Alongside to Windows, but where?

[P1-code]

The installer notices that Windows on the laptop is installed on the internal (nvme) drive, but there is also an external (USB) drive connected. The partition partitioner/drive selector that appears in the next window is confusing...
In the drive selector menu, only the external USB drive is offered for installation.



However, if I close the installer, unplug the external drive, and restart the installer at that point the internal drive appears and I can split it in two.
This seems to be a bug, because if I select the option to erase and install the disk, both the internal and external drives appear in the drive selector.



So I cannot install it alongside Windows, when USB drive plugged.

[dftf-stu]

@P1-code: I've recently done a dual-boot with Windows 10 and Linux Mint 22.1 and there was an option titled "Install Linux Mint alongside Windows 10" during the install process.

I would guess that your Windows install is likely currently using all of the space on the hard-drive, in which case once you've booted into Windows, use Disk Management to shrink the space. The "Recovery" partition at the end can also be removed, but only by using the DISKPART command-line tool.

Though remember: if you have Windows 11 on the device, and the PC meets the requirements of Windows 11, then the drive will likely be encrypted by either BitLocker (Pro edition or higher) or "Device Encryption" (on the Home edition). In which case, Mint's installer likely doesn't understand what it's looking at. You'd have to decrypt the drive first, then resize it.

[P1-code]

Was the computer then connected to a USB external hard drive?

Because that's what's confusing!
Not the fact that Windows is taking up all the space. Because every installation starts with Windows taking up the whole disk. Only after the disk is selected does it offer to make space for itself next to Windows.
I didn't have bitlocker turned on, but even if it is turned on, it only complains about it after the disk selection.

It simply does not offer the internal drive if an external USB disk is connected to the computer.
e.g. the Debian installer has no problem with this, it offers the internal disk nicely so I can select it.