How to Dual Boot Arch Linux and Windows 11 (2024) // BRAND NEW INSTALL GUIDE

Summary

This tutorial video offers a detailed guide on dual booting Arch Linux with Windows 11, ensuring data safety and simplicity. It covers creating free space, downloading Arch Linux, partitioning, installation, and configuring the system, including network setup and desktop environment. The video also addresses how to safely remove Arch Linux and restore the system to a single-boot Windows 11, providing a comprehensive resource for users looking to explore Linux alongside Windows.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video provides a step-by-step guide on how to dual boot Arch Linux with Windows 11 safely without risking data loss.
• 🔍 It emphasizes the importance of watching the entire video to avoid confusion and ensure a successful dual boot setup.
• 💿 The prerequisites include having Windows 11 installed, an 8GB or higher USB drive, and at least 40GB of free space on the hard drive.
• 📏 The process starts with creating free space for Arch Linux using Disk Management, allocating a minimum of 40GB.
• 🌐 After creating the bootable USB, it's recommended to create a system restore point in Windows for safety.
• 🔧 The video guides through entering BIOS settings to enable USB boot, disable Secure Boot, and adjust boot order for installation.
• 🖥️ It explains how to connect to the internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi for Arch Linux installation using specific commands.
• 💾 The script details the partitioning process for Arch Linux, including creating EFI, root, and swap partitions.
• 🛠️ It covers the installation of the base system of Arch Linux, including the necessary packages and configuration files.
• 🔄 The video demonstrates how to generate a file system table (fstab) for persistent storage configuration.
• 🔄 It also shows how to set up the GRUB boot loader, which is essential for booting both Arch Linux and Windows 11.
• 🔧 If uninstalling Arch Linux, the video explains how to remove the Linux partitions and restore the space back to Windows.
• 🖼️ As a bonus, the script includes instructions for installing a GUI environment like KDE Plasma and fixing the boot menu to include Windows 11.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the video?

The video provides a guide on how to dual boot Arch Linux with Windows 11 on a computer, ensuring data safety and offering a step-by-step process.

Why is caution necessary when installing Arch Linux?

Caution is necessary because installing Arch Linux is not as straightforward as other Linux distributions and there is a risk of data loss if not done correctly.

What are the minimum hardware requirements for installing Arch Linux as per the video?

The minimum requirements include Windows 11 installed on the PC, an 8GB or higher USB drive for creating a bootable disk with Arch Linux, and at least 40 GB of free space on the hard drive.

How does one create free space for Arch Linux installation?

Free space is created by using Disk Management to shrink an existing partition, allocating a minimum of 40 GB for Arch Linux.

What is the recommended method to burn the Arch Linux ISO to a USB drive?

The recommended method is using Rufus or a similar tool to create a bootable USB drive with the Arch Linux ISO.

Why is it important to disable Secure Boot when installing Arch Linux?

Disabling Secure Boot is important because it allows the system to boot from the USB drive and is a requirement for Arch Linux to boot properly.

How does one connect to the internet during the Arch Linux installation process?

If connected via Ethernet, use the `ping` command to check the connection. For Wi-Fi, use the `iwd` tool to connect by entering the Wi-Fi network name and password.

What are the three main partitions needed for Arch Linux installation?

The three main partitions are EFI partition (around 800 MB), root partition (20 GB or higher), and swap partition (using the remaining free space).

What command is used to generate the fstab file during Arch Linux installation?

The `genfstab` command is used to generate the fstab file, which tells the system how to mount the partitions.

How can one fix the issue of Windows 11 not showing in the GRUB menu after installing Arch Linux?

To fix this, install the `os-prober` package, edit the `/etc/default/grub` file to enable `os_prober`, and then update GRUB with the `grub-mkconfig` command.

What steps are involved in uninstalling Arch Linux from a dual boot system with Windows 11?

