F5F Stay Refreshed Software Operating Systems Hey there! You're having trouble getting Arch Linux to start up. Let's troubleshoot together!

Hey there! You're having trouble getting Arch Linux to start up. Let's troubleshoot together!

Hey there! You're having trouble getting Arch Linux to start up. Let's troubleshoot together!

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PappaMus
Junior Member
32
09-15-2025, 08:40 PM
#1
Last night I set up Arch on an SSD without issues. Today when I accessed my Windows drive, it reported the SSD wasn’t a bootable device even though it worked last night. I used the USB installer, selected Arch, and after a brief error screen, the installation resumed. The partitions appeared intact in fdisk -l. I’m reaching out for help to avoid a full OS reinstall. Attached are my fdisk results and the video of the boot attempt.
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PappaMus
09-15-2025, 08:40 PM #1

Last night I set up Arch on an SSD without issues. Today when I accessed my Windows drive, it reported the SSD wasn’t a bootable device even though it worked last night. I used the USB installer, selected Arch, and after a brief error screen, the installation resumed. The partitions appeared intact in fdisk -l. I’m reaching out for help to avoid a full OS reinstall. Attached are my fdisk results and the video of the boot attempt.

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Reepety
Senior Member
374
09-23-2025, 01:59 PM
#2
Did you unplug the storage device once you set up Arch? Does your system show an EFI record in the BIOS related to your Arch installation?
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Reepety
09-23-2025, 01:59 PM #2

Did you unplug the storage device once you set up Arch? Does your system show an EFI record in the BIOS related to your Arch installation?

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Misterjaws77
Member
215
09-25-2025, 07:28 AM
#3
You might attempt to check the Linux disk (/dev/sda3) using fsck. The video fails to display, making it unclear what the test should reveal. Previously, for persistent Arch Linux boot problems, I've switched into a live environment, mounted my root filesystem on /mnt, then used arch-chroot to /mnt and launched my services from there. This helps confirm whether the issue lies in the boot process or if the drive itself is faulty. While the mount stays at /mnt, you can also attach your EFI partition to verify proper installation. Also consider reviewing the Arch Wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Uni...Interface; with UEFI I've encountered many problems where the system skips grub or places the .efi file incorrectly.
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Misterjaws77
09-25-2025, 07:28 AM #3

You might attempt to check the Linux disk (/dev/sda3) using fsck. The video fails to display, making it unclear what the test should reveal. Previously, for persistent Arch Linux boot problems, I've switched into a live environment, mounted my root filesystem on /mnt, then used arch-chroot to /mnt and launched my services from there. This helps confirm whether the issue lies in the boot process or if the drive itself is faulty. While the mount stays at /mnt, you can also attach your EFI partition to verify proper installation. Also consider reviewing the Arch Wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Uni...Interface; with UEFI I've encountered many problems where the system skips grub or places the .efi file incorrectly.

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TommyTheLommy
Posting Freak
846
09-26-2025, 01:40 PM
#4
Yes, I did it—I used a torrent for a friend on Windows because I hadn’t installed a GUI yet.
You can locate it in the newest MSI Click BIOS 5 version by checking the official download page or the software’s installation guide.
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TommyTheLommy
09-26-2025, 01:40 PM #4

Yes, I did it—I used a torrent for a friend on Windows because I hadn’t installed a GUI yet.
You can locate it in the newest MSI Click BIOS 5 version by checking the official download page or the software’s installation guide.

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levoyageur92
Posting Freak
807
09-27-2025, 05:26 PM
#5
Certain motherboards might remove the EFI Entry if the partition or file isn't found during startup. In such scenarios, you'll need to switch into your Arch installation and reinstall Grub manually, or add the entry back yourself. Without this Entry, the system won't have a valid boot point from EFI. This situation could be the cause. It's unclear exactly where it appears in MSI's BIOS documentation.
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levoyageur92
09-27-2025, 05:26 PM #5

Certain motherboards might remove the EFI Entry if the partition or file isn't found during startup. In such scenarios, you'll need to switch into your Arch installation and reinstall Grub manually, or add the entry back yourself. Without this Entry, the system won't have a valid boot point from EFI. This situation could be the cause. It's unclear exactly where it appears in MSI's BIOS documentation.

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_klearix_
Member
204
10-13-2025, 06:23 PM
#6
Sure, I'll take a look.
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_klearix_
10-13-2025, 06:23 PM #6

Sure, I'll take a look.