united-states oregon warranties warranty
Can installing Linux on a computer void its warranty for a hardware problem that is obviously entirely unrelated to software?
<p>I bought a new Windows laptop recently and immediately disabled Secure Boot and installed Linux. Today, a screw fell out of the laptop. Obviously, installing Linux had absolutely nothing to do with this. Could the company refuse warranty service because I installed Linux? Of course they can't if the agreement says they can't, but if it says they can, is there any law (e.g. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) that would override the agreement?</p>

<p>In the USA the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 defines the rights consumers have with respect to product warranties.</p>
<p>In your case the change you made would have to have a direct cause-and-effect relationship to the problem for that specific claim to be denied.  For example if you installed a non-supported hardware item and it pulled excess power which damaged the power supply, the manufacturer may be able to deny the claim due to your use of an incompatible accessory.</p>
<p>The idea that installing Linux has any relationship to a case issue (i.e. the screw) is pretty far-fetched so there should be no question that the change is totally unrelated to the problem.</p>
<p>The law supersedes any language in a specific product warranty agreement that tries to circumvent it.  The FTC recently warned some manufacturers, including Harley-Davidson, for violations of the Act.  Note:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/06/ftc-takes-action-against-harley-davidson-westinghouse-illegally-restricting-customers-right-repair-0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">FTC and Harley-Davidson</a></p>
