How do I set up dual boot for Ubuntu on my windows 11?

Question

I have been trying to set up dual boot Ubuntu on my MSI gaming laptop for some time now. The laptop has NVIDIA 5070 graphics.
I have tried taking help from chatgpt, youtube and different websites but I am not able to do it.
The main problem is: When I start installing Ubuntu, and you have to select the installation type, it only shows, 'manual installation' and after this step where we have to select the size of disk (which you shrinked before), it does not show the hard disk storage but only the usb memory.
Can someone please help me setting this up?

Answer 1

To set up a dual boot for Ubuntu alongside Windows 11, you need to ensure that your system is properly configured to recognize both operating systems. Here are some steps you can follow to troubleshoot and set up your dual boot:

1. Check Disk Management: Before installing Ubuntu, make sure you have unallocated space on your hard drive. You can do this by going to Disk Management in Windows (right-click on the Start menu and select Disk Management). Shrink your Windows partition to create unallocated space for Ubuntu.
2. Disable Fast Startup: Sometimes, Windows Fast Startup can interfere with the installation of other operating systems. To disable it, go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable, and uncheck "Turn on fast startup."
3. Secure Boot: Ensure that Secure Boot is disabled in your BIOS settings. This can sometimes prevent Ubuntu from being installed correctly.
4. Boot from USB: When you boot from the Ubuntu USB installer, make sure you select the correct USB drive. If you only see the USB memory during installation, it may indicate that the installer is not recognizing your hard drive.
5. Installation Type: If the installer shows only "manual installation," you can still proceed with it. Choose the unallocated space you created earlier, and format it as ext4. Set the mount point to / (root).
6. Using GParted: If the installer does not recognize your hard drive, you can try using GParted from the live USB session to check if the partitions are visible. If they are not, there may be an issue with your hard drive configuration.
7. Reboot and Check Boot Options: After installation, reboot your laptop. You should see a boot menu allowing you to choose between Windows and Ubuntu. If not, you may need to repair the boot menu using the BCDBoot command from a Windows command prompt.

If you continue to have issues, consider checking forums or communities dedicated to Ubuntu and dual boot setups for more specific guidance related to your hardware.

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References:

• Repair the boot menu on a dual-boot PC
• BCDBoot Command-Line Options

Answer 2

To add to Q&A Assist, on my Dell XPS laptop, I remember I had to switch from RAID to AHCI to get a dual-boot to work.

I'm pretty sure BitLocker will get in the way.