Uninstalling Arch Linux involves deleting the Arch Linux partitions using Disk Management and Command Prompt, and then merging the free space back with the Windows partition.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Setting Up Dual Boot with Arch Linux and Windows 11

This paragraph introduces the video's purpose: guiding viewers through the process of dual booting Arch Linux with Windows 11 safely. It emphasizes the importance of following the steps carefully to avoid data loss. The guide begins with creating free space for Arch Linux using Disk Management, choosing the right drive, and allocating at least 40GB. It then instructs on downloading the Arch Linux ISO from the official site, creating a bootable USB, and making a system restore point for safety. The video also covers entering BIOS settings to enable USB boot and disabling Secure Boot for successful Arch Linux installation.

05:01

📶 Connecting to the Internet for Arch Linux Installation

The second paragraph focuses on connecting to the internet for the Arch Linux installation process. It details the use of 'ping' for Ethernet connections and 'iwd' for Wi-Fi, including commands to list network interfaces, view Wi-Fi networks, and connect to a specific network. The paragraph also explains how to synchronize package databases and install the Arch Linux base system, highlighting the importance of not interrupting the installation process. It guides through partitioning the hard drive using 'cfdisk', creating EFI, root, and swap partitions, and formatting them accordingly.

10:05

🔧 Installing and Configuring Arch Linux Base System

This section describes the installation of the Arch Linux base system to the newly created root partition. It includes the installation of essential packages like the Linux kernel, firmware, and support for AMD or Intel processors. The guide also recommends installing additional packages for system administration and user convenience. After the base installation, it explains how to generate a filesystem table, set the root password, create a standard user, and configure the sudoers file to allow passwordless sudo access. It also covers setting the time zone, system language, and hostname, and installing the GRUB boot loader.

15:07

🖥️ Setting Up the Graphical User Interface and Boot Loader

The fourth paragraph discusses the installation of the graphical user interface, specifically the Plasma desktop environment from KDE, and configuring the boot loader. It provides commands for updating the Pacman database, installing the display manager, and enabling necessary services. The guide also explains how to fix the Discover app for the application store and install proprietary Nvidia drivers for modern graphics cards. Additionally, it details how to add the Windows boot entry to the GRUB menu, ensuring users can choose between Arch Linux and Windows 11 at startup.

20:09

🛠️ Post-Installation Configurations and Uninstalling Arch Linux

This paragraph covers post-installation steps such as enabling the display manager, starting the GUI environment, and configuring the system to boot with the Plasma desktop. It also addresses how to reinstall the Discover app backend for the app store and set up Nvidia drivers for better graphics performance. Furthermore, it provides a bonus guide on uninstalling Arch Linux, detailing the steps to remove Arch Linux partitions using Disk Management and Command Prompt, and restoring the system to boot directly into Windows 11.

25:12

🗣️ Closing Remarks and Additional Resources

The final paragraph offers closing remarks, inviting viewers to comment with any questions or queries and promising to provide answers. It also mentions that a detailed article about the dual boot setup will be available in the video description, providing an additional resource for viewers seeking more information. The paragraph ends with a sign-off from the presenter.

Keywords

💡Dual Boot

Dual boot refers to the practice of installing and running two operating systems on a single computer. In the video, the main theme is setting up a dual boot environment with Arch Linux and Windows 11, allowing users to choose between the two operating systems at startup. The script provides a step-by-step guide on how to safely create this setup without risking data loss.

💡Arch Linux

Arch Linux is a lightweight and flexible Linux distribution known for its i686/x86-64 architecture and its 'rolling-release' model, which means packages are updated frequently without the need for major version releases. The video script details the process of installing Arch Linux alongside Windows 11, emphasizing its unique installation process and the caution required to avoid data loss.

💡Windows 11

Windows 11 is the latest version of the Microsoft Windows operating system at the time of the video. It represents one half of the dual boot setup being demonstrated. The script mentions ensuring that Windows 11 is already installed on the computer before beginning the Arch Linux installation process.

