Hi,

I have a desktop PC with an internal SSD and a hard drive. Windows is installed on the SSD and I want to install Linux Mint on the hard drive. When I go to install GRUB do I install it on to the MBR on the SSD or the hard drive?
Thanks in advance.

Given an "internal SSD" is also a hard drive, what do you mean by "I want to install Linux Mint on the hard drive."?

A PATA HDD perhaps?

Which one is connected to the first PATA or SATA port on your motherboard?

I would install GRUB into the MBR of the first hard drive.

Hello and thanks for your answer. (Although an SSD is not a hard drive. Not commonly referred to as that anyway. But, I digress, I'm not here to argue that point!)

Both drives - the SSD and spinning platter HD - are SATA. I believe the 1st drive is the HD and the 2nd is the SSD. So, if I understand you correctly, I should install GRUB on the HD i.e., the first drive attached on the MOBO port?

If your "spinning platter HD" is the first hard drive connected to your mobo's first SATA port, then yes.

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You can do either actually. Depends how you want to set it up. Assuming the SSD is first in the boot priority in your bios setup(likely since windows is installed there), if you install grub to the SSD and linux on the spinning hard drive, grub will overwrite your windows bootloader on the SSD and you will get the grub boot selection menu with options for booting either windows or linux when you boot the computer. If you later decide you don't want linux on your computer, clearing your spinning hard drive won't remove the grub boot selection screen and you will have to jump through some hoops to get your normal windows bootloader reinstalled using your windows installation disk in rescue mode IIRC.

If you install the grub bootloader to the spinning hard drive then you would have to go into your bios setup and make your spinning hard drive first in the boot priority. Your grub installation on the spinning hard drive will automatically detect both your windows install and your linux install and give you the option of booting into either one. If you decide later to ditch linux, you just have to go back into your bios setup and set your SSD as first in boot priority without the need to reinstall your windows bootloader.

Long story short, if you're just experimenting at this point, I would install grub to the drive that does not have the windows bootloader currently installed on it, i.e. the drive that is currently set second in boot priority in your bios setup. Then go into your bios setup after your linux install and make that drive first in boot priority.

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Great info, thank you much.

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