Windows Install Causing Failed Boot

[aaaaaaaaah]

Hi, 

Ever since upgrading from a 2060 to a 3070 about a year ago I've been experiencing random crashes. 

The issue got progressively worse, and on multiple occasions after a crash I had to reseat the RAM, GPU and reset the CMOS battery to get it to boot again. 

I had to do this again on Sunday, when I got back from two months away from home to find it wouldn't boot. 

Finally last night it crashed again while playing Oblivion Remastered (potentially related as its a new release? especially given Bethesda's history)

 

I think I've been able to isolate it to a software issue. I replaced the GPU power cable, tested RAM slots, etc. and found no hardware issues. 

My motherboard has an LED indicator for CPU, RAM, GPU, then BOOT, and its indicating a successful boot, one after the other. 

But just after the Aorus logo shows up on screen, the PC crashes again.

So I opened BIOS and couldn't find any issues - boot drives in the right order, all hardware shows up properly, etc. 

On my next restart I tried to open the BOOT menu instead of BIOS, but it crashed too quickly.

I restarted again and opened BOOT menu, and chose the Windows Boot Manager for my Samsung 970 Evo install drive, and it crashed again. 

 

So I got on my laptop and created a Windows Install drive out of an old USB stick. Apparently you can use those instead of the recovery tools and reinstall windows while keeping your files?

I turned my PC on with only my monitor, Windows Install USB, and my keyboard connected. But instead of the Aorus logo popping up with the BIOS button options, there was a loading circle below the Aorus logo, and text saying "Starting Automatic Repair". It stayed loading for a few seconds before crashing again. 

Now whenever I turn my PC on the same loading circle is there below the Aorus logo, but with no text anymore, before the PC crashes. 

 

Any help? Advice? Would be greatly appreciated. I really don't know what to do anymore. 

[aaaaaaaaah]

Full specs list: 

Ryzen 7 3700x w/ Stock Cooler

Gigabyte Aorus B550 Pro Ac Wifi

MSI RTX 3070 Gaming Trio 8GB

32gb Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3200mhz 

Corsair RM650x PSU 

1tb Samsung 970 Evo Boot Drive

1tb Crucial P3 m.2 

4tb Seagate HDD

 

[Biohazard777]

22 minutes ago, aaaaaaaaah said:

I turned my PC on with only my monitor, Windows Install USB, and my keyboard connected. But instead of the Aorus logo popping up with the BIOS button options, there was a loading circle below the Aorus logo, and text saying "Starting Automatic Repair". It stayed loading for a few seconds before crashing again. 

Now whenever I turn my PC on the same loading circle is there below the Aorus logo, but with no text anymore, before the PC crashes. 

 

Any help? Advice? Would be greatly appreciated. I really don't know what to do anymore. 

The loading circle means you are past BIOS and it is trying to load your OS, which is borked.
Check your boot order (so that the flash is 1st), if that is good then create windows installation media again (obviously on a working PC), if you still can't run Windows setup - at that point try a different flash.

[aaaaaaaaah]

26 minutes ago, Biohazard777 said:

The loading circle means you are past BIOS and it is trying to load your OS, which is borked.
Check your boot order (so that the flash is 1st), if that is good then create windows installation media again (obviously on a working PC), if you still can't run Windows setup - at that point try a different flash.

Thanks for the reply. My keyboard is wireless, and is no longer being detected by my PC even when I have the wireless dongle and the wired USB cable connected. Is there any way to open BIOS and change the boot order without a keyboard? Or should I just try a different drive at this point?

[Biohazard777]

15 minutes ago, aaaaaaaaah said:

Is there any way to open BIOS and change the boot order without a keyboard? Or should I just try a different drive at this point?

It will probably be faster to just try a different flash drive.

You could unplug your boot drive (970 Evo, obsiouly while the PC is off), it won't go past POST since there is nothing left to boot from, maybe then you could enter BIOS, but I am not sure if your KB will work then and if it does -> you'll be setting boot order with a drive missing, which can change again once you put 970 Evo back.
You could also reset CMOS, but that will wipe all your BIOS settings... and again not sure if that will set your flash drive as the 1st option.

I'd personally dig out an old wired KB / borrow one / buy one.

EDIT: you sure your wireless KB isn't detected, maybe the timout to enter BIOS is comcially low, try mashing quickly as soon as you power on the PC.

[aaaaaaaaah]

1 hour ago, Biohazard777 said:

It will probably be faster to just try a different flash drive.

You could unplug your boot drive (970 Evo, obsiouly while the PC is off), it won't go past POST since there is nothing left to boot from, maybe then you could enter BIOS, but I am not sure if your KB will work then and if it does -> you'll be setting boot order with a drive missing, which can change again once you put 970 Evo back.
You could also reset CMOS, but that will wipe all your BIOS settings... and again not sure if that will set your flash drive as the 1st option.

I'd personally dig out an old wired KB / borrow one / buy one.

EDIT: you sure your wireless KB isn't detected, maybe the timout to enter BIOS is comcially low, try mashing quickly as soon as you power on the PC.

Thanks, 

Yes positive my keyboard wasn't connected, it has an LED that flashes when its disconnected and solid when connected.

I popped the CMOS battery out again and am using a wired keyboard. 

Afterwards when I first turned my PC on, I watched the LED indicator get stuck on 'BOOT'. My monitor stayed asleep though, and after a minute or two stuck like that I restarted. 

That time I was able to get into BIOS, chose the UEFI labelled USB drive as my boot drive, and saved and exited.

Then the Aorus logo popped up with no loading screen and no text, and stayed on just long enough to give me hope before it crashed again. 

I don't have another USB drive big enough to create a Windows Install tool, and I doubt I could get one as today is a public holiday in Australia. Any other advice? And thank you again

[Biohazard777]

43 minutes ago, aaaaaaaaah said:

That time I was able to get into BIOS, chose the UEFI labelled USB drive as my boot drive, and saved and exited.
I don't have another USB drive big enough to create a Windows Install tool, and I doubt I could get one as today is a public holiday in Australia. Any other advice? And thank you again

You are welcome.
Heh some progress at last.
Well, you could try re-creating the windows installation media on the flash drive you already have.
Another thing to try is using Rufus instead of the Windows Media Creation tool to create that bootable USB. It should go without saying, download the Windows ISO from the official Microsoft website.

[jmwhite33]

On 4/24/2025 at 6:29 PM, aaaaaaaaah said:

Hi, 

Ever since upgrading from a 2060 to a 3070 about a year ago I've been experiencing random crashes. 

The issue got progressively worse, and on multiple occasions after a crash I had to reseat the RAM, GPU and reset the CMOS battery to get it to boot again. 

 

Hmmm, any chance that the new GPU is stressing the MOBO? You say problems slowly began to spring up after upgrading, so Occams Razor may apply here.

I'm assuming it's tower case and that the new GPU is a bit heavier than the old one.

If there are micro cracks in the traces/MOBO they may not cause any issues until things heat up and natural heat expansion causes it to short/lose connection?

I've seen that twice before, once from an impact on the MOBO, other time because MOBO warped due to weight of CPU heatsink.

[Gtip_pro]

Well check for UEFI vs Legacy Conflicts