EDIT: So after all that, I was able to reinstall windows and download Macrium reflect + my backup. First time I tried to recover it, it failed for some reason, but the second time around I was able to restore it successfully. I’m now back where I started, thank you everyone!

I’m not done with Linux yet, but I think I’m going to try and run it in a good VM for the time being. When I’m done with classes, or when I get a separate device, I will give it another go.

Post 1: https://lemmy.ca/post/3709382

Post 2: https://lemmy.ca/post/3863438

Yesterday I could at least change the order in the BIOS to boot windows. Now I can’t even do that.

I think when reinstalling, I must have overwritten something (the EFI?). I saw some other people that had a very similar experience, and the advice was to reinstall Windows. I’m currently downloading Windows installation media on another computer and I’m going to try and reinstall windows now.

This just keeps getting worse and worse, and thank you for the help while I struggle through this.

If anyone has other tips, I’d appreciate it :)

      • @Delta_44
        2•10 months ago

        Heh, yeah 😂

        By the way you might wanna consider an alternative such as rEFInd if you’re using an UEFI (BIOS but newer and shittier thanks to “improved security”, full of limits) or “systemd-bootloader”

        • OtterOPEnglish
          2•10 months ago

          thank you! I’ll note that down for next time

        • @[email protected]
          2•10 months ago

          It’s objectively better. Rather than having to manipulate raw bytes to change my bootloader, I can just add it to my ESP, which is a partition that the UEFI reads to find what to start on your hard disk. Also, no more 640x480 resolution at boot.

          All computers since the late-Windows 7 era use UEFI.

          Secure Boot is shit, I agree.

          • @Delta_44
            1•10 months ago

            All computers since the late-Windows 7 era use UEFI.

            That’s why I hated the extra step that I had to do to not corrupt the UEFI while installing a Linux distro years ago… All this new stuff that just locks you and limits you.

            Things are better sometimes but in this case they’re not.

            • @[email protected]
              2•10 months ago

              I literally reinstalled Windows yesterday and systemd-boot went nowhere. Something’s wrong with your UEFI implementation. Another laptop I have (HP 2000 Notebook PC, will ALWAYS boot the Microsoft folder if it exists, and there’s no ESP. I had to rename the folder.

              And by “corrupt the UEFI”, do you really know what you’re talking about? It’s the ESP that contains the bootloaders.

              • @Delta_44
                1•10 months ago

                Hold on, I think I didn’t explain myself properly.

                I’ve never had any problem, the problem that existed years ago was that you had to manually change things to accomodate UEFI, while installing a Linux distro.

                For example, while installing Ubuntu you had to press a key during the splash screen and boot there. It was a simple fix that you had to do while booting the ISO, but it was something not widely known.

                And by “corrupt the UEFI”, do you really know what you’re talking about?

                Unfortunately not, but I’ve read that this was a thing, since I didn’t want to fry my €1400 laptop I did this simple thing. Later I’ve seen that this problem was fixed, but I’m talking about years ago, 2019 or so.

                • @[email protected]
                  2•10 months ago

                  And? Windows 7 shits itself on UEFI systems. It’s in a sort of limbo when it comes to UEFI support. It has a UEFI compatible version of Windows Boot Manager, but it’ll usually hang the computer as soon as it’s done booting.

                  For your last thing, the only thing that can do that is a firmware update.