[SOLVED] Multi-OS question

[mc1986]

Hi guys! I'm considering doing a new build next year (either AMD Threadripper 3 or Intel Cascade Lake X), primarily for Blender. I want to use Linux as my main OS, since Blender performs better on it, but I also plan on running Windows via virtual machine, for any software that doesn't run on Linux, as well as games.. What I want to do is run my OS from an SSD, and have a large HDD for work, movies, games, etc. If I run Windows on a virtual machine, can I access the HDD from within Windows (for example, storing my Windows-only games on it), or would I need a separate drive?

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, you can generally access other drives from within a VM.

But...games generally don't work well from in a VM.

 

[Dragos Manea]

For gaming is recomended to use a different SSD with a fresh windows install. A 120 or 240gb ssd for widnows only should suffice. I think linux can write on NTFS partition so you can use a NTFS file format for the HDD to be able to read and write from linux and windows on the same drive.

 

[USAFRet]

Yep. A whole different drive for your Windows gaming, rather than trying to do it from within a VM.

 

[mc1986]

I see. Okay, so if I have Linux on drive C:, Windows on drive D:, and all my games, movies etc on drive E:, I can read and write to drive E: from both operating systems, as long as the drive is in a format they both recognize, correct?

 

[Dragos Manea]

Yes, as long as they are formated ntfs, not ext4, windows cannot read ext4.
Let me elaborate, you install linux on a ssd, you will be forced to format it as ext4, you install windows on anotehr SSD, you will be forced to have it on NTFS now you mount your HDD and format it in NTFS and go to windows device manager right click on your disk and disable caching now you shoudl be able to read and write from both linux and windows on your HDD (3rd drive).

 

[mc1986]

Thanks!