I'm new to Linux and tried installing Pop!_OS alongside Windows on my laptop for gaming and programming. I downloaded the latest installer, created a bootable USB with Rufus, and used GParted to create an ext4 partition for Linux and a separate FAT32 EFI partition because the existing Windows EFI partition was only about 500 MB and I thought Pop!_OS required at least 1 GB. The installation reported success, but after rebooting it went straight into Windows. When I entered the firmware settings to change the boot order, the laptop stopped displaying anything, although the fans and keyboard lighting still turned on. A repair shop restored the display only after disconnecting the battery, reseating the RAM, and removing the SSD. The technician suggested trying another distribution, but I'd like to understand what I did wrong. Was creating a second EFI partition the likely cause, or could something else such as firmware settings, Secure Boot, graphics hardware, or the installation process be involved? I only have one SSD, so installing Linux on a separate drive is not an option. Should I try Pop!_OS again with a different partition layout, or use another distribution?
5 Answers
A black screen after changing the firmware boot order is not typical evidence that the Linux installation permanently damaged the laptop. It could be a firmware hang, graphics initialization issue, Secure Boot conflict, or a hardware connection problem that was exposed when the machine was opened. Since reseating the RAM and removing the SSD brought the display back, I’d confirm that the laptop can consistently enter its firmware setup and boot Windows before attempting another installation.
For a dual-boot setup, the usual custom layout is to leave the Windows EFI partition intact, mount it at /boot/efi without formatting, and assign the remaining Linux space to an ext4 root partition. If a distribution specifically needs a separate /boot partition, that is different from /boot/efi. Before changing partitions, make a Windows backup and disable Windows Fast Startup. It is also worth checking whether Secure Boot is enabled and whether the firmware still lists the Windows Boot Manager after installation.
The most suspicious part is creating a second EFI System Partition on the same drive. It can sometimes work, but many firmware implementations handle multiple EFI partitions poorly. You generally should reuse the existing Windows EFI partition and tell the installer not to format it. Also, the 1 GB requirement may have been confused with a separate /boot partition; the EFI partition normally only needs a few hundred megabytes for bootloader files.
It’s also worth checking whether the laptop has an NVIDIA GPU. Graphics drivers, Secure Boot, and firmware settings can complicate the first boot, especially on newer hardware. However, the partitioning mistake is still the clearest issue in the description, particularly the assumption that Pop!_OS needed a separate 1 GB EFI partition.
You don’t necessarily need to abandon Pop!_OS, but I would first verify its current hardware requirements and installer documentation. If you retry, use the existing EFI partition rather than creating another one, keep a recovery USB available, and save backups of important files. A more established distribution may offer a smoother first dual-boot experience, but changing distributions will not by itself fix an incorrect partition layout or firmware configuration.
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