[SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

sumanpaudel · 2024-06-18 13:32:58

Hello. I am new arch user. I have just completed installing arch linux in my laptop. Everthing is working great, but I am not able to access BIOS after installation.
My laptop: Acer Aspire 5s
Graphics: Nvidia MX250
Previously, I could enter bios pressing F2 key. Now, a black screen appears with a small white horizontal line in upper left corner.
Waiting for helpful reply. Thanks.

Last edited by sumanpaudel (2024-06-19 09:16:23)

seth · 2024-06-18 17:18:49

You should™ not be able to "remove" the UEFI or BIOS from an OS level, but a bad firmware update or some UEFI bug (and bad tampering with the ESP) could have done this.
"I have just completed installing arch linux in my laptop" however isn't susceptible to either of this.

Have you tried to completely power down the device and access the UEFI from a cold boot? Do you still get the acer splash screen? Is there a parallel windows installation?

And just to be clear, the bootloader and OS still load?

sumanpaudel · 2024-06-19 01:02:27

Yes, my laptop is dual boot with windows 11. I can still access boot selector by pressing f12 key and selecting either GRUB or Window Boot Loader. UEFI Firmware Setting is not working either. Arch along with window is working great.
I have dual booted arch (gnome) before but I wanted to clean flash again with arch (kde). Previously, same steps were followed with no isuues, this time, bad luck.
And, Yes, I get acer splash screen. No, any other issue except booting to bios.

Awebb · 2024-06-19 05:55:01

Please answer all of seth's questions, especially the important ones. Have you tried to completely power down the device and access the UEFI from a cold boot?

seth · 2024-06-19 07:13:57

What are "arch (kde)" and "arch (gnome)"?
How *exactly* did you install the distro?

As for "windows", 3rd link below. Mandatory.
Disable it (it's NOT the BIOS setting!) and reboot windows and linux twice for voodo reasons.

If this and a complete powerdown don't help, power down the system and remove the battery (and the external power supply) for some minutes before trying to access.

sumanpaudel · 2024-06-19 09:07:08

Thank you seth and Awebb for your time.

I solved this issue by deleting both partition of arch (efi & filesystem). I then, reinstalled arch from scratch. I believe I messed up with installation procedure before, which caused bios problem.

Btw, I am still suprised how messing something during arch installation can cause issue with bios.

Last edited by sumanpaudel (2024-06-19 09:09:38)

seth · 2024-06-19 14:09:47

both partition of arch (efi & filesystem)

Did you have to EFI partitions on the same disk?

sumanpaudel · 2024-06-19 14:43:12

Yes, I am using single nvme disk. There are two separate efi partitions. One for window and another for arch.

Two efi partition caused caused issue earlier but not now.

Last edited by sumanpaudel (2024-06-19 14:44:35)

seth · 2024-06-19 14:45:42

You're not supposed to have two Efi partitions on the same disk - this is very likely to cause you trouble one way or another.
Don't.

sumanpaudel · 2024-06-19 15:53:51

I heard that if we use same efi partition for window and arch, window update might cause issue. Is it true seth?

seth · 2024-06-19 16:36:16

No. Yes. Doesn't matter.
Windows updates can always cause trouble, it might blatantly kick other bootloaders out of the ESP or whatnot, it habitually re-enables fast-start because the only reason why a user might disable that is probably because the user is stupid. Also the default ESP on windows systems is often too small for dual boots so you'd have to grow it or only put the bootloader there, but boot the kernel and initramfs from a different location (the root partition)

But: While the UEFI spec is relatively lax on that, UEFI implementations tend to be not and more than one ESP, notably sharing the same GUID, is just begging for trouble.
In your case it's very most likely the cause for the UEFI failing to load the config interface - whether bug or explicit precaution by the implementation.

sumanpaudel · 2024-06-20 01:36:05

Thank you seth. Unless, I get into trouble, I will stick with two ESPs as it is woking fine for now.

In future, I will try to make single ESP for dual booting window and arch.

I am quite new in this realm, so need to do some reading and searching on that.

Arch Linux

#1 2024-06-18 13:32:58

[SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#2 2024-06-18 17:18:49

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#3 2024-06-19 01:02:27

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#4 2024-06-19 05:55:01

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#5 2024-06-19 07:13:57

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#6 2024-06-19 09:07:08

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#7 2024-06-19 14:09:47

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#8 2024-06-19 14:43:12

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#9 2024-06-19 14:45:42

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#10 2024-06-19 15:53:51

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#11 2024-06-19 16:36:16

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

#12 2024-06-20 01:36:05

Re: [SOLVED] BIOS gone after Arch Install

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