Windows 11 takes over the whole disk during setup on many PCs, so a Linux installer may show only options that could erase Windows. The safe approach is to make free space from inside Windows first, then install Pardus only into that unallocated space. The key is to protect the existing Windows, EFI, and recovery partitions when you reach the Linux installer.
This guide is based on Pardus 25.2, the current release listed by Pardus as of October 6, 2026. The official Pardus dual-boot walkthrough located for this research covers Pardus 21, so installer screens and wording may differ from version 25.2. Use the principles below and read the disk summary on your own installer carefully before approving any changes.
A dual-boot PC keeps Windows and Pardus installed at the same time. At startup, a boot menu or the computer’s UEFI firmware lets you choose which system to launch. UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is the modern firmware interface used by most Windows 11 PCs. Its EFI System Partition (ESP) holds startup files for operating systems. The ESP is separate from your Windows C: data partition and should normally be reused by a Linux installer without being formatted.
This process changes disk partitions and boot settings. A power loss, selecting the wrong partition, or an unexpected installer bug can make data unavailable. Before starting, copy important files to an external drive or verified cloud backup. If Windows Device Encryption or BitLocker is on, find and save the recovery key somewhere you can access without this PC. Firmware or boot changes can trigger a recovery prompt even when the Windows partition has not been erased.
For the current release and requirements, see Pardus’s official download page. Microsoft describes the built-in partition tool in Disk Management in Windows, and its Device Encryption guidance explains how recovery keys are tied to encryption.
Start Windows normally and confirm that your personal files open. Check whether the system drive is encrypted by opening Settings > Privacy & security > Device encryption, if that page is available, or search Windows for Manage BitLocker. Store the recovery key outside the computer. If this is a work-managed device, ask the administrator before changing the disk or firmware; organization policy may block Linux booting or encryption changes.
Also confirm that Windows boots in UEFI mode. Press Windows + R, enter msinfo32, and check BIOS Mode in System Information. If it says UEFI, boot the Pardus USB in UEFI mode as well. Avoid switching the firmware between UEFI and Legacy/CSM as part of this installation; that can leave Windows unbootable until its original mode is restored.
Windows Disk Management can shrink a volume without formatting the new space. Right-click Start and choose Disk Management, or press Windows + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and press Enter. Locate the Windows volume, usually C:, verify you are on the correct physical disk, then right-click that volume and choose Shrink Volume.
Enter how much space to shrink in megabytes. Pardus 25.2 lists 10 GB of free disk space as its minimum requirement for XFCE, but that leaves little space for applications and personal files. Allocate more if you can; for a general desktop, 40 GB or more is a practical starting recommendation, with additional space for large applications or media. This is a planning suggestion, not a Pardus minimum. Make sure Windows still has adequate free space for its updates and files.
After the shrink completes, Disk Management should show an Unallocated region. Leave it unallocated. Do not create a Windows volume or format it as NTFS. The Pardus installer needs to use this free space for Linux partitions. If Windows cannot shrink as much as expected, do not delete recovery or system partitions to force it; back up data and review Microsoft’s guidance for the specific disk instead.
From the official Pardus download page, choose the 64-bit desktop edition that suits the PC. XFCE is the lighter desktop option; GNOME is another desktop edition with higher listed resource requirements. As of the date checked, Pardus 25.2 XFCE and GNOME are shown as current. Download the ISO file and, where provided, compare its checksum with the matching official checksum file to catch an incomplete or corrupted download.
Use a USB-writing utility to write the ISO image to a USB flash drive. This erases the USB drive, so copy anything important off it first. Do not copy the ISO file onto the USB as an ordinary file; the writing utility must prepare it as bootable media. Then shut down Windows fully and leave the USB connected.
Turn the PC on and open its one-time boot menu. The key varies by manufacturer and may be shown briefly on the startup screen; common keys include F12, F9, Esc, or F11. Choose the USB entry labeled with UEFI if there is more than one entry for the same device. If it does not appear, check that the USB was written correctly and that external USB boot is allowed in firmware.
Start Pardus from the USB and choose the installation option shown by the live environment. Interface names can differ between images and hardware, so follow the installer’s on-screen instructions rather than assuming a specific button sequence. When you reach disk setup, slow down and inspect every partition and the proposed operation list.
If the installer offers a clear “install alongside Windows” option and its summary shows that it will use only the free space, you can choose it. Otherwise, select manual or advanced partitioning. Create the Linux partitions only inside the unallocated region you prepared in Windows. A basic setup can use one Linux filesystem partition mounted as / (the root of the Linux filesystem). A separate home partition is optional; it can make some reinstall scenarios easier but is not required. Swap can be a partition or file depending on the system configuration.
On a UEFI Windows installation, the disk already has an EFI System Partition. Select that existing ESP as the EFI mount point only if the installer requires it, and do not format it. Do not format, delete, or resize the Microsoft Reserved, Windows NTFS, or Windows Recovery partitions. Read the final change summary: if it proposes formatting C:, deleting the Windows Boot Manager files, or erasing the whole disk, cancel and revisit the partition choices. Continue only when the summary identifies the new Linux space and preserves the Windows partitions.
Complete the installer prompts for time zone, keyboard, username, and password. Keep the PC connected to power until installation finishes. Remove the USB when prompted or after shutdown, then start the computer again.
After installation, the machine may show a boot menu with Pardus and Windows, or firmware may show separate entries such as Pardus and Windows Boot Manager. Choose Pardus first and confirm that it reaches the desktop. Restart, open the boot menu if needed, and select Windows Boot Manager. Confirm Windows starts and your files are present. Then return to Pardus and install available updates through its updater.
If the PC always opens Windows, use the one-time firmware boot menu to select Pardus. You can adjust the boot order in firmware if you want a menu to appear by default, but the location of this setting depends on the manufacturer. If Windows requests a BitLocker recovery key, enter the saved key; do not clear the TPM or reformat partitions in response to the prompt. If Pardus does not appear or fails to start, first check the firmware boot entries and preserve the existing Windows Boot Manager entry.
If you cannot confidently distinguish the EFI, Windows, recovery, and unallocated partitions, stop before confirming installation. Taking a photo of the partition summary and checking it against the disk layout in Windows is safer than guessing. The final proof of a successful dual boot is straightforward: both operating systems launch independently, and Windows data remains intact.
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