Jump to content

Why is Windows 10's installer so picky?

BlargKing
By BlargKing
in Windows
 Share
Posted

So this has been a struggle this evening. Trying to go from Windows 8.1 to 10 on my desktop. I had Windows 10 on this machine before, but I put Windows 8 back on out of spite after Microsoft forced Candy Crush onto my machine without asking. Anyways I want Windows 10 back on because my laptop has it and I like everything to be similar across my machines.

 

So I make an installer USB using Microsofts own tool and after 6 attempts the useless effing installer still freezes at a random point during "Getting files ready for installation". I've unplugged my RAID array, and every non-essential bit of hardware. All thats left is my GPU, WiFi card (the wifi card has native 10 drivers) keyboard, and mouse. Im using a generic USB 3 flash drive. I've also tried using a generic USB 2.0 flash drive to no avail. As Im typing this (on my laptop) its been sitting at 10% for 10 minutes now.

 

My install method is to delete all the partitions of the OS SSD, then let the installer create a new set of clean partitions.

 

Like what the holy hell is wrong with the Windows 10 installer? I remember going through a similar shitstorm last time I installed Windows 10, only last time unplugging my 4 1TB HDDs solved the problem. 

 

I've installed Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on this machine multiple times and none of the installers ever give me this much grief. 

 

All I can think of left is to burn a Windows 10 DVD installer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

When installing windows all drives should be unplugged except the one that the OS is going on.

NEW PC build: Blank Heaven   minimalist white and black PC     Old S340 build log "White Heaven"        The "LIGHTCANON" flashlight build log        Project AntiRoll (prototype)        Custom speaker project

Spoiler

Ryzen 3950X | AMD Vega Frontier Edition | ASUS X570 Pro WS | Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB | NZXT H500 | Seasonic Prime Fanless TX-700 | Custom loop | Coolermaster SK630 White | Logitech MX Master 2S | Samsung 980 Pro 1TB + 970 Pro 512GB | Samsung 58" 4k TV | Scarlett 2i4 | 2x AT2020

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author
Just now, Enderman said:

When installing windows all drives should be unplugged except the one that the OS is going on.

As I said I've done that. It still wont work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
Just now, BlargKing said:

As I said I've done that. It still wont work.

Have you tried waiting more than 10 minutes?

And trying a different USB port?

NEW PC build: Blank Heaven   minimalist white and black PC     Old S340 build log "White Heaven"        The "LIGHTCANON" flashlight build log        Project AntiRoll (prototype)        Custom speaker project

Spoiler

Ryzen 3950X | AMD Vega Frontier Edition | ASUS X570 Pro WS | Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB | NZXT H500 | Seasonic Prime Fanless TX-700 | Custom loop | Coolermaster SK630 White | Logitech MX Master 2S | Samsung 980 Pro 1TB + 970 Pro 512GB | Samsung 58" 4k TV | Scarlett 2i4 | 2x AT2020

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted

You can remove Modern UI apps from Windows 10 if you so desire.

"It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out." - Carl Sagan.

"I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you" - Edward I. Koch

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author
Just now, Enderman said:

Have you tried waiting more than 10 minutes?

And trying a different USB port?

No I decide to post on the forum before trying the obvious things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
2 minutes ago, BlargKing said:

No I decide to post on the forum before trying the obvious things.

Ok? Then go try the obvious things.

Try installing on a different drive, check the SSD condition with SMART, try clearing the cmos, etc...

NEW PC build: Blank Heaven   minimalist white and black PC     Old S340 build log "White Heaven"        The "LIGHTCANON" flashlight build log        Project AntiRoll (prototype)        Custom speaker project

Spoiler

Ryzen 3950X | AMD Vega Frontier Edition | ASUS X570 Pro WS | Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB | NZXT H500 | Seasonic Prime Fanless TX-700 | Custom loop | Coolermaster SK630 White | Logitech MX Master 2S | Samsung 980 Pro 1TB + 970 Pro 512GB | Samsung 58" 4k TV | Scarlett 2i4 | 2x AT2020

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author
Just now, Enderman said:

Ok? Then go try the obvious things.

