Editing Multi-booting (section)

===Microsoft Windows and Linux===
{{Further|Disk partitioning#Multi-boot and mixed-boot systems}}

One popular multi-boot configuration is to dual-boot Linux and Windows operating systems, each contained within its own partition. Windows does not facilitate or support multi-boot systems, other than allowing for partition-specific installations, and no choice of [[boot loader]] is offered. However, most current Linux installers accommodate dual-booting (although some knowledge of partitions is desirable). Commonly installations proceed without incident but upon restart, the boot loader will recognize only one of the two operating systems.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2106559/booting-problem-linux-windows-boot-loader.html |title=Booting problem of Linux in Windows boot loader - [Solved] - Open source software |website=Tom's Hardware|date=15 April 2014 |access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref>

There are some advantages to installing a Linux [[boot manager]]/loader (usually [[GRUB]]) as the primary bootloader pointed to by the [[master boot record]]. Windows operating systems will be found by properly installed Linux bootloaders, but Windows boot managers do not recognize Linux installations (nor does Windows deal natively with Linux [[file systems]]). The MBR boot code can be backed up and restored with [[dd (Unix)|dd]], available on [[System Rescue CD]].

It is often recommended that Windows be installed to the first [[primary partition]]. The boot loaders of both Windows and Linux identify partitions with a number derived by counting the partitions. (Note, both Windows and Linux count the partitions according to the ordering of the partitions ''in the partition table'', which may be different from the order of the partitions on the disk.) Adding or deleting a partition at the end of a hard drive will have no effect on any partitions prior to it. However, if a partition is added or deleted at the beginning or middle of a hard drive, the numbering of subsequent partitions may change. If the number of the system partition changes, it requires boot loader reconfiguration in order for an operating system to boot and function properly.

Windows must be installed into a primary partition (and in older systems this must be the first partition). Linux can be installed into a partition in any position on the hard drive and can also be installed into logical partitions (within the extended partition). If Linux is installed into a logical partition within the [[extended partition]], it is unaffected by changes in the primary partitions.