I've been trying to set up my SSD for dual booting with CachyOS, and I might have messed up during the process of creating a partition for EFI data. A user from their Discord suggested making a separate partition to avoid interfering with the Windows EFI partition. I think I clicked the wrong option when setting up the partition, so I ended up canceling it. After that, the Linux ISO started lagging when I tried to launch the partitioner. I decided to switch back to Windows to redo the steps, but I was hit with a BSOD that usually indicates secure boot issues. I figured that was no biggie at first, but then my keyboard and mouse wouldn't power on. I restarted my PC only to find myself caught in a boot loop, and I can't even access the BIOS because my peripherals won't wake up.
2 Answers
To get a proper analysis of your BSOD, you should try to gather dump files. If you can access Windows normally or even in Safe Mode, check for any dump files in C:WindowsMinidump. If you find any, copy that folder to your desktop, zip it up, and upload it to a file-sharing site like catbox.moe or mediafire.com. Having multiple dump files is best, and if you don't have many, follow this guide to adjust your settings to create small memory dumps. Don't worry if the overwrite option is grayed out; it won't affect your dumps.
I ran into a similar issue! Here's what my error/recovery screen looked like: [check this out](https://preview.redd.it/xluux3pu4elg1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a868a74ed59c1c957862502b6948757ae0608c4). It really seems like a tough cycle to be in. Just a thought, do you use a wireless keyboard and mouse? If so, try connecting a standard USB keyboard instead—sometimes that makes a difference!
Good idea! A wired keyboard often has a better chance of working right from the start, especially during boot.