Question [SOLVED] stoping windows from changing my custom cmos settings

[Lizzi Swane]

So basically the problem is thus: I run linux as my primary os and occasionally dual boot with windows. I have my system setup so that artix linux grub is the bootloader of choice. On the occasion that i boot to windows from grub, windows changes my cmos settings and makes its bootloader the primary. This is a behavior i DO NOT want. Windows needs to stop acting like the malware it was designed to be and leave my settings in cmos the way i put them and not alter them even one iota.

Things i have tried

adding password to cmos. make no difference. windows writes the changes it wants despite what i want.

asking on a linux forum. not enough people have expo with my machine to understand what to do or there is no solution barring nuking the windows install.

asking here. well, that remains to be seen.

waiting for my amazon delivery tomorrow. My one thought was to put windows on an nvme drive and install that nvme onto a pcie 4 lane adapter on a pcie slot. My understanding is that nvmes on pci adapter cards for my pc are not bootable. to do this i will disconnect all my drives, including my linux nvme from the motherboard and install windows on a low cost 500 gb nvme drive then move it over to the pcie adapter card. This will surely prevent windows from booting from that nvme drive but it remains to be seen whether or not that will keep it from altering my cmos and taking over my pc like some malware infection.

I like windows a little. it has its few uses. I like linux a WHOLE LOT MORE. and it has far more uses. Windows needs to behave the way i want it to behave or i may have to chuck it completely. Mostly i use the windows bare metal install from within a virtualbox when i need to use it. I don't boot into it often and it's because of this kind of malware behavior that i don't want to use it at all.

SO! Who has an option to make windows play nice with my cmos and accept its well deserved one down postion to the linux queen?

In other words. make windows stop taking over my cmos settings? HOW?

System:
  Kernel: 6.2.13-lqx2-1-lqx arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.1
    Desktop: MATE v: 1.27.0 Distro: Artix Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: HP product: HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF v: N/A
    serial: <filter>
  Mobo: HP model: 8299 v: KBC Version 06.29 serial: <filter> UEFI: HP
    v: P01 Ver. 02.40 date: 04/08/2022
Battery:
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech M570 charge: 30%
    status: discharging
  Device-2: hidpp_battery_1 model: Logitech Wireless Keyboard K360
    charge: 100% (should be ignored) status: discharging
Memory:
  RAM: total: 31.14 GiB used: 5.85 GiB (18.8%)
  Array-1: capacity: 64 GiB slots: 4 EC: None max-module-size: 16 GiB
    note: est.
  Device-1: DIMM4 type: no module installed
  Device-2: DIMM3 type: DDR4 size: 16 GiB speed: 2400 MT/s
  Device-3: DIMM2 type: no module installed
  Device-4: DIMM1 type: DDR4 size: 16 GiB speed: 2400 MT/s
CPU:
  Info: quad core model: Intel Core i7-7700 bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    arch: Kaby Lake rev: 9 cache: L1: 256 KiB L2: 1024 KiB L3: 8 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 3601 min/max: 800/3601 boost: enabled cores: 1: 3601
    2: 3601 3: 3601 4: 3601 5: 3601 6: 3601 7: 3601 8: 3601 bogomips: 57600
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA TU117 [GeForce GTX 1650] vendor: Gigabyte driver: nvidia
    v: 530.41.03 arch: Turing bus-ID: 01:00.0
  Display: x11 server: X.org v: 1.21.1.8 driver: X: loaded: nvidia
    unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,nouveau,vesa gpu: nvidia,nvidia-nvswitch
    resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 530.41.03 renderer: NVIDIA GeForce GTX
    1650/PCIe/SSE2 direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 200 Series PCH HD Audio vendor: Hewlett-Packard
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
  Device-2: NVIDIA vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    bus-ID: 01:00.1
  API: ALSA v: k6.2.13-lqx2-1-lqx status: kernel-api
  Server-1: sndiod v: N/A status: off
  Server-2: JACK v: 1.9.22 status: off
  Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.70 status: off
  Server-4: PulseAudio v: 16.1 status: active (root, process)
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I219-LM vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: e1000e
    v: kernel port: N/A bus-ID: 00:1f.6
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Realtek Bluetooth Radio type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8
    bus-ID: 1-13:3
  Report: rfkill ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: see --recommends
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.48 TiB used: 687.12 GiB (45.3%)
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Western Digital model: WD BLACK SN770 500GB
    size: 465.76 GiB temp: 41.9 C
  ID-2: /dev/sda vendor: Micron model: MT-128 size: 119.24 GiB
  ID-3: /dev/sdb vendor: Seagate model: ST1000LM035-1RK172 size: 931.51 GiB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 53.6 GiB used: 37.52 GiB (70.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
  ID-2: /boot/efi size: 511 MiB used: 476 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1
  ID-3: /home size: 95.27 GiB used: 60.85 GiB (63.9%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p3
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 64 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) dev: /dev/sdb1
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 67.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 73 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A gpu: nvidia fan: 75%
Info:
  Processes: 240 Uptime: 3h 16m Init: dinit Compilers: gcc: 12.2.1
  clang: 15.0.7 Packages: 1177 Shell: Bash v: 5.1.16 inxi: 3.3.26

 

[Aeacus]

Windows needs to behave the way i want it to behave

Joke of the day.

and occasionally dual boot with windows

Why dual-boot? Why not VM the Win under your GNU/Linux distro?

My understanding is that nvmes on pci adapter cards for my pc are not bootable.

If that is true, you can't boot into Win at all.

Better option would be putting a Win to 2nd drive and then change the boot order (priority) within BIOS, when you want to boot into Win. It's a bit more work than dual-boot but this, at least, keeps the boot order in check.

