Unable to start or install on any operating system (Windows 10 and Ubuntu).
Unable to start or install on any operating system (Windows 10 and Ubuntu).
I decided to create a compact and affordable server, so I chose a Ryzen 3200g and an Asrock Deskmini. I repurposed an old SSD from a prior build running Windows 10, but since dual booting Ubuntu and Windows was necessary, I completely wiped the drive. Before the clean, I managed to run Windows 10 smoothly (even on the same machine where I accidentally skipped BIOS setup). After switching to Ubuntu, everything started working properly at first. But after the second boot, I hit a dead end with Ubuntu—its grub froze in a purple screen—and couldn’t access Windows at all, showing a black screen. Now I’m stuck trying to use live USBs for both OSes; the Ubuntu version gets trapped in grub, while Windows won’t start. I’ve reset the BIOS, cleared CMOS, and reformatted the drive multiple times. The grub menu’s “nomodeset” option didn’t fix the black screen problem. Right now, the entire storage area is unallocated. Ideally, I’d like to boot into just one OS, but I’m unable to reinstall them. It seems there might be a graphics-related issue, though I can still enter BIOS, the grub screen, and the Windows Recovery Screen (which loops back when interacted with).
Disconnect the SSD and test booting from a Windows 10 USB drive to confirm the drive is functional and check if the system freezes.
I would delete the hard drives, then set the BIOS back to default configurations. Make sure the live boot USB functions on another device, then attempt to boot from it. If successful, but you still can't install an operating system onto the hard drive, then modify the partition table and try again.
Back in the day, there was a tool to verify RAM on Linux installation media. It could be useful to test. Right now, I’d consider trying a budget SSD or a spinning hard drive just to rule out an SSD issue. A thought for you—are you setting up a server and really need dual booting? The most effective way to leverage Linux on a server is by using file formats that Windows can’t read.