Most computers ship with a single operating system, but you can have multiple operating systems installed on a single PC. Having two operating systems installed — and choosing between them at boot time — is known as “dual-booting.” Show Google and Microsoft ended Intel’s plans for dual-boot Windows and Android PCs, but you can install Windows 8.1 alongside Windows 7, have both Linux and Windows on the same computer, or install Windows or Linux alongside Mac OS X. How Dual-Booting WorksYour computer’s operating system is generally installed on its internal hard drive. When you boot your computer, the BIOS loads the boot loader from the hard drive and the boot loader boots the installed operating system. There’s no limit to the number of operating systems you he installed — you’re not just limited to a single one. You could put a second hard drive into your computer and install an operating system to it, choosing which hard drive to boot in your BIOS or boot menu. You could also boot an operating system — like a live Linux system or a Windows To Go USB drive — from external storage media. RELATED: Beginner Geek: Hard Disk Partitions Explained Even if you only have a single hard drive, you can have multiple operating systems on that hard drive. By partitioning the drive into several different partitions, you can have one partition for one operating system and another partition for another operating system, splitting the drive between them. (In reality, many operating systems use multiple partitions. The point is you’re devoting part of the drive to one operating system and part of the drive to another.) When you install a Linux distribution, it typically installs the Grub boot loader. Grub loads instead of the Windows boot loader at boot time if Windows was already installed, allowing you to choose the operating system you want to boot. Windows also has its own boot loader, which can be used to select between different versions of Windows if you have more than one installed. Why Bother Dual-Booting?Different operating systems have different uses and advantages. Having more than one operating system installed allows you to quickly switch between two and have the best tool for the job. It also makes it easier to dabble and experiment with different operating systems.
The Best Tech Newsletter Anywhere Join 425,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of features, articles, news, and trivia. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. For example, you could have both Linux and Windows installed, using Linux for development work and booting into Windows when you need to use Windows-only software or play a PC game. If you like Windows 7 but want to try out Windows 8.1, you could install Windows 8.1 alongside Windows 7 and choose between the two at boot time, knowing you’ll always be able to go back to Windows 7. If you’re using a Mac, you can have Windows installed alongside Mac OS X and boot into it when you need to run Windows-only software. You could use virtual machine software instead of setting up a dual-boot system, but a dual-boot system lets you actually use both operating systems on your hardware at full, native speed. You don’t have to deal with the overhead of a virtual machine, which is especially bad when it comes to 3D graphics. The downside is you can only use one of your installed operating systems at a time. RELATED: 5 Ways To Try Out and Install Ubuntu On Your Computer Switching Between Operating SystemsIf each operating system is installed to a separate drive, you could actually switch between both by selecting a different drive as your boot device every time you boot. This is inconvenient and you’ll probably have two operating systems installed on the same drive, so that’s where a boot manager comes in. Switch between your installed operating systems by rebooting your computer and selecting the installed operating system you want to use. If you have multiple operating systems installed, you should see a menu when you start your computer. This menu is typically set up when you install an additional operating system on your computer, so you won’t see if you just have Windows installed or just have Linux installed. Setting Up a Dual-Boot SystemSetting up a dual-boot system is fairly easy. Here’s a quick overview of what to expect:
RELATED: How to Install Windows on a Mac With Boot Camp You aren’t limited to just two operating systems on a single computer. If you wanted to, you could have three or more operating systems installed on your computer — you could have Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux all on the same computer. You’re only restricted by the storage space available on your computer and the time you want to spend setting this up. Image Credit: foskarulla on Flickr
Computer & Tech Specialist This article was written by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 619,640 times.
Co-authors: 28 Updated: September 5, 2022 Views: 619,640 Categories: Operating Systems
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 619,640 times.
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How to run two operating systems on one computer at the same time
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