I've been feeling nostalgic for Linux, and I'm considering setting up a dual-boot with my Windows machine again. However, I encountered some problems the last time I tried, and I'm hoping to avoid them this time around.
First, when I switched from Manjaro to Endeavor, my Windows 10 stopped recognizing external storage devices. I think it might have something to do with how I managed the partitions or reinstalled grub, but I'm not certain.
So my first question is: if I decide to change distributions again, can I do so without causing issues on my new laptop running Windows 11? I really need Windows for school and some games, and I want to know if there are specific steps I can follow to prevent the same problem from occurring.
Next, I want to know why my old PC wouldn't upgrade to Windows 11. Was it just because of the strict hardware requirements, or could it be related to the Linux installation? And will using Linux on my laptop now hinder my ability to upgrade to Windows 12 in the future?
Finally, I'm interested in trying out Cachy OS for gaming and schoolwork. My planned setup includes Limine as the bootloader, KDE Plasma for the desktop environment, and BTRFS as my filesystem. Does anyone know if this will work well with my hardware? Here's a bit of my system info: I have a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU.
3 Answers
Regarding your external storage issue, it sounds like it might be a fast boot or secure boot conflict. This isn't something I've run into often, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what happened. Just keep an eye on those settings if you decide to reinstall.
As for upgrading to Windows 12, Linux won't necessarily block it, but it can complicate things sometimes. Just make sure you uninstall any Linux partitions correctly to avoid issues. If your PC didn't meet the requirements for Windows 11, just make sure your hardware meets what Windows 12 will need too. And for Cachy OS – it should work fine given your specs! Just make sure to check if any specific hardware drivers are needed for your NVIDIA GPU before diving in. Good luck!
Thanks! I'll look into the driver compatibility before switching.
I've had a similar experience with Windows not detecting USB drives after a Linux install. It's usually tied to how the drive is formatted during installation. If I remember correctly, changing the formatting back might fix it, but it’s been a while. Hopefully, someone else might have clearer instructions!
I appreciate the tip! Any leads on what format I should use would help a lot.
Thanks for the insight! I'll double-check those settings before making any changes.