Microsoft's approach to dismantling systems is controversial. Their stance raises concerns about stability and control.
Microsoft's approach to dismantling systems is controversial. Their stance raises concerns about stability and control.
Great job figuring that out! It’s clear I underestimated the time needed. Windows really does perform well these days. I usually install without networking for simplicity, and once it’s done, it’s just a quick update. Sure, it takes longer than Linux, but I can handle other tasks while it loads. I’m not stuck fixing broken audio devices—just making sure it works properly.
It seems likely that fixing this problem would be very difficult, yet I went through reinstalling Windows multiple times to try and understand what was going wrong. My Linux environment stayed stable, but my Linux setup was impacted. The only solution that truly resolved the issue was switching to a fresh Windows installation so both operating systems could recognize their drivers correctly. I hope this isn’t an unusual occurrence, but I wouldn’t have written this if it hadn’t happened to me. Perhaps someone can share similar experiences or provide more insight into this situation. For now, I suggest backing up drivers, keeping a spare drive ready, and avoiding storing data on Windows setups—general advice that might help many people given Microsoft’s recent behavior.
I still believe you're misinterpreting the situation, since the issue remains unsolvable. I'm certain you faced difficulties, but the theory you're mentioning is clearly unfeasible. Yes, dual-booting has been problematic since Windows 10 was released, but that’s a decision you’re making. There’s no need to suspect Microsoft is deliberately interfering with your setup by loading an ext4 filesystem driver specifically to block dual-boot functionality. I’m just guessing that whatever bootloader got mixed up might have caused the problem. If you’d looked into the error messages instead of jumping to conclusions, you’d likely have saved more time and avoided mistakes. Still, pointing fingers feels simpler. In short, dual-booting problems always stem from the bootloader, because that’s where the system’s configuration logic lives. Windows updates can break things if you start with Grub without first engaging the Windows bootloader, and even though the bootloader technically supports Linux installations, it had known issues as early as Windows 7. It’s hard to picture how far it’s slipped since then.
They've had major issues since they started testing themselves. It's currently a beta version.
I want to make sure I explain things clearly.
1. No, I’m not claiming Windows has an update that changes how ext4 filesystems work with drivers or that they’re pushing a fix for a Linux problem. They focus on breaking Windows themselves—like when I had updates in the past that caused Windows to crash. For example, once I updated something, my Windows booted into a black screen. Fixing graphics drivers required reinstalling them or DDU, but lately random updates have broken my graphics too. Until recently, my old Ubuntu setup gave me confidence and avoided panic.
2. Dual-booting can present challenges, though it’s not impossible. The main risk is an update from Windows without proper testing. Usually, systems with backups or restore points stay stable. Even with those tools, recent updates have sometimes messed with graphics drivers on Linux, but they didn’t affect my setup until recently. Previously, similar issues never impacted Linux and kept everything running smoothly.
3. When I removed my old drives from both systems, the drivers I’m using now worked perfectly—no changes needed. My Linux system also functioned normally without any driver tweaks or reinstalls. If I wanted to switch back, it would work as expected (unless Microsoft released another update that broke graphics again). The only change was resetting the BIOS and reinstalling Windows on a new drive, which cleared the problem completely.
4. I tried loading Linux LiveCDs with Ventoy before switching drives. I faced issues with graphics, especially GDM, showing up as black screens or 800x600 resolution. After reinstalling Windows on the new drive and using the old drives afterward, the graphics loaded properly without much trouble. Testing multiple Linux CDs helped confirm this.
5. A BIOS reset might help, but I’m not ruling it out. It’s possible Windows has a quirk with my graphics drivers that could break at any time. I don’t want to ignore it, but I also can’t dismiss the risk entirely. Maybe it’s related to how the firmware loads graphics or BIOS settings.
Additional details: My setup includes Fedora 40 and Ubuntu 20.10 on the main drive, with Windows 11 on a separate drive. The Linux installation was done without the Ubuntu drive, which simplified things.
This claim is clearly incorrect: I'm still using my original W10 Pro setup from early 2017. Minor problems did occur occasionally, but they were always resolvable—only during Windows updates did something unexpected happen, which isn't a full reinstall. I've been reverting to an older version, not performing a fresh install. A workaround I found was an in-place upgrade instead of automatic updates, and it worked without any issues this time. In short, this isn't a widespread myth; many people still struggle with Windows updates.
I believe op is talking about what the system is trying to do, so Windows didn’t ruin his Linux setup. But what actually happened was that the bootloader got damaged, which forced Linux to crash in a last-ditch effort to recover. It’s really a terrible idea to run both Linux and Windows together, even though it might seem okay at first. Everyone knows it’s risky, yet people still do it because it sometimes works temporarily—though it’s never truly safe.
It seems only my NIC had issues with Windows Update over the years. I’m not sure if it was a clean install or driver support finally being added. If it was the former, I didn’t notice right away and it was simpler to switch to another card instead of dealing with the hassle of trying to fix it. Updates often cause problems, so it’s better to stay updated for security patches. I’ve never experienced Windows breaking a dual-boot setup I remember—usually a clean install that resets the boot loader. Maybe I changed the UEFI settings to use Windows Bootloader once, and then I just switched back. Who knows what “everyone” thinks? It’s not a big deal.
Microsoft employs Gatcha, but it's not something you run Vista on from 2007 to 2017. You didn't update much, and there weren't many issues until the ASUS motherboard problem. For Windows 10, I rely on Sledgehammer and Defcon—only updating when necessary. Last time was for a game needing extra hours, so unlocking new outfits. Ideally, I could have gone back after collecting all outfits, but I just didn't. As for media playback, 1809 works better, and I still keep backups. Honestly, most security concerns come from someone having direct hardware access—otherwise you're fine. Still, using uBlock, a decent app, and common sense keeps you safe from about 99% of threats.
there are alternatives available, but they differ from what OP is doing. my preferred method is to install the Linux boot loader on a USB stick and set the boot order so it starts from the USB before Windows. this way, Windows gets the expected setup, while Linux runs smoothly without interference. neither system needs to know about the other.