How to dual boot Windows and Fedora

Just got my Desktop with two nvme drives. Nice machine! But getting dual boot set up is driving me crazy.

I can install Windows 11 Pro on the first drive just fine. I then turn off bit locker and install Fedora on the second drive. But I can’t figure out how to get a boot entry into grub for Windows. The system always boots directly into Fedora with no choices. Lots of Googling leads to lots of suggestions that don’t work.

Has anyone managed to do it? How?

Thanks, … Sam

The better option usually is to just use the BIOS boot menu to either select the Windows or Linux boot entry. That would work even with Bitlocker enabled.

Otherwise, have you tried sudo grub2-editenv - unset menu_auto_hide? This should make the grub menu show up every boot.

The problem is that after installing Fedora there are no entries for Windows … either in the Grub menu OR in the BIOS boot list! Fedora install wiped them all out.

Everything online says to install Windows first and then Linux, because Linux knows how to co-exist … but that seems like it’s not the case.

Try “sudo os-prober” in terminal

Then “sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg”

This updates the grub config. It should add the windows boot manager to the grub boot menu.

Yes, I did that. Doesn’t add anything. Fedora install on disk 2 seems to have vanished the Windows install on disk 1 completely. I’ve done it twice (install Windows then install Fedora) with the same results.

Does your Windows disk still boot with the Fedora disk removed? If it does not you could try installing Fedora with the Windows disk removed first. You can then boot them with the Bios boot manager. Its probably safer this way as Windows update’s has a habit of removing your grub bootloader.

Thanks, that worked. I started with Windows on disk 1 and Fedora on disk 2 … but installing Fedora had wiped out the Windows boot entry in BIOS and so it wasn’t usable.

So I then removed the Fedora disk (disk 2) from the computer and installed Windows again on disk 1. I then put the Fedora disk back in as disk 2. At that point I could boot both Windows and Fedora from the BIOS by repeatedly jamming the F2 key.

So despite everything online saying that Windows doesn’t play well with others, the reality seems to be that Fedora is the evil-doer … wiping out Windows if it’s on the machine.

Others trying to install both on Framework Desktop need to know this, since the obvious Google searches will cause you to waste a day and a lot of brain cells otherwise.

…Sam

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I thought about dual booting windows and arch Linux. Not decided yet as I have a Mac I game on as well lol.

Glad you got it running together which is relief for my own soon to arrive Desktop.

I have Fedora dual boot with Windows 11 on my laptop and I did not have the issue you ran into with the Desktop. If I were to guess its a EFI issue with Grub unable add the windows entry in the EFI partition and corrupting it. I may run into this issue myself when I get my Desktop If I want to install Windows on it to test this.

Hi, I am thinking of installing Fedora on a second drive.

I want to run Secure Boot and drive encryption on both Windows 11 and Fedora.

I have read that the following process should result in a system that functions:

  • Connect drive 1.
  • Disconnect drive 2.
  • Install Windows 11 on drive 1.
  • Disconnect drive 1.
  • Connect drive 2.
  • Install Fedora on drive 2.
  • Connect drive 1.

From here both OSs should show up in the BIOS boot menu.

My outstanding questions are:

Can this work with Windows Secure Boot and Bitlocker enabled?

Can this work with Fedora Secure Boot and LUKS enabled?

Can Windows updates be installed without causing issues to the Fedora install?

Can Fedora updates be installed without causing issues to the Windows install?

I would like to have both systems available, but only if there is stability in running both.

I would be grateful for any insight you can provide based on your experience so far!

Thanks.

I dual boot Win and Ubuntu. My process primarily followed the guidelines here. Thjere’s a guide for Fedora there, too.

I have two SSDs. I initialised the first one, installed Windows, then initialised the second one and installed Ubuntu (with Grub)

A BIOS update to 3.04 changed the boot order but that was easily fixed in BIOS settings

Thanks for the reply.

OK cool, this is good to hear.

Did you only have a single drive connected when installing each operating system?

I read that this was the simplest method to avoid GRUB attempting to manage both installations (not having the Windows drive connected as you install Ubuntu).

Have you knowingly installed any Windows 11 updates, or Ubuntu updates since managing the setup? Any impact?

Do you have Secure Boot enabled, and encryption on both or either Windows/Ubuntu?

Thanks for the insight!

As I said, both drives were installed but only one initialised when I installed Windows. I initialised the second to install Ubuntu

The “knowingly” sounds like I’ve committed a crime but, yes I’ve installed updates to Windows and had no issue … your Honor :slightly_smiling_face:

Secure boot, yes, encryption no

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Are you sure you are telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? :laughing:

Ha, the reason I said knowingly is that I find Windows 11 updates to be largely automated these days. I find it easy to forget what updates have been installed! :laughing:

Good to hear that you have seen both OSs successfully insall updates without affecting the boot options.

I can understand that a BIOS update may affect the boot order.

Out of curiosity how did you go about updating the BIOS, which method did you use?

OK great, half the challenge solved.

I will have to dig further on the encryption side.

Thanks!