I run Windows 11 on most of my devices these days because I use a few creative programs daily that don't have a Linux alternative. That wasn't always the case, though, and for many years, I dual-booted Linux and Windows on my laptop. I truly believed it was the best of both worlds, being able to switch between the two operating systems with a simple reboot, and when I had issues, I wrote them off as my incomplete knowledge or user error.

Even when those issues caused me to lose data by having to reinstall my operating system(s), I still stuck with dual-booting because I had one device, and I liked the ability to switch between the two. One time, I even lost the secondary UEFI BIOS menus on my laptop because Samsung had done an odd configuration for how the UEFI was stored, and GRUB decided to overwrite that data. But I'm older now, and my time and data are more precious to me, so my days of dual-boot experimentation are over. I still run Linux on some of my devices and Windows on others, but I'm done trying to run both on the same device.

5 Storage issues

I just don't want to deal with partitioning anymore

Most of my dual-boot experience has been on space-constrained laptops, which always meant lots of juggling drive partitions to ensure each operating system had enough space while keeping a common partition for my data so it could be accessed easily from both OSes. This was back when 100GB hard drives were the same price as 2TB ones now, and without being able to mount more than one hard drive, it was always a balancing act. Add in constantly changing swap space requirements, and it was honestly a headache at the best of times.

I know storage is significantly cheaper now. Partitioning isn't that tricky, although trying to get NTFS-formatted partitions to work properly on Linux is another headache, but I just don't want to deal with the hassle anymore. My time is valuable, to the point where I'd rather buy a second device to run Linux if I needed a physical device for whatever reason. If you want to dual-boot and juggle drives and/or partitions, that's cool. Obviously, your needs and values are different from mine, but I'm tired of dealing with it.

4 It's easier to use a VM or WSL

My needs are pretty simple when I use Linux

Dual-booting operating systems is one good way of taking full advantage of the power available on the hardware you're using. Back in the day, for me, that hardware was an Intel Core2Duo in a Dell XPS13, which was then replaced by an Intel Core i5, which was also dual-core. At the time, they were decent performers but not really up to the challenge of running a host OS and another one in a virtual machine (VM).

Nowadays, a wider range of hardware can handle the increased needs of running VMs on top of your operating system, and for my use cases, I don't usually need bare metal access. Even if I do, I can use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), which uses a subset of Hyper-V, so it doesn't come with much of a performance hit. And if I really need a dedicated Linux machine, I'm fortunate enough to have multiple old PCs lying around from previous builds, which can be brought into action fairly quickly.

3 Secure Boot causes issues

Dealing with Secure Boot and multiple encrypted drive partitions is something I'd rather forget exists

Windows 11 really, really wants you to use Secure Boot, and you should be using it anyway for the additional security it gives your computer. At one point, using Secure Boot with Windows meant you couldn't dual-boot with Linux, especially if you needed third-party drivers like those from Nvidia for your graphics card, which gradually changed as Linux distributions added the ability to use Secure Boot. The setup was fairly complex, though, with a few extra steps in the installation stages and a need for a compatible signed kernel.

It was annoying enough to get Secure Boot running nicely with dual-boot systems without Microsoft deciding to break things every so often. Like they did in August 2024, when a Windows update changed some Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) settings and ruined many dual-boot systems. As per the Microsoft Learn website, the August 2024 security update broke dual-boot when Secure Boot was enabled, and the fix was a long string of instructions on how to turn Secure Boot off, delete various policy files in Linux and Windows, and block Windows from making future SBAT updates. I just want my PC to boot when I turn it on and not have to worry about Windows or Linux or my BIOS changing things so it won't boot.

2 Windows Updates break the bootloader

This is not sustainable for stable use

Windows has a nasty habit of overwriting the GRUB bootloader during major updates. It used to happen frequently on Windows 10, and I remember it happening in pretty much every other Windows version, going back to the XP days. The issue hasn't gone away with Windows 11 24H2 also breaking the bootloader, and various methods that should fix the bootloader don't always work. What usually works (at least if you're dual-booting with Ubuntu) is running the below command in a Windows command prompt as Administrator:

bcdedit /set "{bootmgr}" path \EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi

This isn't always possible, as there are many unbootable states that won't let you get to a command prompt, although you could use a Windows installer USB if you have one. But sometimes, Windows manages to go further and overwrite the Linux partition altogether. It's not common, but it does happen, and there's a chance of it happening every time Windows does a major update. Do you feel like rolling the dice with your data with every Windows update? I certainly don't, even with plenty of recent backups.

1 BitLocker is a pain

GRUB plus BitLocker equals more annoyances

Many people prefer to run their computers with encrypted storage drives, and that's not a bad idea at all, under normal circumstances. When you're using a dual-boot Windows and Linux system and start using BitLocker for the Windows partitions and LUKS on the Linux partitions, things go a little weird when you try to use GRUB as the bootloader menu.

That's because the hash value saved in the TPM for using BitLocker is different from the hash value of the BIOS > GRUB > Windows boot order. Booting this way will ask for the BitLocker key, and things will be fine until the next time GRUB updates, leading to a new hash value. Again, this is intended behavior, keeping your system safe while it checks that the user is authorized to get into the encrypted file system, but it's annoying to deal with.

You can do a workaround by hitting F12 or whatever the button is for your BIOS boot order and selecting Windows from that. That bypasses GRUB, and the hash value will match the TPM's stored value. If you miss the timing of the button mashing, it'll go to GRUB and make you enter the BitLocker key again, and it's just more hassle than I want to deal with on a daily basis.

Dual-booting Windows and Linux together is double-trouble

Look, I get that for some people, dual-booting is either a necessity or a habit or preference or whatever you want to call it. That's fine, if you're able to put up with the major issues with the arrangement for the minor benefits it brings. I'm not going to argue, other than to say it's not for me, not anymore. I just want my computers to boot straight away when I turn them on and not have to do extra stages of management every so often. For those reasons, I'm sticking to one operating system per device.