It’s possible (likely, in my opinion) that any (or all) of the points made may have contributed to your issue.
Whether or not you agree is of no consequence. Even as a computer user the recommended utilisation amount is been something I have been aware of for some thirty years, if not more.
The 75% I mentioned was a generalism. You referred to a 75%-80% range, which is in fact the range usually suggested, and this suggests to me that you are already aware of it, and simply wish to dismiss the idea because it’s inconvenient.
It’s your computer, and that’s your choice.
I also multiboot Linux and Windows – along with BSD and MacOS, in some cases – and have done so long before UEFI became a thing.
There is no suggestion not to have a shared partition between Linux and Windows, simply for transferring files between one and the other; as long as that partition is not the Windows system drive (C:), of course.
Using NTFS for the purpose is fine if one accepts the ongoing maintenance requirements of the proprietary filesystem, though EXFAT is often suggested as an alternative due to it’s relatively uncomplicated demeanor. Linux filesystem drivers for NTFS, however, are reverse-engineered and should be considered beta quality, at best.
M$ released EXFAT to open-source (in 2019) and since then it is fast becoming the defacto standard for USB drives, due to its relatively low overhead and not being subject to the file size limitation inherent in FAT32 (the filesystem EXFAT was originally based on).
Which of these to use? It seems there are many opinions. I use NTFS for the purpose, as I’m aware of its limitations in a Linux environment, and take preventative measures to mimimise issues resulting from its use. NTFS is also my preference due to it being a journaled filesystem which allows the potential for file recovery (in a Windows environment), wherease EXFAT does not.
Again, it comes down to user choice, and acceptance that sooner or later issues will raise their ugly heads when using a foreign file system in Linux.
While I do not intend performing research for you, the following article might be of some, at least, related interest:
Did you try checking the NTFS partition for consistency using chkdsk as previously suggested (in Windows)?
As a possible contributor to the problem, no, it likely will not solve it directly; however, limiting peers should help at some level.
Yes, that is often the narrative I’ve also seen in random forum posts since the introduction of SSD as a viable storage alternative. At face value the argument is sound; until it isn’t.
When running comparatively low on storage and general system resources, which can happen without you necessarily being aware of it, virtual memory may need to be used. In Linux, that is a swap file or partition. If you don’t have this configured, and it suddenly becomes needed, your system may crash; or come to a halt.
You requested information about swap space:
- Manjaro Swap
- Swap (ArchWiki)
Of course, you need sufficient storage space for swap to be effective, even if it’s a dynamic file and not a dedicated partition; which brings me back to:
Looking at your general disk allocation, and practice of over-utilising the storage capacities you have, I suggest that more storage space, and/or moving infrequently used (particularly large) files to removable storage, might well be beneficial.
While these observations may not directly solve the immediate issue, they may certainly help. I hope you draw something useful from them.
Cheers.