How to Set Up a Dual Boot Partition
Dual-booting a computer allows the computer to run two entirely different operating systems (OSs) on the same computer. In order to dual-boot your system, you need to make a partition on your primary hard drive that will run the second operating system. This is very useful if you want to access the Internet through Linux, which is much safer than other operating systems, and then use Windows or Mac to watch DVDs, listen to music or play video games.
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Instructions
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Install an operating system on your computer. It does not matter which one you install first. If you already have an operating system installed on your computer, skip this Step.
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Insert the second operating system's installation disk into the optical drive and restart your computer. The installation of the second operating system will commence.
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3
Follow all the prompts for installing the second operating system until you get to the partitioning tool. Every operating system has a partitioning tool. You will usually find the partitioning tool on the window that asks you which hard drives you want to use. Set the partition size to 50 percent for each operating system and proceed with the installation of the operating system.
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4
Remove the installation disk from the optical drive once the installation is complete and restart your computer. When the computer restarts, a program called a "bootloader" will show up and ask you which operating system you want to run. You have 10 seconds to decide or the second operating system you installed will automatically boot.
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