Idea is;
Normal operation - boot order in BIOS:
#1 - drive with GNU/Linux
#2 - drive with Win

To boot into Win, change boot order from BIOS to following:
#1 - drive with Win
#2 - drive with GNU/Linux

Oh, do disconnect all other drives prior to installing Win. Since else-ways, Win may write it's boot loader on another drive and doesn't work, unless both drives are within the machine.

 

[SkyNetRising]

In other words. make windows stop taking over my cmos settings? HOW?

Windows doesn't change cmos.
This is nonsense.

Windows install will update bootloader though.
So, when installing windows, you want all other drives disconnected.

My understanding is that nvmes on pci adapter cards for my pc are not bootable.

Booting from NVME drive requires BIOS support.
If your motherboard has onboard M.2 slot and nvme drive in it is bootable, then nvme drive on pcie M.2 adapter also will be bootable.

 

[Lizzi Swane]

Joke of the day.



Why dual-boot? Why not VM the Win under your GNU/Linux distro?



If that is true, you can't boot into Win at all.

Better option would be putting a Win to 2nd drive and then change the boot order (priority) within BIOS, when you want to boot into Win. It's a bit more work than dual-boot but this, at least, keeps the boot order in check.

Idea is;
Normal operation - boot order in BIOS:
#1 - drive with GNU/Linux
#2 - drive with Win

To boot into Win, change boot order from BIOS to following:
#1 - drive with Win
#2 - drive with GNU/Linux

Oh, do disconnect all other drives prior to installing Win. Since else-ways, Win may write it's boot loader on another drive and doesn't work, unless both drives are within the machine.

Clearly you seem to not be getting the point. the point is to not have to alter cmos settings ie bott order every time after running windows. Offering a solution to do the thing i said i don't want is not a solution. I'm needing an experienced person.

 

[Lizzi Swane]

Windows doesn't change cmos.
This is nonsense.

Windows install will update bootloader though.
So, when installing windows, you want all other drives disconnected.


Booting from NVME drive requires BIOS support.
If your motherboard has onboard M.2 slot and nvme drive in it is bootable, then nvme drive on pcie M.2 adapter also will be bootable.

I'm not interested in debating with you whether or not it's doing the thing i say it is. Let's assume i'm smart enough to see what happens on my own pc and since you can't observe anything have no basis to deny my claim. IN any case this post is about the thing i posted about not the thing you wish to make it about.

 

[Vic 40]

Maybe the solution by LuizScruz in the next thread can help you?

Redirecting

 

[TerryLaze]

Let's assume i'm smart enough to see what happens on my own pc and since you can't observe anything have no basis to deny my claim.

Since you understand that we can't see what's going on in your PC,
please tell us what setting of the cmos is being changed, as in what do you have to change back to get back to booting into grub.
Actually you didn't even tell us what you do to boot into windows, I know you select windows in the grub menu but how was that set up? Can you show the /boot/grub/grub.cfg file here?!

 

[TerryLaze]

Maybe the solution by LuizScruz in the next thread can help you?

Redirecting

That would completely screw up this situation since it would write a default windows grub with no options for existing linux to the default boot disk so there is no way of telling what would happen.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I'm not interested in debating with you whether or not it's doing the thing i say it is. Let's assume i'm smart enough to see what happens on my own pc and since you can't observe anything have no basis to deny my claim.

Well ... since windows can't do that, what you say, it does ...
this leaves the only possibility, that you don't know, what you're talking about. LOL

 

[Lizzi Swane]

Well ... since windows can't do that, what you say, it does ...
this leaves the only possibility, that you don't know, what you're talking about. LOL

PLease go troll somewhere else.

 

[Lizzi Swane]

Since you understand that we can't see what's going on in your PC,
please tell us what setting of the cmos is being changed, as in what do you have to change back to get back to booting into grub.
Actually you didn't even tell us what you do to boot into windows, I know you select windows in the grub menu but how was that set up? Can you show the /boot/grub/grub.cfg file here?!

please read the op. ty.

 

[Lizzi Swane]

Maybe the solution by LuizScruz in the next thread can help you?

Redirecting

That's a neat solution. It wouldn't solve my problem though it is a great thought. TY for offering it. As it turns out i did find a solution and it seems i was mistaken about what i had done to this pc. I thought i had disabled quick boot or fast boot or whatever it was. I certainly did that in the cmos settings and i thought i had disabled it in the windows power management options too. Turns out i hadn't and the windows was trying to enable the quick boot feature but couldn't but did keep changing the cmos settings to the boot order windows wanted for quick boot to work. So now i certainly have disabled the quickboot in under the power management settings of windows and now it stops trying to anable it and stops rewriting my cmos boot order settings.
TY for the great reply in any case. Much appreciated.

 

[Vic 40]

Good to hear you found your solution.

 

[TerryLaze]

That's a neat solution. It wouldn't solve my problem though it is a great thought. TY for offering it. As it turns out i did find a solution and it seems i was mistaken about what i had done to this pc. I thought i had disabled quick boot or fast boot or whatever it was. I certainly did that in the cmos settings and i thought i had disabled it in the windows power management options too. Turns out i hadn't and the windows was trying to enable the quick boot feature but couldn't but did keep changing the cmos settings to the boot order windows wanted for quick boot to work. So now i certainly have disabled the quickboot in under the power management settings of windows and now it stops trying to anable it and stops rewriting my cmos boot order settings.
TY for the great reply in any case. Much appreciated.

Fast boot doesn't change your boot order, it skips some of the boot up process which includes the loading of the boot menu.

 

[Lizzi Swane]

Fast boot doesn't change your boot order, it skips some of the boot up process which includes the loading of the boot menu.

please stop.

 

[USAFRet]

Solution found, I think this has run its course.

Closing.