Windows installation tool crashing

[HeavenAintClose]

Hi there.

 

specs:

b350-prime (asus)

1600x

2060s

500gb wd blue m.2

2tb samsung ssd

2tb seagate hdd

1tb wd black hdd

2*8gb corsair vengeance lpx @ 3000

 

Issue:

 

Issue started a few days ago when windows refused to start, it is installed on my M.2 drive with the path letter "C". The motherboard insisted that SATA port 2 was my OS, which is my F drive, I checked and it had remenants of windows on it, but no core functionality, just program files from an old machine. Sometimes windows would successfully boot 90% of the time it wouldn't so i chose to reset it. I disconnected my seagate and samsung drives and reset the PC, this failed via the tool and for some reason claimed to write the log file to "F:/WINDOWS ....", F is not my boot drive, however it used to be. I have now wiped both drives and im using an NTFS ISO that ive made twice now to boot to, however it keeps either:

 

a) not booting to the install tool (despite being top of the uefi boot table and manually booted)

b) crashing on the motherboard logo screen

c) crashing mid install

 

Solutions I've tried:

- fat32 iso

- ntfs iso

- changing out ram, single channel, one stick etc

- trying to install to a different drive

 

cannot find anything online that sounds anything like this and I think I'll need to replace the motherboard, but at that point ill probs go to a b550 and need a new cpu so £500 later. I am open to just replace it if I need to, but I want to run by you guys first.

 

Thx

[Bombastinator]

So with both internal derives wiped you’re booting off I would assume a USB stick which you are referring to as “the installation media”

Possibilities that occur to me:

A) there’s something wrong with the stick (assuming you used the same stick both times)

B) there’s something wrong with the ISO (assuming you created it the same way both times) 

C) there’s something wrong with the controller that is booting the stick (this strikes me as unlikely)

 

what happens if you disconnect the f drive entirely? Does it suddenly work?

Are either the C: or F: on old HDDs by any chance?

[HeavenAintClose]

1 hour ago, Bombastinator said:

So with both internal derives wiped you’re booting off I would assume a USB stick which you are referring to as “the installation media”

Possibilities that occur to me:

A) there’s something wrong with the stick (assuming you used the same stick both times)

B) there’s something wrong with the ISO (assuming you created it the same way both times) 

C) there’s something wrong with the controller that is booting the stick (this strikes me as unlikely)

 

what happens if you disconnect the f drive entirely? Does it suddenly work?

Are either the C: or F: on old HDDs by any chance?

Ok so the stick is brand new, just out of the box 6 hours ago as I didn't have a viable one beforehand.

For ISO creation, I'm using the windows media creation tool, selecting default options (englishuk, 64bit) and running it as USB.

It appears that sometimes my keyboard and mouse do not turn on with the PC, and that on freeze they turn off too, which leads me to believe that the USB controller is borked.

 

C is on the m.2 (or at least, it should be) and F is on the WD HDD, which is quite old.

 

Disconnecting the C and running only with F makes it to the install screen,

Disconnecting F and running with only C has made it to the install screen, where the screen then goes blank and the keyboard lights go out, but the mouse lights are still on and the PC is still running.

[Bombastinator]

5 minutes ago, HeavenAintClose said:

Ok so the stick is brand new, just out of the box 6 hours ago as I didn't have a viable one beforehand.

For ISO creation, I'm using the windows media creation tool, selecting default options (englishuk, 64bit) and running it as USB.

It appears that sometimes my keyboard and mouse do not turn on with the PC, and that on freeze they turn off too, which leads me to believe that the USB controller is borked.

 

C is on the m.2 (or at least, it should be) and F is on the WD HDD, which is quite old.

 

Disconnecting the C and running only with F makes it to the install screen,

Disconnecting F and running with only C has made it to the install screen, where the screen then goes blank and the keyboard lights go out, but the mouse lights are still on and the PC is still running.

Might be the better part of valor to do a crystal disk on the drives just to be sure.  Good chance they’ll come back fine. 

[HeavenAintClose]

12 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Might be the better part of valor to do a crystal disk on the drives just to be sure.  Good chance they’ll come back fine. 

Unfortunately I don't have any way of doing so, my only other machine right now is a laptop hehe. I've been repeatedly plugging in and pulling out sata, usb and other connectors for the past 6-7 hours, I reckon I'll be buying replacements now lol, good excuse for an upgrade.

[HeavenAintClose]

Update

 

Just tried to install linux mint, it threw out a kernel error that relates to failed install media, aka that the USB is the issue. I am currently in the process of getting another usb, we shall see how this goes....

 

[HeavenAintClose]

No luck with another USB.

 

I've ordered a B550 and 5600, will let you guys know what happens when I transplant it tmrw.

[Bombastinator]

35 minutes ago, HeavenAintClose said:

No luck with another USB.

 

I've ordered a B550 and 5600, will let you guys know what happens when I transplant it tmrw.

Unless it’s the creation tool produced install is bad in some way I would suspect the motherboard first.  The cpu is easier to check though because install is simpler. It is possible you will be returning at least one of those items. 

[HeavenAintClose]

49 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Unless it’s the creation tool produced install is bad in some way I would suspect the motherboard first.  The cpu is easier to check though because install is simpler. It is possible you will be returning at least one of those items. 

