I recently switched from Windows 11 to Linux (CachyOS) and everything was going fine until I tried to download something large. My system froze up, and I had to force it to shut down. Now, I can't log in since my keyboard and the virtual keyboard aren't responding, and I can't restart or shut down properly either.
After trying to troubleshoot, I decided to reinstall Windows 11. However, I found that my SSD was listed as "unknown," and I couldn't select it as the installation medium. I managed to delete the partitions, allowing me to select it eventually, but the installation kept failing. I also tried to reinstall CachyOS, but it didn't work either, timing out each time.
I suspect that the crash during the Linux setup may have damaged my SSD or that the encryption setup is affecting it, even though I cleared the SSD during the Windows installation.
I'd appreciate any help on whether my SSD might actually be damaged, and if so, I could replace it, but I'd prefer to confirm before spending any money. Thanks!
3 Answers
If you have access to another working computer, try creating a bootable USB with GParted. Boot from it to see if you can access and delete any corrupted partitions on your SSD. Reformat it to NTFS so Windows recognizes it correctly!
It sounds frustrating, but I don’t think your SSD is fried. How old is it? What exact errors do you get when trying to reinstall Windows 11 or CachyOS? That info might help pinpoint the problem. If you’re facing issues with those, it could be a setup configuration rather than a hardware failure.
Your SSD is likely fine! However, if you don't have the encryption key from your Linux setup, your data may be lost. I suggest going into the BIOS and doing a secure erase on the SSD. This will reset it back to factory settings.
Just a heads up, if the data is valuable, consider taking it to a data recovery service before you erase anything. They might recover some of it, especially if it’s encrypted.