Is it possible to dual boot Windows 10 and SteamOS on PC?

SteamOS is not exactly the same as other Linux distributions but it uses a modified version of the core Arch Linux. Is it possible to dual boot Windows 10 and SteamOS? The answer is yes.

If you want to dual boot Windows 10 and SteamOS on your PC, you need to download SteamOS, create a boot drive, and run the SteamOS installer. Here's everything you need to know.

1. Verify that the device meets the SteamOS hardware requirements

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Before downloading anything, you should verify that your PC meets the SteamOS hardware requirements. SteamOS 2.0 is the ideal version to install on PC.

Alchemist (SteamOS 1.0) and Brewmaster (SteamOS 3.x) may be worth considering if you want to run an unmodified version of SteamOS. Download the ISO or ZIP for your preferred SteamOS version. Unfortunately, SteamOS won't work with every computer - but you can use an alternative like ChimeraOS if needed.

2. Use the installer to create a bootable USB

Creating a bootable USB with ISO is quite easy. Verify that your USB drive has at least 4GB of space and that you have backed up any files you want to keep. Next, install the program that can create USB boot - in this case, you can use Rufus.

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Open Rufus, then select your USB from the Device drop-down menu. Next, click the SELECT button to the right of the Boot selection drop-down menu and select SteamOS ISO using the file management window that appears. Finally, click Start and wait for Rufus to finish burning the USB boot.

3. Restart your computer and run the SteamOS installer

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After creating a bootable USB, you are ready to install SteamOS. If not, verify that your USB is connected.

Next, you will need to restart your computer. When the manufacturer logo appears, press the BIOS key repeatedly until the boot process stops and the BIOS loads. The BIOS key may be F2 or F12, but you can search for 'BIOS key [computer model]' to determine this.

Then, navigate through the BIOS until you find the Boot Order menu. The location of this menu - and its name - will depend on your specific BIOS. Adjust the boot order so that the USB boots before the operating system.

Finally, save the changes and exit BIOS. Allow your computer to restart and wait for the SteamOS installer to appear.

4. Select Expert Install and configure the partition

Once your computer powers on, the SteamOS installation menu will appear. Select Expert Install from the list of options that appears.

Warning : Do not choose Automated install under any circumstances! This will erase your main operating system and any other data on the drive to make space for SteamOS.

Choose your language, country, and keymap as you continue with the installation. The installer will load quickly, then a menu listing your partitions will appear.

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Double-click Undo changes to partitions to reverse SteamOS's previous settings, then select the partition you intend to use and click Continue.

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Create a new partition for SteamOS by selecting Yes (to create a new partition table), then select FREE SPACE below the partition and click Continue again. Select Create a new partition and set the minimum partition to 10GB. Verify that the partition is set to 'Mount point: /' and 'Use as: Ext4 journaling file system' .

Name the SteamOS partition. You will need to create a new swap file partition from the FREE SPACE partition. Repeat the previous process and create a partition of around 10GB - lower is fine but 10GB is recommended. Set the partition to ' Use as: swap area '.

Creating a recovery partition is also important. Use FREE SPACE partition to create new partitions ranging in size from 3GB to 10GB. Verify that the partition is set to ' Use as: Ext4 ' and ' Mount point: /boot/recovery '. Finally, use the remaining FREE SPACE to create a game partition. Set it to 'Use as: Ext4' and 'Mount point: /home' .

Note : Alternatively, you can create all 4 SteamOS partitions by creating a FREE SPACE of at least 40GB in size and selecting   Partition disks > Guided partitioning > Guided - use the largest continuous free space . If it modifies the partitions in an unexpected way, you can double-click Undo changes to partitions to reverse it.

5. Complete SteamOS installation

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Now, you have created the necessary partitions and are almost done installing SteamOS. Confirm the changes by selecting Finish partitioning and write changes to disk . When prompted by the installer, confirm that you want to install the GRUB bootloader. This bootloader will allow you to choose between Windows and SteamOS when you turn on your computer.

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You will need to sign in with the default account when you first boot into SteamOS. Use the password 'steam' for the steamos user account . Open Terminal with Ctrl + T , type 'steam' and allow Steam to set up on the system. Finally, log out of steamos and log in to desktop with the password 'desktop'. This will be your account, which you can now configure any way you want.

Open Terminal again and enter '~/post_logon.sh' to run the SteamOS setup script. During this process, the computer will reboot but there is no need to worry. Allow SteamOS to create a recovery partition, reboot into SteamOS and enjoy playing your favorite games on this spectacular operating system.

Micah Soto

Update 17 April 2024