Debian 12 and Windows 10/11
If you’re looking to set up a dual boot between Debian 12 and Windows 10/11, you’re in the right place! This guide will walk you through the entire installation process step-by-step, ensuring you can enjoy the best of both worlds on your machine. Let’s dive right in!
Downloading Debian 12
The first step in your dual-boot journey is to download the Debian 12 ISO file. Here’s how you can do that:
- Open your web browser and search for “Debian“.
- Click on the first link, which will take you to the official Debian website.
- Scroll down a bit and click on “More”.
- On the right side of the page, click on “Download”.
- You have two options: download the internet installer or the complete installer. For this guide, we recommend downloading the complete installation image.
- Click on the “Complete installation image” option, then select the first option and navigate down to the DVD section.
- Select the system architecture; for most computers, it will be AMD 64. Click on that to download the Debian 12 ISO file.
Creating a Bootable USB Drive
Once you have downloaded the ISO file, you need to create a bootable USB drive. This is where Rufus comes in:
- Open a new tab and search for “Rufus”.
- Go to the first link and download the latest version of Rufus.
- After downloading, insert a USB drive with at least 8 GB of space. Make sure to back up any important data on this USB drive, as it will be erased.
- Open Rufus and select the ISO file you just downloaded.
- For the partition scheme, choose GPT and click on “Start”.
Preparing Your Hard Drive
Now that your bootable USB is ready, it’s time to prepare your hard drive for Debian:
- Right-click on the Start menu and select “Disk Management”.
- Select a local disk with enough space (at least 30 GB) and right-click on it, then choose “Shrink Volume”.
- Specify the amount of space you want to shrink for Debian (30 GB is recommended) and click “Shrink”.
Booting from the USB Drive
With your USB drive prepared, it’s time to boot into the Debian installer:
- Restart your computer and press the F12 key or the Escape key to access the boot menu.
- Select the USB option to boot into the Debian installer.
- Choose “Graphical Install” and press Enter twice.
- Wait for the installer to load.
Installing Debian 12
Now that the installer is loaded, follow these steps:
- Select your installation language and keyboard layout.
- Choose between Ethernet and Wi-Fi for your internet connection. If you choose Wi-Fi, enter your password.
- Type your desired hostname and domain name, then set up a user password and a root password.
Partitioning the Disk
One of the most critical steps is partitioning your disk:
- Select “Manual partitioning”.
- Locate the free space you created earlier (30 GB) and select it.
- Click “Continue” and choose the option to automatically partition the free space.
- Select “All files in one partition” and proceed.
- Once satisfied with the partitioning, finish the partitioning and write changes to disk.
Completing the Installation
After finishing the partitioning, you will need to select a mirror for downloading packages. Choose your nearest mirror for faster downloads. Then, choose the desktop environment you wish to install. The default is GNOME, but you can install others if desired.
Once the installation process is complete, remove the USB drive and reboot your computer.
Booting into Debian and Windows
On reboot, you should see the GRUB menu, allowing you to choose between Debian and Windows. If the GRUB menu does not appear, you may need to adjust the boot priority in your BIOS settings.
To check if everything is working correctly, select Debian from the GRUB menu. If it boots successfully, try rebooting and selecting “Windows Boot Manager” to ensure you can access Windows as well.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully set up a dual boot with Debian 12 and Windows 10/11. This setup allows you to enjoy the versatility of both operating systems on a single machine. If you found this guide helpful, consider leaving a like and subscribing for more tech tips!
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