I’m preparing an Acer Nitro ANV16‑41 for Qubes OS and would like to set up a dual-boot configuration alongside Windows 11. Windows is currently installed on Disk C (1TB), and I plan to allocate around 300GB from Disk D (2TB) for Qubes OS while keeping the remaining space available for Windows data.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find this model listed in the Qubes Hardware Compatibility List, so I’m reaching out for help or insights from anyone with experience on similar hardware.
TPM: Present and enabled (TPM/TCM state: Installed, Enabled)
Secure Boot: Disabled
What I’ve done so far
Updated BIOS using Acer’s official tool (BitLocker suspended during update)
Backed up BitLocker recovery key and verified BIOS updater via VirusTotal (1/59 detections, downloaded from acer.com)
Set a Supervisor password to unlock advanced BIOS options
Switched BIOS Display Mode to NVIDIA GPU Only
What I can’t find in the BIOS
No visible options for IOMMU / AMD‑Vi / VT‑d , SVM / AMD‑V / Virtualization Technology , or similar CPU virtualization features
Checked all relevant sections (Advanced, Security, etc.) — still only see “Storage Device Configuration” and “Display Mode” under Advanced
Help requested
Has anyone successfully installed Qubes OS on this model or similar Acer Nitro laptops with Ryzen 7000/8000 series and NVIDIA 40xx GPUs?
Could the firmware be hiding IOMMU/SVM options based on SKU? Any known methods to reveal them (besides setting a Supervisor password)?
If BIOS options are missing, how can I confirm from a live Linux environment or Qubes dom0 whether IOMMU/SVM is active and usable?
Should I stick with NVIDIA GPU Only or revert to Optimus for better compatibility with Qubes? I’d appreciate insights on tradeoffs (USB‑C video, thermal behavior, passthrough, etc.)
If anyone has working kernel parameters, EFI tweaks, or other setup notes for similar hardware, I’d love to see them
Thanks in advance — any tips, scripts, or example outputs would be greatly appreciated!
Queboss answer is incorrect.
It possible to dual and even more boot with QubesOS.
Your laptop may work well with last 4.3rc3 with kernel latest.
I not familiar with with Acer laptops bios, you may google for it in relation to any virtualization questions - in technical perspective to run Qubes is same technical requirements as to run VMware or Hyper-V (same technology used).
Check this two things first, there is many simple things to set and check before you dive into nvidia only question and kernel.
Thanks so much for your reply! I’m currently debating whether to go with version 4.2.4, which is the latest stable release, or try out 4.3rc3 like you said. I know 4.2.4 is officially stable, but 4.3rc3 introduces several interesting improvements—especially around anonymity. For example:
Disallowing files, URLs, or any application from Whonix-Workstation qubes to be opened in non-Whonix disposable.
Preventing users from changing their Whonix Workstation qubes’ netvm to sys-firewall (or other clearnet netvms) to avoid IP leaks.
These updates are listed in the release notes and they sound pretty compelling.
Right now, I use Whonix with VirtualBox on Windows 11, but one of the main reasons I’m interested in Qubes OS is to run Whonix inside it—which I assume would be a lot safer than relying on VirtualBox in a Windows environment. That said, I read the Qubes documentation about multi-boot setups, and it seems like having another OS on the same machine could compromise the firmware or other components of Qubes OS. I’m wondering how serious that risk really is. I get that they have to warn users because dual-booting can’t be guaranteed to be 100% secure, but if I avoid downloading anything risky on Windows, maybe the threat is lower? Then again, I guess it’s hard to detect a compromised OS…
Anyway, here’s what I’ve done so far:
Verified the ISO signatures following this page —everything checks out.
Backed up both of my disks using Macrium Reflect.
Now I just need to decide which version to install… and I’m still torn.
Hey there, thanks a lot for your reply! I tried setting up the dual boot with QubesOS, but I ran into a couple of issues:
I still couldn’t find any IOMMU/virtualization options in the BIOS, even after pressing Ctrl+S in the Advanced tab.
When I booted from my USB stick to install QubesOS (I downloaded 4.3rc3 as you suggested), I selected the “latest kernel” option, but the system dropped into a completely black screen with no further progress.
Do you know if there are any hidden BIOS tricks specific to Acer laptops, or kernel parameters that might help bypass the black screen? I’d be happy to test out any suggestions.
EDIT: I just came across the installation troubleshooting notes, which mention:
Use a different USB drive. Some laptops cannot boot from external devices larger than 8GB. If you encounter a black screen during installation, try using a USB drive smaller than 8GB, or create a FAT32 partition under 8GB. Note that the Qubes image is over 4GB, so it may not fit on very small drives.
In my case, the USB stick I used is 32GB, written with Rufus in DD image mode. I’m not sure how to create a partition under 8GB for this purpose
UPDATE: After months I decided to give Qubes OS a try again AND I finally got Qubes R4.3.0 running on my Acer Nitro!
First the installation went good, I didnt encounter problems for installing, only thing since i used rufus I couldnt use the option to TEST and then install as written here Trouble installing QubesOS from USB - #3 by apparatus
I wanted to share exactly how I solved the boot issues on this hardware (Ryzen 7 8845HS / RTX 4060):
Kernel choice: I am using Kernel 6.12.59-1. I tried updating to latest (6.17) specifically to see if it would help with external monitor support, but it resulted in a black screen and wouldn’t boot at all, so I’m sticking with 6.12.
The USB-C Hub / Boot Loop Issue: Since this laptop only has 2 standard USB ports, I have to use a multiport USB-C adapter for my mouse and Focusrite Scarlett audio interface.
The Problem: If I started the PC with the USB-C hub plugged in, it would crash and reboot immediately after entering the disk encryption password (boot loop). If I detached the hub before starting, it booted fine.
The Fix: I solved this by disabling “autostart” for sys-usb. Now I can leave the hub plugged in at boot; I just log in to the desktop first and then start sys-usb manually. This prevents the crash, and everything (audio interface, mouse, etc.) works perfectly.
External Monitor & BIOS: I tried switching the BIOS to “NVIDIA-GPU only” mode to get the HDMI port working (since it’s wired to the Nvidia card). However, the BIOS gave a warning that USB-C functionality would be limited/disabled in that mode, and it didn’t help with the boot stability, anyways anything I tried didn’t work so I went back to Optimus mode.
Current Status: The only remaining limitation is the external monitor, which I’m not using for now.
