 10 from the store. I asked the project manager now if they have a special agreement with MS ...

However, I have learned from you and found some links about the intended use of Windows 10 licences.

Blessings ,
Klaus

[InChrist]

Hi agian,

I have tested starting with a Mint-Live-Stick, but also this way I do not have the option to resize the encyrypted LVM2 partition to get space for a new partition in order to install Windows alongside.

Happy about clear and competent advice, backing up what is said or bringing in new aspects ...

Blessings, Klaus