Omarchy Installation Stopped or Failed: Troubleshooting

Identify why an Omarchy installation stopped during ISO writing, USB boot, disk selection, formatting, package setup, or first reboot before retrying.

When an Omarchy installation stops, identify the last completed stage before retrying. Rewriting a USB is different from repeating a format, and a first-boot problem is different from an incomplete install. Preserve the complete message, screen, and recent actions so one failure does not turn into a disk or data-loss problem.

Stop if the target or proposed changes are unclear

Exit before confirming a format if the installer shows the wrong drive, Windows partition, EFI partition, recovery partition, or unexpected full-disk erase. Do not select another device by guesswork and do not delete partitions to make an error disappear.

Find the stage where installation stopped

Last completed stage	Check first	Safe next page
ISO downloaded	Official source, complete file, current signature or checksum guidance	ISO verification
USB written	Imaging validation, target USB, safe eject	Create the USB installer
USB selected in firmware	UEFI entry and current Secure Boot/TPM guidance	Configure UEFI
Installer opened	Keyboard, network, intended install mode, target identity	This page: installer and disk checks
Formatting started	Complete error, power, storage health; do not assume rollback	This page: stopped during installation
Installer reported completion	USB removal, internal UEFI entry, LUKS password	This page: first reboot

ISO download or USB writing stopped

Download the ISO again only from the official Omarchy site. Do not treat a locally calculated hash as proof unless there is a current official value or signature to compare it with. In the imaging tool:

confirm the selected target is the disposable USB, not an external backup disk;
wait for both writing and validation;
save the full validation error;
retry with another USB port or known-good disposable USB before changing the internal disk.

Copying the ISO as an ordinary file is not a bootable write. If several tools fail on the same USB, treat the media or port as suspect rather than weakening validation.

USB does not appear or boot in UEFI

Perform a full shutdown, open the one-time firmware boot menu, and choose the entry explicitly marked UEFI. Check the hardware manual for the correct key and the official Omarchy page for current Secure Boot and TPM requirements.

Disabling TPM is not the same as Clear TPM. On a Windows computer, retain the BitLocker recovery key and do not reset the security processor. Do not switch SATA, AHCI, or RAID modes merely to test whether the USB appears.

Installer cannot use the disk or partition

If a shell is available, collect a read-only inventory:

lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,MODEL,TRAN,TYPE,FSTYPE,MOUNTPOINTS

Match vendor, capacity, connection type, and existing partitions with the inventory recorded before booting. A tutorial's /dev/nvme0n1 is only an example and may name the wrong disk on your machine.

For dual boot, the intended area must be unallocated, and the installer must use Free space install. An error that BitLocker is enabled requires returning to Windows, turning device encryption off, and waiting for decryption to finish. Do not delete Windows, EFI, or recovery partitions. Follow the Windows partition guide.

Installation stopped during formatting or package setup

The official manual says installation can finish in under a minute on fast hardware and should normally take no more than about five minutes on older hardware. A changing progress screen is not proof of a hang. Keep power and networking stable and capture the full persistent error before acting.

If formatting has already started:

do not assume the old filesystem is intact;
do not rerun Full disk or Free space install until the failed stage is known;
do not force power off while storage activity or progress is continuing;
photograph the complete screen and record whether the target was full disk, free space, VM, or script;
if the machine can no longer boot either system, use prepared recovery media rather than experimenting with EFI files.

The normal post-install omarchy debug command is useful only after a bootable Omarchy system exists. Before that point, preserve installer output and hardware details instead of claiming a successful installation.

Installer finished but the first reboot failed

Remove the USB only after the installer reports completion.
If the installer opens again, select the internal disk from the UEFI menu.
At disk unlock, use the installation encryption password; Bluetooth keyboards do not work at this pre-boot stage.
If Windows disappeared from a dual-boot menu, first confirm Windows Boot Manager still exists in UEFI. After Omarchy boots, use the documented limine-scan flow rather than overwriting EFI files.
If the system boots but the desktop, network, display, or login fails, continue with the post-install troubleshooting guide.

What to collect before asking for help

computer model, CPU architecture, GPU, storage vendor and capacity;
Omarchy ISO source and download date;
USB writing tool and whether validation passed;
full-disk, free-space, VM, unattended, or Arch-script path;
exact last successful screen and complete error;
whether formatting had started and whether Windows or the old OS still boots;
one clear photo with serial numbers, usernames, Wi-Fi names, IPs, mount paths, and tokens redacted.

Return to the Omarchy manual install guide to compare installation paths. Sources: Omarchy Getting Started, Dual Boot Install, and Troubleshooting.