💡EFI Partition

EFI Partition, or the Extensible Firmware Interface partition, is a type of system partition that stores the boot loaders for all operating systems installed on a computer. In the script, the EFI partition is identified as the location where the Windows boot loader resides and is also where the Arch Linux bootloader will be installed.

💡Disk Management

Disk Management is a utility in Windows used to manage the disk drives and volumes on a computer. The script instructs viewers to open Disk Management to shrink the Windows partition and create unallocated space for the Arch Linux installation, demonstrating a critical step in preparing the system for a dual boot setup.

💡Bootable USB

A bootable USB is a USB flash drive that contains a bootable image of an operating system, allowing it to be used to install or run that operating system. The video script describes how to create a bootable USB with the Arch Linux ISO, which is essential for starting the Arch Linux installation process.

💡Secure Boot

Secure Boot is a security standard that prevents unauthorized software from running during the system start-up process. The script advises viewers to disable Secure Boot in the BIOS/UEFI settings to ensure that the Arch Linux installation media can boot properly.

💡Partitioning

Partitioning is the process of dividing a storage device into one or more sectors, which can be managed separately. In the context of the video, partitioning involves creating an EFI partition, a root partition, and a swap partition for Arch Linux within the unallocated space on the hard drive.

💡fstab File

The fstab file, or 'file system table', is a configuration file in Linux systems that contains information about all the partitions and storage devices that need to be mounted at boot. The script describes generating an fstab file to ensure that the Arch Linux system mounts the correct partitions at startup.

💡GRUB Boot Loader

GRUB, or the Grand Unified Bootloader, is a boot loader package that supports multiple operating systems and allows the user to select between them at boot time. The script details the installation of GRUB for Arch Linux, which will manage the boot process and provide the option to boot into either Arch Linux or Windows 11.

💡Uninstalling Arch Linux

The process of uninstalling Arch Linux from a dual boot setup involves deleting the Arch Linux partitions and removing its bootloader entry. The script provides instructions for safely uninstalling Arch Linux, including using Disk Management and command prompt to delete the partitions and restore the space back to Windows 11.

Highlights

A guide for dual booting Arch Linux with Windows 11 without data loss.

Instructions on creating a bootable USB drive with Arch Linux.

How to shrink a Windows partition to create free space for Arch Linux.

Creating a system restore point before installing Arch Linux for safety.

Entering BIOS to enable USB boot and disable secure boot for Arch Linux installation.

Connecting to the internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi for Arch Linux installation.

Using 'cfdisk' to create partitions for Arch Linux on the free space.

Formatting and mounting the newly created Arch Linux partitions.

Installing the base system of Arch Linux with essential packages.

Generating a file system table (fstab) for persistent partition mounting.

Setting up user accounts and root privileges in Arch Linux.

Configuring the system time zone, language, and hostname in Arch Linux.

Installing the GRUB boot loader for Arch Linux.

Enabling services for Bluetooth and network manager in Arch Linux.

Fixing the GRUB menu to include Windows 11 boot option.

Installing a GUI environment, such as KDE Plasma, on Arch Linux.

Setting up NVIDIA drivers for systems with modern Nvidia graphics cards.

Uninstalling Arch Linux and reverting the system back to a single Windows 11 boot.

