I recently bought an ASUS Zenbook 14 Air with a Snapdragon Plus CPU and decided to install Linux. Unfortunately, I mistakenly deleted everything on the laptop during the installation process. Now, when I try to reinstall any operating system, it just goes into a boot cycle until I turn it off. Since my laptop is ARM64-based, I'm really confused about what to do next. Is there a way to recover my system, or would it be better to return it since it's still new?
5 Answers
It's crucial to use a Linux distro that supports your hardware, especially with ARM-based systems. Which specific Linux distribution did you attempt to install?
Have you tried booting from a live USB or a Windows install USB? Make sure you're using the ARM64 version of Linux. Most laptops usually come with a recovery mode—check if yours can boot into that so you can restore it to factory settings and give Linux another go.
To fix this, you could create a Windows installer USB from another system and try reinstalling Windows first. Remember, ARM laptops can be tricky when it comes to running Linux, so always do a bit of research first. Your device might support Linux, but you need the latest kernels and patches to make it work smoothly. Good luck with the troubleshooting!
Considering your situation, it might be best to reinstall Windows for now. This way, you can run Linux in a virtual machine. It allows you to experiment without causing issues to your main system, and you can always try dual-booting later after gaining more experience.
Did you manage to get Linux installed successfully? Based on what I've read, Linux supports ARM64 CPUs, but it depends on the specific chips used. When you accidentally deleted everything, it's likely you wiped out the existing Windows OS, which might explain your current issues. You might want to reinstall Windows first and then attempt Linux again later.
I couldn't install Linux at all because of my mistake, and I'm really not sure what my next step should be.
I tried using an ARM version of Ubuntu, but it was too new for my laptop and didn't install properly. Now I have no OS at all.