PC reboots as soon as it tries to boot

MTGeomancer · December 9, 2024

Having a weird issue. I'm trying to get HexOS installed and am having a problem where during setup the computer reboots. Most of the time it's nearly instantly, sometimes it's partway through installation. For a sanity check, I tried to install Windows 11 but same behavior, except it always happens nearly right away.

Some background on this PC. It's an i7-8700 with a Gigabyte H370 Aorus Gaming 3 WiFi motherboard. It has 32 GB of RAM in four 8 GB sticks. CPU cooler is the stock intel cooler. I currently only have installed a 120 GB SATA M.2 drive in the lower M.2 slot. This is my old PC that I ran Windows 11 on just fine up to a couple months ago. Power supply is a Corsair 750 watt.

The BIOS had reset while in storage, I presume because the battery is long since dead. I tried to reset everything, but not sure if I missed something. Turned off CSM, set XMP but as part of troubleshooting I turned that off. As part of troubleshooting, I also removed half the RAM, then switched over to the other half (and in the process using the other memory slots). I've tried re-seating the CPU (and checked to make sure no bent pins).

This one is stumping me. I can sit in the BIOS all day long, but as soon as I try to boot from USB to get an OS installed, it restarts.

Ideas?

MTGeomancer · December 10, 2024

Well, seem to have solved the problem myself. Dug through the basement and found an even older power supply, an Enermax Liberty PSU that I bought back in 2007 and has been in storage for at least a decade.

Issue goes away with it. Not sure of the wisdom in using a power supply that's 17 years (!) old, but hey, it works. For now.

I have a Seasonic on back order, debating canceling.