Question Put SSD with Linux Mint install into machine with existing Windows 10 SSD install

[banacek]

I have installed Windows 10 on a new Samsung 870 EVO SSD. I disconnected all other drives before I did this. I want to put my other SSD with a Linux Mint install back into the machine. I have no preference as far as Grub/Windows Boot Manager.
I want to be able to dual boot the system.
Should I just hook the drive up and see what happens?
I want to avoid causing any problems and having to DBAN the drive & do a WIN 10 reinstall.
I'm looking for advice... suggestions etc.
Thanks.

 

[USAFRet]

I have installed Windows 10 on a new Samsung 870 EVO SSD. I disconnected all other drives before I did this. I want to put my other SSD with a Linux Mint install back into the machine. I have no preference as far as Grub/Windows Boot Manager.
I want to be able to dual boot the system.
Should I just hook the drive up and see what happens?
I want to avoid causing any problems and having to DBAN the drive & do a WIN 10 reinstall.
I'm looking for advice... suggestions etc.
Thanks.

"back into"
This drive was already in this system with the Linux installed?

Should be no problem.

To 'dual boot', you'd need to interuppt the BIOS boot process, and select the desired drive+OS.

 

[banacek]

Yes.
SSD with Linux was previously in the machine.
What I'm hopefully going for here - is a boot process where I don't need to hold down delete and go into the BIOS - change the settings - every time I want to switch between OS. I want to be able to power on and choose between OS with no extra steps.
My concern is more... when I power off... put the Linux drive back in... and turn it back on what is Windows Boot Manager going to do?
Ideally... I don't want the system partition to get messed up on the new SSD.
The other thing is... The Mint install previously cohabitated successfully in this box with a different Windows install on another drive no longer in the machine.
Am I looking at MBR issues?

 

[USAFRet]

What I'm hopefully going for here - is a boot process where I don't need to hold down delete and go into the BIOS - change the settings - every time I want to switch between OS. I want to be able to power on and choose between OS with no extra steps.

With no GRUB, the only way to choose is to interrupt the boot process and select.

Or do nothing, and let it boot up to whichever drive is higher in the boot priority.

My concern is more... when I power off... put the Linux drive back in... and turn it back on what is Windows Boot Manager going to do?
Ideally... I don't want the system partition to get messed up on the new SSD.

Given that each OS was installed with only the one drive connected, the Windows boot manager knows nothing about whatever is on the Linux drive.
It will do nothing with it.

 

[TerryLaze]

Or do nothing, and let it boot up to whichever drive is higher in the boot priority.

This is the important part here, put the disk with mint on a port with a higher number than the windows disk and it should boot into windows.

Once in windows you can load up the free version of easyBCD and add linux to the boot menu of windows. Look up a few guides if you have to. You can also do this with official windows commands (google bcd store) but that's pretty advanced stuff.