Microsoft’s latest security update has ruined dual-boot Windows and Linux PCs
www.theverge.com
The update wasn’t supposed to reach dual-boot PCs.

My GF recently said I can install Linux on her laptop. Then I saw Windows broke dual boot systems.

Is it safe to do a dual boot if she already has the update that broke dual booting?

Should I just figure out how to install Windows in a VM for her?

Appreciate any insight y’all can offer

  • just_another_person
    59·
    2 months ago

    Dumb title. Yes, it’s safe. Windows has nerfed boot records for any other OS since the beginning of dual-booting. Just replace the boot record.

    Also, if you want to be hardcore about it, and since everything is UEFI now, just use your BIOS boot manager to control booting. Shouldn’t be a problem.

    • Skull giver
      70·
      2 months ago28 days ago

      [This comment has been deleted by an automated system]

      • just_another_person
        10·
        2 months ago

        I looked at the breakdown, and I believe it’s only changing the preference for same device.

        • Max-P
          30·
          2 months ago

          It doesn’t change the preferences but it does replace bootx64.efi which is the default bootloader executable for a drive, when the UEFI doesn’t have more specific entries. In some configurations both Windows and GRUB want to be that.

          If you add a boot entry for GRUB and don’t point it to the default executable, then it won’t be affected. Until you reset the BIOS or try to use the drive in another system that is, in which case the firmware will then only know about the default executable. But it’s easy to add the boot entries back.

          • just_another_person
            10·
            2 months ago

            Yes, on the same device. If your BIOS specifically orders a different device as boot, this wouldn’t matter, as in my original post.