Messed up Windows installation on new build

[Sigfried]

Specs:

 

Ryzen 5 5600x

 

Tuf Gaming b450 plus 2

 

Samsung Evo 970 Plus (nvme ssd)

 

 

I just finished building a PC for a friend, build went perfectly, booted at first try, Windows installation also went perfectly.

We logged in windows and launched settings to do the additional driver updating and rebooting, that's when disaster struck... I think...

 

I forgot to remove the USB stick containing the Win installer from the BIOS port and I believe the PC tried to do stuff with it while performing its various reboots.

 

Now When I try to boot the computer turns on, I can always reach BIOS settings, but it does not reach windows.

 

I'm afraid (and almost sure) the m.2 is still littered with pieces of windows so I can't perform a clean install on it.

 

 

What do I do?  

[johnno23]

just place the thumb drive and boot from there and reinstall windows again it will allow you to do that. if there is any residue form other installs they just get shifted to a folder marked as old windows and can safely be dumped afterwards. I have not had to install fresh for a long time now so possibly you might not even have that issue anymore. 

[Sigfried]

3 minutes ago, johnno23 said:

just place the thumb drive and boot from there and reinstall windows again it will allow you to do that. any residue form other installs just get shifted to a folder marked as old windows and can safely be dumped afterwards

I tried, when it's asking where to install, It shows me the partitions of the m.2 drive, saying I can't install there

[jaslion]

Just now, Sigfried said:

I tried, when it's asking where to install, It shows me the partitions of the m.2 drive, saying I can't install there

Delete the partitions and start again

[Sigfried]

2 minutes ago, jaslion said:

Delete the partitions and start again

How? I can't reach windows.

 

Wait you mean with the red x button? Is it safe to delete all of them?

[C2dan88]

3 minutes ago, Sigfried said:

How? I can't reach windows.

From the installer. The part where it asks where to install windows, it will list all partitions on the drive, Select one at a time and click the Delete button. 

To install windows choose the unallocated space

 

Tip: You can remove the usb thumb drive after the first boot. It does not need to be left in for setting up Windows

[Sigfried]

5 minutes ago, C2dan88 said:

From the installer. The part where it asks where to install windows, it will list all partitions on the drive, Select one at a time and click the Delete button. 

To install windows choose the unallocated space

 

Tip: You can remove the usb thumb drive after the first boot.

Is it safe to delete all of them?

because I remember there being 3, two smaller ones and a fourhundred-something one, (the m.2 is 500gb) I deleted the smaller ones but I was not allowed to install in the 400 one, is is safe to delete that one too?

[aledsav1]

delete the lot, some will not delete so move to the nx one and just continue until only one left

[C2dan88]

Yes. Windows typically sets up three partitions

• EFI boot parittion
• Windows data partition (aka C: drive)
• WinRE (recovery partition

To reinstall, all three should be deleted.

[Sigfried]

Just now, C2dan88 said:

Yes. Windows typically sets up three partitions

• EFI boot parittion
• Windows data partition (aka C: drive)
• WinRE (recovery partition

To reinstall, all three should be deleted.

Thanks, just to be absolutely sure, I delete them all, then I select the C: big one and chose that one?

 

Then once I'm in windows I pluck out the thumb drive? Or before that?

[aledsav1]

you will be left with only 1 which will be the whole drive though it will show less than 500g this is normal, if it does not let you install onto that, thought should do! then create new partition and format both partitions and then delete again so you are left with just 1 again, then install

[aledsav1]

2 minutes ago, Sigfried said:

Thanks, just to be absolutely sure, I delete them all, then I select the C: big one and chose that one?

 

Then once I'm in windows I pluck out the thumb drive? Or before that?

yes and once windows is installed, it wil get to the point where it will shut down or restart in some seconds, as soon as it shuts down/restarts remove usb

[jaslion]

22 minutes ago, Sigfried said:

How? I can't reach windows.

 

Wait you mean with the red x button? Is it safe to delete all of them?

Yes

[Sigfried]

4 hours ago, C2dan88 said:

 

• Windows data partition (aka C: drive)

To reinstall, all three should be deleted.

I just remembered, there was something weird going on.
I was able to delete the small ones, but the big one.. there was an issue, It either didn't delete, or didn't allow me to install after "deletion"

[Sigfried]

16 hours ago, C2dan88 said:

Yes. Windows typically sets up three partitions

• EFI boot parittion
• Windows data partition (aka C: drive)
• WinRE (recovery partition

To reinstall, all three should be deleted.

done, now Windows is installed and has begun Its driver updates.

Thepc has rebooted but the screen is still off, is this to be expected?