Linux Mint is already installed on one of my notebooks and I would like to install Windows 8 in addition to be able to use both, is that somehow feasible and what must be considered if you do not want the Linux Mint to be deleted?
You can divide the hard drive into multiple partitions and install multiple operating systems.
But Windows 8 is the worst Windows there's.
Get 10 on it right away.
In theory, if you really need Windows, I would install Windows 10 in your place. The best thing to do is to get a new, larger hard drive, then install Windows first. Then shrink the Windows partition with PartedMagic, and then create an ext4 and a swap partition. Finally, install a current Linux distribution on the ext4 partition, grub will be installed, find your Windows installation and set up a boot entry for it.
When setting up a dual or multiboot system, you should always install Windows first. This is primarily related to the Windows boot loader, as this overwrites the Linux boot loader in the opposite direction. Ergo it would be a lot more cumbersome if you first installed Linux instead of Windows.
I advise you against Windows 8 in any case, as Microsoft has already stopped general support. Extended support will also end in 2023, so I would rather consider switching to Windows 10. A free upgrade is still possible, even if this was not communicated by Microsoft.
"Best to get a new, larger hard drive"
How do you know how big its current hard drive is?
You can do it, but the question is: What do you want this for and does a VM no longer make sense?
It depends, not to gamble.
Who is gambling on Linux if they also have Windows?
I only ever have Linux as a VM, I have not yet discovered any advantages for using Linux as the main operating system
I meant it the other way around. He already has Linux on it.
I would also reinstall win 10 and Linux as vm to do so.
But it depends on what you want to do. If I wanted to use Linux for cad, for example, then I would not use it as vm.
I want to do it because sometimes I can only do things on Windows, which is not so easy with Linux. With VM you think of this program where you set up Windows virtually right?
Win 10
Yes exactly.
Most do it the other way around (i.e. Windows as main and Linux as VM), but you should always take as main what potentially consumes the most resources.
