How can I install Windows 11 on my Linux Mint laptop?

Dual boot is usually a good choice if you still use Linux. You can shrink the Linux partition and install Windows in the unallocated space, but make a complete backup first and leave enough room for Windows, updates, and your school applications. Installing Windows alone is simpler, but it will remove Linux and anything else on the disk. If you keep both systems, Linux and Windows may initially show different clock times because they handle the hardware clock differently; that can be fixed afterward.

If you want to keep Linux, download the storage driver for your exact Victus 15 model from the manufacturer’s support page. Extract the Intel RST driver, or the equivalent AMD storage driver, onto a separate USB drive. At the Windows disk-selection screen, choose Load driver and point the installer to the extracted driver folder. The SSD should then appear.

The missing-drive message is commonly caused by Intel Rapid Storage Technology being enabled. In the firmware settings, check whether the storage mode can be changed from RAID or RST to AHCI, then disable RST if that option is available. Be careful: changing storage settings and deleting partitions can make the existing Linux installation inaccessible, so back up anything important first.

First make sure the Windows installer itself was created as bootable installation media, not just copied onto the external drive. A normal USB flash drive often works more reliably than an external hard drive. Enable USB boot in the firmware settings and boot from the installer in UEFI mode.