I'm trying to replace Windows with Puppy Linux on another device. I use Ventoy so I can keep multiple Linux distributions on one USB drive, and I booted into TrixiePup Wayland successfully. Puppy can see the internal storage devices, including entries such as /dev/nvme0n1p1 and /dev/nvme0n1p2, but GParted fails when I try to access them with an error like: "Error fsyncing/closing /dev/nvme0n1p1: Input/output error." The same warning appears for the other partitions. I even reinstalled Windows, but the problem remained. I want to erase the Windows partitions and install Puppy Linux, so I'm trying to figure out whether this is caused by NTFS, Windows shutdown settings, Ventoy compatibility, or a possible hardware issue.
3 Answers
Since the problem continues after changing Windows’ shutdown settings, it may not be an NTFS lock. Puppy Linux may also have compatibility problems when booted through Ventoy. Try writing the Puppy ISO directly to a separate USB drive with an imaging tool, then boot from that drive. If the error still appears, check the NVMe drive’s health and look at the kernel or GParted logs for more specific I/O errors before attempting to erase anything.
If Puppy remains difficult to boot or install on this hardware, another lightweight distribution such as antiX could be worth testing. It may have better hardware or installer compatibility, though you should still verify the NVMe drive’s health if multiple live systems report I/O errors.
If the partitions are NTFS, Windows may have left them in a hibernated or partially mounted state. Disable Windows Fast Startup/Fast Boot, then perform a full shutdown rather than leaving Windows hibernated. You can also boot Windows, use Restart, and then boot directly into Linux. Linux avoids writing to an NTFS filesystem that Windows has not cleanly released because doing so could corrupt the partition.
I disabled Fast Startup and tried restarting into Puppy instead of shutting Windows down normally, but GParted still reports the same input/output error.