Transcripts

in this video I will show you how to

dual boot Arch Linux with Windows 11

this is a newly updated guide and one of

the safest methods for setting up a dual

boot on any computer without risk of

data loss also at the end of this video

I will show how to remove Arch Linux

safely from the dual boot be sure to

watch the video Until the End to avoid

any

confusion unlike other Linux dros

installing Arch Linux is not as

straightforward and caution is necessary

to avoid data loss however I will guide

you through the entire process

explaining each step in detail make sure

to watch the video without skipping any

parts but check the description below

for valuable information timestamps and

download

links

the only requirements of this video you

need Windows 11 installed on your PC or

laptop an 8GB or higher USB drive to

create a bootable dis with Arch Linux at

least 40 GB of free space Reser from

your existing

drop now let's proceed with creating

free space for Arch Linux open the

search bar and type dis MGMT to access

the disk manager

which shows all of the connected drives

along with their partitions in my case

you can see that one drive is connected

if you notice Drive zero has three

partitions the first one is the EFI

partition where the Windows boot loader

is present the second one is the main

windows and the last one is the recovery

partition I'm going to choose the C

drive to shrink the free space for Arch

Linux in your case it might be d e or F

whatever just choose the partition and

right click on it the choose shrink

volume and allocate a minimum of 40gb or

more for Arch Linux you can type the

value in megabytes in my case I'm going

to allocate 200,000 megabytes then click

on shrink this will create an

unallocated free space that's it we have

done creating a free space for Arch

Linux now open your favorite browser and

go to the official website of Arch Linux

now scroll down and choose the closest

mirror to your location then download

the arch

ISO once it's done connect your USB

stick to your computer you can use rofus

to burn the downloaded ISO to the USB

drop

now once you're done making a bootable

USB with roofers or pasting the iso to

when toy drive it's recommended to

create a system restore point before

installing Arch Linux this option allows

you to take a snapshot of the current

state of the Windows system if something

goes wrong with the Arch installation

you can use this backup to restore your

system to

normal now once it's done reboot your

computer whilst rebooting enter the bio

settings using the keyboard shotcut

based on your motherboard the mostly

could be F2 F9 or Escape

gate in the ufi Bios enable USB boot and

change the boot order by setting the USB

drive as primary boot

device now disable secure boot which is

very important for Arch Linx to boot

also if there's an option like

Microsoft's third party UEFI enable it

it's also better to clear any Cas or

certificates after disabling the secure

board save the

changes now system will boot into Arch

from the USB drive if it fails to boot

use the boot menu to load Arch install

media now on your monitor you will see a

terminal expecting input now please note

that the mouse functionality is disabled

so you need to rely on the keyboard type

this command exactly as you say to

increase the size of the console then

press enter to execute the command

before installing our Linux if your

computer is connected to the internet

via Ethernet use the pink command to

check the connection if using built-in

Wi-Fi support use the iwl tool to

connect to the internet to use iwct

simply type iwct to enter the iwd shell

mode then type device list to see a list

of network interfaces look for w Lan

zero and then type station W Lan zero

get networks to see the list of Wi-Fi

networks next run the command station W

l0o connect and enter the name of your

Wi-Fi network then press the written key

and input the Wi-Fi password after

entering the password wait for 5 seconds

and press enter to connect to the

internet you might not see any output

but if the connection was successful you

can exit the iwd mode that's it you have

successfully connected to the internet

now run the pin command to ensure you're

receiving the

packets now to demonstrate this video

easily I have remotely logged into RS

Linux via

SSH now type this command to synchronize

the package databases then install the

Arch Linux curing package by executing

this

command new type LSB okay to list out

all drives connected to the PC in this

case you can see the two main drives

forget about the loops just concentrate

on the SDA or nvme the nvme0 And1 is the

main Drive where Windows 11 has been

installed on my system and the SDA is

the bootable USB it's time to create

partition for archal next using the free

space we created earlier type CF disk

for/ Dev nvme0 and one and replace this

part with your disk identifier and press

enter here we can see the EFI and

windows partitions keep in mind that you

need to use the arrow keys for selection

and the enter key for confirmation let's

scroll to the free space for Arch L next

we need to create three main partitions

EFI rout and swap

then select the free space I'm going to

create the first partition with a size

of 800 megabytes for the EFI partition

and press enter key to create it select

