I recently switched to Linux, but I want to reinstall Windows alongside it so I can play Game Pass games. I created a Windows installer on a 32 GB USB drive using the Media Creation Tool and an ISO. The computer detects the USB, lets me press a key to boot from it, and then gets stuck on the MSI logo screen for more than 10 minutes. I updated the BIOS and disabled Secure Boot. Linux is currently my main operating system, and I'm trying to reinstall Windows into a partition that used to contain Windows before I replaced it with Linux. What should I check, and is this the right way to set up a dual boot?
3 Answers
The Media Creation Tool should create a bootable installer, but you shouldn’t copy the ISO onto the drive like a regular file. Use the tool to write the installer to the USB, or use a utility such as Rufus or Ventoy. Then boot the USB in UEFI mode and install Windows to unallocated space on the internal drive, not to the USB itself. Since you want dual boot, make sure you have backups and leave enough unallocated space for Windows. After installation, you may need to select the Linux bootloader or Windows Boot Manager from the firmware boot menu.
Just to clarify, the MSI screen means a black screen showing the white MSI logo, right? Also, are you trying to run Windows directly from the USB, or are you using the USB only as an installer? A normal Windows installer USB should eventually start Windows Setup; installing a full Windows system onto the USB is a different setup and is not the usual dual-boot method.
A very long pause can happen with a slow or incorrectly created installer, but ten-plus minutes at the logo usually suggests the USB or boot mode is the problem. Recreate the installer from the official Windows ISO, try another USB port—preferably a rear motherboard port—and check that the firmware is set to UEFI rather than Legacy or CSM. Secure Boot usually isn’t required just to launch the installer, but newer Windows versions and some games may expect it enabled afterward. Also, Windows installation can overwrite the Linux bootloader, so be prepared to repair or reselect your Linux boot entry after installation.
I’m new to this, so I may be mixing things up. Linux is currently my main system, and I’m trying to put Windows back into a partition after replacing the old Windows installation with Linux. I only want to use the USB to start the installer, not as the permanent Windows drive.