Setup will Start, and you should choose the Custom option.
Once you boot into the Windows 11 installer, click Next, and then Install Now. Here are some instructions from HP, Dell, Lenovo. Specific directions vary based on laptop makers. Usually, you can do this by pressing the F12 key on your laptop or keyboard once you turn the power on and choosing the name of your USB drive from the list of available options.
Next, you’ll need to boot your PC from the bootable drive you just created. Step 6: Boot your PC from your Windows 11 Bootable drive
In Windows 10 Home, you’ll need to turn off device encryption. End by clicking Save changes.įor Bitlocker, search for Bitlocker in the Start Menu and then choose Manage Bitlocker. Then, you’ll have to click Change settings that are currently unavailable and toggle the checkbox for Fast startup to off. Pick the choose what the power button does option. Then, scroll down to Additional Power Settings. To do this, search Power in the Windows 11 Start Menu, and choose Power and Sleep Settings. This lets you get into your PC’s BIOS and lets your PC boot up between the two different operating systems. Step 5: Turn off fast startup and Bitlocker encryptionĪfter you create a new volume, you’ll need to turn off both Fast Startup and Bitlocker encryption in Windows 10. Leave everything as is and be sure it looks like it does in our photo above. Once you see this, right-click the empty space and choose New Simple Volume.Ĭlick Next and assign it a new drive letter (we’re using D). You’ll know when it’s done when you see a new gray-colored space that says Unallocated. Shrinking your volume will take a while and it might look like your PC has frozen, but don’t worry. Accept the shrink with the Shrink button. We suggest shrinking your drive close to that amount.
Keep in mind that 1 GB is equal to 1,000 MB. You’ll then be able to shrink the drive down in MB. Step 3: Shrink your Windows volumeĪfter you click Shrink Volume, wait for Windows to query your disk. Right-click on the drive, and choose Shrink Volume. You should know this is your OS drive since it is partitioned as NTFS. Once you find it, open it up and look for the OS: C drive. The option you want will be Create and format hard disk partitions. Search for it and open it using the Start Menu.
In this second step, you’ll have to head into Disk Management in Windows 10. Step 2: Prepare to partition your main Windows 10 hard drive Your PC will create a bootable Windows 11 drive.
Choose your drive from the list, and click Next. Then, choose USB flash drive and click Next. Launch it and choose to Use the recommended options for this PC. Choose the Create Windows 11 Installation Media option and download the tool. You can do this by going to Microsoft’s website. To get started, you’ll need to download Windows 11. If your PC isn’t compatible, then you can’t dual boot without registry hacks. You’ll also have to meet the requirements for Windows 11. You can always create a second Microsoft Account for free, just to try Windows 11, and then remove it later after you set things up.Īs part of dual booting, you’ll also need to be comfortable using disk management tools, as well as have a USB drive that’s at least 16 GB in size and an internet connection to download Windows 11. This helps avoid confusion with any potential app downloads and other app licenses tied to your accounts. You can try using the same one, but separate accounts would be the best option.
It’s likely that Windows 10 will pull an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) license from your PC, and Windows 11 will ask you for a product key on setup.Īdditionally, since Windows 11 now mandates you use a Microsoft Account as part of the setup in the Home Edition, you’ll need to have a separate Microsoft account for both operating systems. Again, you’ll have to hold a valid Windows 10 license and a valid Windows 11 license. To dual booth both Windows 10 and Windows 11, you’ll need a couple of things.
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