I'm new to Linux and trying to dual-boot Void Linux with Windows 11. I disabled Fast Boot, Secure Boot, and BitLocker, shrank the Windows partition, and created a 512 MB EFI partition, a 100 GB ext4 root partition, and roughly 25 GB of swap space on my Kingston NVMe drive. The first installation completed, but after booting Void I couldn't connect to the internet. I then erased the Linux partitions and started over.
During the second installation, the screen freezes partway through and the Caps Lock LED begins blinking, which makes me suspect a kernel panic. Windows has also been unstable: the laptop sometimes crashes when entering sleep or when unplugged, with errors including hypervisor-related failures, KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED, and references to ntoskrnl.exe. The laptop was plugged in during the Linux installation.
The system has a Ryzen 5 6600H, Radeon 660M integrated graphics, 32 GB of DDR5-4800 memory, and a Kingston SNV2S2000G 2 TB NVMe SSD. I ran MemTest86 for four passes while plugged in and it found no errors. BIOS settings I changed include virtualization, boot order, Secure Boot, and Fast Boot; Core Performance Boost was already enabled. The firmware reports Aptio AMI BIOS version 3.11 and EC firmware 5.09.
Could this be a hardware or firmware problem, possibly related to sleep states or power management? What other tests or BIOS checks should I perform before replacing hardware? Also, if I get the installation working, which services should I enable in the Void installer, and how are they selected? My only reliable internet access is currently a phone hotspot, and the laptop has no Ethernet port.
3 Answers
The installation steps and partition layout sound broadly reasonable. However, a freeze with a blinking Caps Lock indicator can indicate a kernel panic, and the fact that Windows also crashes—especially around sleep, unplugging, or power-state changes—makes a hardware, firmware, or power-management problem more likely than a Void-specific mistake.
Start by loading BIOS defaults, then update the firmware if the laptop manufacturer provides a newer version for your exact model. BIOS updates aren’t something to do casually, but recurring stability problems across multiple operating systems are a reasonable reason to check for one. Also test with virtualization disabled temporarily, since the Windows hypervisor errors make that worth eliminating as a variable. If the machine has custom power or performance settings, return them to stock.
Since MemTest86 passed, memory is less suspicious, though you can still test each stick separately if the laptop allows it. Look for a manufacturer hardware diagnostic, and check whether crashes occur from a live environment without installing. If the problem appears only during sleep or unplugging, try boot parameters related to power management as a troubleshooting step, but first establish whether the machine is stable with default BIOS settings.
For the installer’s “Services to enable” screen, use the arrow keys to move through the list and press Space to select a service. Selected entries are marked with an asterisk; press Enter when finished. For a typical desktop installation, you’ll generally want the desktop login/display service, networking service, and a device-management service such as udevd or the equivalent entries offered by the installer. Avoid enabling things you don’t need, and you can adjust services later if necessary.
The initial lack of internet after installation may simply have been because the network service or the appropriate connection manager wasn’t enabled. A phone hotspot can work for installation as long as the live environment detects it, though downloading packages may consume a fair amount of data.
Void is perfectly usable, but it is a fairly hands-on choice for a first bare-metal Linux installation. That doesn’t mean you need to abandon it, but testing the exact live USB and hardware combination in another operating system or trying a more guided distribution can help separate an installation problem from a laptop stability problem.
Because both Windows and Linux are failing, I would not focus primarily on partitioning or the bootloader yet. Check the SSD with the laptop vendor’s diagnostics and inspect its SMART/NVMe health data from a live environment. Also test whether the crashes happen when the system is left running and plugged in, without sleeping or changing power state. If it still freezes under those conditions, firmware, SSD, motherboard, or power delivery become stronger possibilities.
I chose Void because I had previously experimented with Arch-based virtual machines and assumed the installation would be manageable. I’d prefer not to replace hardware unless testing confirms a fault, so I’ll work through the firmware, SSD, and power-state checks first.
MemTest86 completed four passes without errors. I’ll check the laptop manufacturer’s support page for a firmware update and try the default BIOS settings. The BIOS currently shows version 3.11 and EC firmware 5.09, but I’m not sure whether those are current.