the type and choose EFI

system then select the free space again

and create a root partition of 20 GB or

higher in my case I'm going to type

180g and press the enter key to create

it

the type is going to be a Linux file

system and the CF disk will pick it

automatically lastly use the remaining

free space for swap which can be used as

virtual Ram the type for this partition

is Linux

swap that's it we have done creating the

partitions for Arch LX write the changes

to alter the disk once it's done exit

from the CF

disk

if you type lsblk you can see all the

newly created partitions the nvme0 N1 P5

for EFI P6 for root and p7 for swap we

need to format these partitions one by

one first format the arch EFI partition

which in my case is nvme0 N1 P5 by

typing this

command

then format the root partis which in my

case is nvme0 N1 P6 by typing this

command lastly I'm going to format the

nvme 0 N1 p7 by typing this

command

now let's go ahead and mount the

partitions first I'm going to mount the

root partition which in my case is nvme0

N1 P6 to the

MNT then create a directory inside the

MNT and name it as boot now Mount the

EFI partition to this directory

enable the swap Partition by typing this

command once it's done make sure all the

partitions are mounted properly you can

verify it by typing

lsblk now it's time to install the Arch

Linux to the root partition which is

mounted to MNT to do so type pack strap

dasi power/ MN base for the base art

system base- devel Linux for the kernel

then I need Linux

frameware and AMD D code for AMD

processors and if you're Intel user type

Intel -

code and also I'm going to install a

bunch of packages like sudu Nano git

whim neofetch network manager bluetooth

support and more

once it's done run this command to start

installing the base system of Arch Linux

accept the defaults this will take

sometime sit back relax and don't

interrupt the

computer that's it now we have done with

the base installation of Arch Linux it's

time to generate a file system table if

you notice the NVM partitions are

mounted to the live session of USB but

when we boot Arts from the main dve we

need to tell the system to mount all

these partitions to the same location

for that type this command to generate

the fstab

file here we can see all the partitions

and their mounting points are written

correctly so far we're running

everything from the live session it's

time to enter into the drive where we

have installed our Linux for that type

arch-chroot for/ MNT now we can see the

prompt has changed to something else

which means we have entered into the

actual drive as a root

user now first type pass WD and set the

root password this is a super user

account and is known as a top tier user

in Linux also we're going to create a

standard user by typing this

command

and replacing this part with your

name then set the password by typing

pass WD and the name of the

user now we have added this new user to

the V group and other groups the V group

allows the user to access root

privileges with the pseudo command for

that we need to edit the pseudo War file

Now by default you can type V Pudo to

edit the pseudo wor file with whim but

I'm going to edit with Nano by typing

this command inside the Nano text scroll

all the way and uncomment this line once

it's done press ctrl+ o to write the

changes and press control+ X to exit

from the text

editor now to check whether the new

account has root privileges type s-

username and press enter you can see the

prompt has

changed

now run this command and type the user

password and VOA the new user has gained

full root access and I'm going to type

exit and continue as a root user EST St

to set the time zone or region and Link

this information with local time for

that type this command and press the Tab

Key to see the list in my case I belong

to Asia and

Kolkata now type this command to sync

the current time now time to set a

system Language by generating a local

type this

command scroll all the way and uncomment

this line this is going to tell the

system to use American English as a

system

loal now type this command and generate

a Lo

call now create a local configuration

file by typing this command and add this

line to use English as the default

system

language save the changes by pressing

cr+ o and cr+ X to

exit now type this command to set up the

host name of this computer in this case

I'm going to say Arch Linux and save the

changes then type Nano Etsy host and add

these

lines make sure you replace this part

with your house name and save it

changes and lastly it's time to install

the graub boot loader which is going to

help to boot Arch Linux now type this

command to install these

packages then type

lsblk we're going to install graub into

this EFI partition named boot type the

command exactly as it

is now generate a grap configuration

file by typing this command to update

the grub configuration

file that's it the GRUB boot loader has

been installed and lastly enable the

Bluetooth server service by typing this

command then enable the network manager

service which lets you use the internet

connection type the command exactly what

you see over

here now exit from the chro environment

and type this command to unmount all the

partitions once it's done shut down the

