Installation: two drives (Windows and Data+non-used space); please how should I proceed?

Ask Fedora
1

Hello,

I would like to install Fedora. My system has primary disk with Windows and a secondary disk with lots of data. I have managed a non-used space of 300 Gb at the end of the second disk.

Within the installation procedure I created a /boot/efi partition, as requested, and a btrfs partition. Fedora installation finished successfully. But I cannot boot Fedora, no matter which method (Bios boot menu, plop, super grub disk, …)

I can install Fedora again, no problem, if needed. What should I do?

Thanks.
M.

2

The process should be:

  • For the ESP (in Fedora mounted to /boot/efi), you should use the existing ESP that was created when Windows was installed. (Your bios is UEFI only, no legacy boot enabled, correct?)

  • The installer should create a 1GB boot partition (ext4 file system) that will be mounted at /boot and holds the kernels and images and stuff that is required in the early boot process.

  • A brtfs volume, with two subvolumes (root and home).

Please look at the output of fdisk -l and lsblk to check what exactly was created.

3

You specifically noted that you created an additional /boot/efi partition.

In my experience it has always been best to use the existing efi partition that is already there for windows and allow both OSes to share the boot partition. I have never seen a problem with dual booting when doing so, and most online tutorials show this as the recommended method.

If the drive with windows installed is gpt partitioned it is certain that windows boots uefi so the install would be easy. It is important to verify that windows is booting uefi and that you are doing the install when booted in uefi mode. Both must boot in the same mode or you cannot boot both from the grub menu and would have to use the bios boot menu instead for dual booting.

I would delete the new partitions created by the fedora install then reinstall using the auto partitioning method while allowing the install to use both devices. Fedora will find the existing efi partition and use it as /boot/efi while creating the other needed partitions in the unallocated space on the second drive.

4

Microsoft is getting picky about security, Red Hat also … use two separate drives or one drive with two partitions and boot from one or another using BIOS menu feature. Grub is nice, other boot options also but BIOS is a sure companion and you can download Windows and install on simple USB stick from Microsoft website for W10 or W11, authentifie your license with Microsoft account.