Unfortunately I can't return one without the other because of compatibility, if its mobo then I'll need the newer CPU, if its CPU ill need the newer chipset. Best to kill both with one stone.

[dilpickle]

Did you run memtest.

[Bombastinator]

4 hours ago, HeavenAintClose said:

Unfortunately I can't return one without the other because of compatibility, if its mobo then I'll need the newer CPU, if its CPU ill need the newer chipset. Best to kill both with one stone.

i thought this is ryzen so it’s all am4. Ahhh.  The whole bios thing…. You’d need a bios on the board that ram both ryzen1 and ryzen 3 and there isn’t one so even though it’s pin compatible there will be an issue with compatible bios.  That might be a hard “can’t get there from here” issue depending on return requirements and which board you got.

[Bombastinator]

3 hours ago, dilpickle said:

Did you run memtest.

He’d have the same problem there as with crystal disk.  Not the worst idea though.

[HeavenAintClose]

10 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

i thought this is ryzen so it’s all am4. Ahhh.  The whole bios thing…. You’d need a bios on the board that ram both ryzen1 and ryzen 3 and there isn’t one so even though it’s pin compatible there will be an issue with compatible bios.  That might be a hard “can’t get there from here” issue depending on return requirements and which board you got.

Nah 1st gen just straight up doesn't support b550 chipsets afaik, its okay tho.

 

5 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

He’d have the same problem there as with crystal disk.  Not the worst idea though.

Surprisingly not, they make a bootable USB distro that I'm running as we speak.

[Bombastinator]

3 minutes ago, HeavenAintClose said:

Nah 1st gen just straight up doesn't support b550 chipsets afaik, its okay tho.

 

Surprisingly not, they make a bootable USB distro that I'm running as we speak.

Running memtest?  

[HeavenAintClose]

12 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Running memtest?  

Yeah thats just hit me too. Its running memtest just fine, the USBs haven't failed or anything, the memtest has been going for 22 mins now and no issues have arised yet. but why tf it wont run the windows launcher idk. I'll use a different laptop to create the image next. 

[HeavenAintClose]

Okay memtest has reached 30mins without fault and im bored so I've created an ISO file to "burn to a disc" that in truth im going to burn to the USB manually and see what happens.

[Bombastinator]

Just now, HeavenAintClose said:

Okay memtest has reached 30mins without fault and im bored so I've created an ISO file to "burn to a disc" that in truth im going to burn to the USB manually and see what happens.

Memtest takes as long as it takes depending on how much memory there is to test, which means it could be up to several hours.  To make it even more fun, it may require several full runs to be in any way definitive.  It is just slow.  Generally something someone runs overnight. 

[HeavenAintClose]

1 minute ago, Bombastinator said:

Memtest takes as long as it takes depending on how much memory there is to test, which means it could be up to several hours.  To make it even more fun, it may require several full runs to be in any way definitive.  It is just slow.  Generally something someone runs overnight. 

yeah I gave up, altho im sure its not mem because the thing ran and the mb didnt reset, I think its the windows install. I'm trying to burn the iso manually then I'll try a different laptop.

[Bombastinator]

12 minutes ago, HeavenAintClose said:

Yeah thats just hit me too. Its running memtest just fine, the USBs haven't failed or anything, the memtest has been going for 22 mins now and no issues have arised yet. but why tf it wont run the windows launcher idk. I'll use a different laptop to create the image next. 

Memtest is a fairly primitive program.  The one often used is memtest86 (as in 1986).  As such it would predate things like USB and just ignore large sections of modern windows. It may not be running into a problem because it just doesn’t go where the problem is.

[HeavenAintClose]

3 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Memtest is a fairly primitive program.  The one often used is memtest86 (as in 1986).  As such it would predate things like USB and just ignore large sections of modern windows. It may not be running into a problem because it just doesn’t go where the problem is.

Fair point, I'll try the windows iso one more time and then just change out the parts. If that doesn't work, I'll refund and start changing out parts till something works lmao

[HeavenAintClose]

The above didn't work.

 

Okay time for a recuperation:

 

What we've ruled out:

-GPU (its just not gonna be that lol)

-PSU (runs fine, will run stuff, just not windows)

-RAM (tried the whole single channel each slot on different sticks and all that)

-Hard drives (all wiped, tried different ones)

-USB (tried 2 USBs)

-Windows media creation tool (tried two installs on two laptops)

 

What the probable issue is:

-mobo (new one on the way)

 

what it could be:

-CPU (new one required for mb anyways)

 

I'm finished for the night, my replacements will be here within the next 23 hours, if anyone has any ideas before then do let me know.

[HeavenAintClose]

Memtest passed with flying colours, 6hrs 4 passes. Installing the MB and CPU now.

[HeavenAintClose]

Hello my dear fellows!

After a very painful Motherboard transplant, and what is the worst cooler design I've ever seen...

 

IT IS ALIVE!

 

Turns out that it was the motherboard.

 

My thanks to you all!

[Bombastinator]

18 minutes ago, HeavenAintClose said:

Hello my dear fellows!

After a very painful Motherboard transplant, and what is the worst cooler design I've ever seen...

 

IT IS ALIVE!

 

Turns out that it was the motherboard.

 

My thanks to you all!

What cooler?