system by typing this command and eject

the pend

Dr that's it now we have successfully

installed Arch Linx and dual booted with

Windows 11 you go ahead and turn on your

computer back again you can see the

graub menu from here you can boot into

only arch for now and windows 11 is not

showing we're going to fix that issue in

a moment for now let's boot into Arch

Linux the log in with your user

account

to connect to the Wi-Fi network using NM

CLI first check the status of all your

network interfaces by typing NM CLI

space Dev status next run this command

to turn on Wi-Fi

radio to view the list of available

Wi-Fi networks run this

command lastly connect to Wi-Fi using

this command replace the placeholders

with your network information and

enclose the password in double

CS then update the Pacman database by

typing pseudo Pacman

dsy

it's time to install the desktop

environment I'm going to install a

plasma desktop by KDE to do so type Pudo

Pacman DS exor sgdm which is a simple

display manager and plasma meta package

if you prefer to use the whin session

you can install this package I don't

recommend whin to be used on Old

Computers it's also recommended to

install KD applications but for now I

choose to go with minimal setup and

install some other necessary packages to

get

started it's also recommended to install

these fonts now this is going to install

the desktop environment on top of the

Arch Linux based system wait for some

time once the installation has been

completed I'll be right back with

you

now enable the display manager using a

system C

command tap this command to start the

GUI

environment

that's it now reboot the computer to

reload all the services and this time

Arch Linux will boot with the plasma

desktop you can choose X11 or wh session

from the login

manager

that's it now we have successfully

install the GUI

environment the first thing to do after

installing arlx is to fix the Discover

app back

end to do so open console and tpe this

command to install flat pack and use it

as a backend for Discover app

store

if you have a modern Nvidia graphic card

it's recommended to install Nvidia

proprietary drivers this is completely

optional installing this package on

older systems may or may not work so

please refer to the article in the

description down below anyway inside the

console you can type this command to set

up NVIDIA

drivers

once it's done reboot your computer if I

type this command inside the terminal

you can see it shows the Nvidia driver

information it's time to add the Windows

boot entry to the grab boot menu to do

so inside the terminal type this command

to install OS

probar then edit the cup configuration

file with this

command and change the default grab time

limit to 20

seconds then scroll to the bottom and

uncomment this line if you don't set the

OS prober value to false then grub

cannot look for the windows bootloader

and won't add it to the grub menu once

it's done save the changes by pressing

crl plus o and exit with crl + x now run

the command to update graub and you can

see it found the Windows boot

manager then reboot your

system now you can use the graub menu to

boot into Arch or Windows

11

as a bonus part of the video If in case

you don't like Arch Linux and decided to

uninstall then reboot your computer into

Windows 11 once you are inside windows

11 open the search bar and type dis MGMT

and open Disk Management till

here in my case next to the C drive

three new partitions are showing we need

to delete each partition one after the

other now as you can see I have deleted

Swap and root partition and there is no

option to delete the boot EFI partition

well it's expected and we're going to

take a command prompt help to remove

this partition to do so go ahead open a

command prompt and run as administrator

inside the command prom type disk

part then type list space disk this will

show all the drives connected to my PC

now as you can see Drive zero is the

only drive connected to my computer

where windows are present I'm going to

go ahead and select this drive by typing

select space disk space zero now I'm

going to type list partition to view all

partitions of this drop if you notice

carefully partition 5 is the arch EFI

partition which we fail to delete from

the disk manager which is this

one as you can see it's around 800 mbes

we're going to go go ahead and delete

this partition to do so type this

command to select this partition make

sure you have selected the proper

partition then type this command to

delete

it now as you can see under the disk

manager it's now deleted and we gain

back the free space you can use this and

merge it back with Windows

11 that's it we have success

successfully removed Arch Linux and

restart your computer you should boot

your system directly into Windows 11 and

you won't face any issues this is how

you properly set up a dual boot on your

windows 11 computer with Arch Linux in

2024 if you have any questions or

queries comment down below and I will

try answering your questions I will also

leave a link to the detailed article

about it so please check the description

down below thanks for watching this has

been ksk I will see you in the next

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one the gas

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