Arch Linux

tetroi

Member

Registered: 2025-06-13

Posts: 25

Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

When booting, GRUB loads but stalls at the MSI logo screen. To proceed, I must manually edit the GRUB entry and change: 
``initrd /boot/intel-ucode.img`` → ``initrd /boot/initramfs-linux.img``. 

After this, the system fails to find my root partition (`/dev/nvme1n1p3` or `nvme0n1p3`). The NVMe device names keep swapping between boots (I have two 1TB NVMe drives: `nvme0n1` and `nvme1n1`). Using `root=UUID=(correct_UUID)` doesn’t help either. The system drops to an emergency shell, but keyboard input doesn’t work.

This started after I (foolishly) removed `nvidia_drm` and other Nvidia-related modules, then rebooted. 

What I’ve Tried:
1. Reinstalled `nvidia-dkms`, `linux`, and `mkinitcpio`. 
2. Ensured `nvme` and USB HID modules are in `mkinitcpio.conf`:
   MODULES=(nvme xhci_pci ehci_pci usbhid i8042 atkbd)
   HOOKS=(base udev autodetect keyboard block filesystems fsck).
3. Verified `fstab` and GRUB use UUIDs (confirmed via `blkid`). 
4. Tried `rd.break=premount` and `init=/bin/sh` – no improvement. 

Error Details:

:: ERROR: device '/dev/nvmeXn1p3' not found. Skipping fsck. 
mount: /new_root: Can’t lookup blockdev. 
Emergency shell: "sh: can’t access tty; job control turned off"

Hardware:
- MSI PRO B760-P motherboard 
- Dual NVMe SSDs (names swap randomly) 
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 2,114

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

this looks odd - mine

HOOKS=(base udev autodetect microcode modconf kms keyboard keymap consolefont block filesystems fsck)

as I have an amd gpu my modules list is empty
as for changing /dev nodes: that's why the install guide telks you to use UUIDs

Last edited by cryptearth (2025-06-13 14:42:56)

tetroi

Member

Registered: 2025-06-13

Posts: 25

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

Basically, yes. I could make everything default to the way it was. But I'm solving the problem with AI and it recommended me to write it down. Nothing's working

Last edited by tetroi (2025-06-13 14:49:37)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 13,725

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

Removing the nvidia modules would not have caused this.

Having to manually edit the grub config is a huge red flag. What, exactly, does it say before and after you edit it? If the config generator isn't picking up the initramfs, it sounds like things are in the wrong place? A mismatch between kernel and initramfs would cause everything you're seeing.

And the hooks array is fine.

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 2,114

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

solving the problem with AI

STOP! right there!
don't even TRY to think about involving any ai crap - this will mislead you and at best cause even more trouble
if anything at all consult tge wiki how to reset your install back the how it was when you first issued pacstrap and restart from there

in the worst case do a clean install following the wiki

tetroi

Member

Registered: 2025-06-13

Posts: 25

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

Yes, I can do anything, but I just need my documents in the drives to be fine. Without formatting

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 2,114

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

no one said anything about reformating
I just recommended to revert back to a known state equal to how a new system would be after pacstrap and go again from there
yes, I know many here are experienced to get such a broken system back into order - one of them is seth
my way is just one possible shortcut to get back to a known state and start again from that
sure you might be able recover in a more direct way
point is: for some reason you messed up and two ways are to either revert or to start from fresh
which way you go is your discision - I just pointed out one way

in most extreme case I would boot some arch install or other live system, back up data if not already on  an additional partition/dataset/mountpoint and start fresh over again
yes, it's the windows sledgehammer way to deal with a F* up system - but from experience its often the simplest one
how you deal with messing up your system is your choise - but linux is often easier to recover as windows - even if it means to kill the OS and redo it from scratch and taking benefit from having your home mounted on a separate partition

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 13,725

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

This is unlikely be to be very complicated one, shouldn't be hard to fix.

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,277

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

So let's see what we got…
Boot the install iso, post the output of "lsblk -f" (do not chroot before this, it won't work)
Mount your system (not the boot partition) into /mnt and check "ls -l /mnt/boot", if there's anything intramfs* or vmlinuz-*, run "file" on that.
Then, if there's something that looks like a boot partition, mount that into /mnt/boot and check the same again.

idk whether "script" is on the iso, but you can

command |& tee -a /tmp/whatidid.log

and upload that w/

cat /tmp/whatidid.log | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st

if you want/need a comment on the situation.
If you find a /mnt/boot/grub/grub.cfg in either case, post those, too (remember which is which)

This started after I (foolishly) removed `nvidia_drm` and other Nvidia-related modules, then rebooted.

But I'm solving the problem with AI and it recommended me to write it down.

I hope the bullshit generator told you to write down the commands you invoked and you didn't just turn your brain off and copypasted stuff™…

What, exactly, does it say before and after you edit it?

Because changing the initramfs will not shred the grub.cfg - you also re-installed grub or ran grub-mkconfig?

Also we'r enot re-installing anything here, the consequence of that will only be that you repeat the same mistake later because you didn't understand what went wrong.
And then you'll be afraid to do anything.

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tetroi

Member

Registered: 2025-06-13

Posts: 25

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

Unfortunately, I have already started reinstalling the iso file on my usb stick. Bad idea or not?

There is, of course, a chance that mistakes will be repeated, but I will definitely not resort to AI again, and will do everything according to the official guides. What happens if I reinstall the ISO file and insert my flash drive into the PC? Wouldn't everything that's already installed on the PC somehow conflict, I don't know?

I already have an idea to move everything from /home (important documents) to a second empty NVMe to reinstall the system.

Yes, I have some questions that came up for me while reading the guides, I could just hang out in the forums to find answers to them, or ask you if you are knowledgeable?

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 2,114

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

to not unnecessarily full-quote:

/home
although not required and sometimes debated but I personal see it as a benefit that linux is able to mount additional partitions to any directory and hence tecommend to create an extra partition for /home
depending on the size and number of your drives the layout can vary
as an example I have 100gb for the system, 300gb for /home, 1gb for /efi, 32gb swap and the rest of about 50-ish gb is for a small ntfs for windows (needed it once to help a friend - just left it in place) on a 500gb nvme

just inserting an install media does nothing - only when you start messing around with the partitions and filesystems it gets interesting
wiping the with

wipefs --all

will clear all headers and the partition table but the data are still there and a drive can be reconstructed

for questions: you will ikely find a lot of answers to your questions already - as you're not the first one to ask them
when in doubt: open a topic and ask - there many veterans here with extreme valuable knowledge and they're happy to share
if you reference the wiki please add a link to the page in question

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,277

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

Unfortunately, I have already started reinstalling the iso file on my usb stick.

You've done what? What iso? What USB stick?
You can dd the arch installation image onto some usb key all day long, that's not gonna affect any installed system.

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

tetroi

Member

Registered: 2025-06-13

Posts: 25

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

Oh, I'm sorry. I just wanted to install the latest iso and try other ways of embedding it in the flash drive. Not just through Ventoy. And it just gives a “from scratch” effect, I guess so. Dumb, but okay

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,277

Re: Boot Failure After Nvidia Module Removal – NVMe Device Not Found

https://deepl.com/
I thought the goal was to *not* re-install the system?

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc