Installation of a dual-boot system with Microsoft Windows 10 and Qubes OS 4.1 on one computer

User Support General
1

Hi,
I am thinking about to configure a dual-boot system with Microsoft Windows 10 and Qubes OS 4.1 on one computer. Please tell me what the current situation is like? Also please tell me where I can find documentation regarding this topic? Since I found https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/help-dual-booting-another-os-after-qubes-installation/6489 and https://github.com/Qubes-Community/Contents/blob/master/docs/configuration/multiboot.md . But this documentation was for Qubes OS 4.0.4 .
Thank you for your help.
Stay healthy & safe.

2

Many documentation for 4.0.4 works on 4.1 . Did something went wrong when you were following the documentation?

1 Like
3

Same here. I am dual booting windows 11 (it is a must for me unfortunately ) and Qubes 4.1. Documentation worked for me.

4

You should see this Warning first before proceeding with dual boot, i’ve been dual booted windows 11 and qubes os too, but I use my own configuration (2 drive with manual partition), here is what I do :

  • Manually partition by accessing tty2 from installation.
  • Configure file system, luks, and storage related.
  • Proceed to installation then access tty2 again after finish install to configure encrypted boot.
  • Install windows 11, in this step windows 11 will automatically use efi partition from qubes os.

So my storage layout is like this :

  1. EFI - nvme0n1p2
  2. BOOT - nvme0n1p1
  3. Qubes - nvme0n1p3
  4. Windows - nvme1n1p1

If you don’t have 2 disk then configure in installation to save some of space for windows.
And one thing, if you use uefi you don’t need to configure grub as explained in the link above, just select from uefi entry which os you want to boot.

5

@31lieal

I am trying to replicate exactly your setup put “->” in front of questions to your text:

  • Manually partition by accessing tty2 from installation.
  • Configure file system, luks, and storage related.
  • Proceed to installation then access tty2 again after finish install to configure encrypted boot.

→ How to configure encrypted boot, what do you mean ?

  • Install windows 11, in this step windows 11 will automatically use efi partition from qubes os.

So my storage layout is like this :

  1. EFI - nvme0n1p2
  2. BOOT - nvme0n1p1
  3. Qubes - nvme0n1p3
  4. Windows - nvme1n1p1

→ If you have two disks how to you setup one full boot for windows and one full boot for qubes on separate drives ?

Please let me know I am quite confused as to how to accomplish multi booting when we have two physical hdds.

6

default install doesnt encrypt boot partition, i did encrypt it.

install qubes first on drive 1 you can use default.

install windwos as normal, it will use the qubes efi partition.

but if you want to separate this efi partition.
then you can install windows first then install qubes.

7

How do you encypt boot, and whose boot win or qubes or both?

What actions do you need to take, after installing windows, during Qubes installation after to make sure efi is shared ?

(appreciate dm to help, but let’s do it in here pls so that other people can benefit too from your experience)