I was trying to install Arch Linux, but the installer could not connect to Wi-Fi. I disabled Secure Boot to see if that would help, and afterward the computer showed a red "no bootable device" message. Removing the USB installer did not change anything. Choosing OK brings up a screen saying "Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 to run setup," but pressing either key seems to do nothing. This is my first PC, and I'm worried I caused permanent damage that I can't afford to repair. I used Ventoy to create the USB installer.
3 Answers
Disabling Secure Boot by itself normally doesn’t damage the computer. Try making a fresh bootable USB on another computer, preferably with a beginner-friendly installer such as Mint, Fedora, or Ubuntu, and use the system’s boot-menu key to start from it. If the keyboard does not respond at the F1/F2 screen, try a different wired USB keyboard and plug it directly into a rear USB port rather than a hub.
You probably haven’t bricked anything. “No bootable device” usually means the firmware cannot find an operating system or bootable drive, not that the hardware is permanently damaged. The first thing to check is whether the internal drive is detected in the firmware settings and whether the boot order is correct.
Avoid deleting or reformatting partitions until you know the internal drive is detected and you have recovered anything important. If the drive is visible, you can restore firmware defaults and then reinstall the operating system from a correctly created USB. If the drive is not detected at all, power the machine off and check its connection, or have a repair shop inspect it; that still does not automatically mean the entire PC is bricked.
I’ve used Linux before, so I’m not trying it for the first time—I just seem to have made a really bad mistake this time.