Try installing on a different drive, check the SSD condition with SMART, try clearing the cmos, etc...

I was being sarcastic. I've tried all the obvious things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
13 minutes ago, BlargKing said:

So this has been a struggle this evening. Trying to go from Windows 8.1 to 10 on my desktop. I had Windows 10 on this machine before, but I put Windows 8 back on out of spite after Microsoft forced Candy Crush onto my machine without asking. Anyways I want Windows 10 back on because my laptop has it and I like everything to be similar across my machines.

These apps (Candy Crush, etc), are actually not installed. They get installed once you click on them. They are really links. You can just unpin them. Even if you click on them, Universal Applications are nicely sandbox, so when you uninstall an app, all traces of it is gone from your system, so you remain with a very clean install.

 

 

13 minutes ago, BlargKing said:

So I make an installer USB using Microsofts own tool and after 6 attempts the useless effing installer still freezes at a random point during "Getting files ready for installation". I've unplugged my RAID array, and every non-essential bit of hardware. All thats left is my GPU, WiFi card (the wifi card has native 10 drivers) keyboard, and mouse. Im using a generic USB 3 flash drive. I've also tried using a generic USB 2.0 flash drive to no avail. As Im typing this (on my laptop) its been sitting at 10% for 10 minutes now.

  • Make sure your BIOS/UEFI is fully updated.
  • Include your SATA or RAID Controller drivers (zip version, extracted into a folder), depending on what you have, on your USB flash drive, where you have the Windows 10 install prepared.
  • Then, start Windows 10 installation process. At the screen where you pick which drive you want to install Windows, delete your Windows recovery partition if you have that, and delete your current partition where you have Windows (all content will be forever gone, so of course, I assumed you backup your stuff before starting, if not. Stop, restart your PC, and do your backup before doing anything), then pick it, form a partition and resume (Windows might create a 1 or a set of small partitions, that is fines/expected)
  • On that same screen, click on "Load Drivers", and navigate to the folder in your USB drive where you have the extracted SATA controller drivers.

This should work.

 

 

13 minutes ago, BlargKing said:

I've installed Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on this machine multiple times and none of the installers ever give me this much grief.

Wait... you had Windows 7? Is your computer fully UEFI ready? If so..then disable CSM (Compatibility Support Module) in the UEFI, if you have the option, set itself to UEFI mode, and not BIOS/Legacy mode. On your SSD, delete all partitions completely (as we need to convert it from MBR to GPT for UEFI ready-ness), install your SATA controller drivers, form the partition, pick it, and install.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author

What I don't get is I installed Windows 10 this way before and didnt have to do any of this shit. I've never touched the BIOS so I don't see how anything could be changed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author
35 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

These apps (Candy Crush, etc), are actually not installed. They get installed once you click on them. They are really links. You can just unpin them. Even if you click on them, Universal Applications are nicely sandbox, so when you uninstall an app, all traces of it is gone from your system, so you remain with a very clean install.

 

 

  • Make sure your BIOS/UEFI is fully updated.
  • Include your SATA or RAID Controller drivers (zip version, extracted into a folder), depending on what you have, on your USB flash drive, where you have the Windows 10 install prepared.
  • Then, start Windows 10 installation process. At the screen where you pick which drive you want to install Windows, delete your Windows recovery partition if you have that, and delete your current partition where you have Windows (all content will be forever gone, so of course, I assumed you backup your stuff before starting, if not. Stop, restart your PC, and do your backup before doing anything), then pick it, form a partition and resume (Windows might create a 1 or a set of small partitions, that is fines/expected)
  • On that same screen, click on "Load Drivers", and navigate to the folder in your USB drive where you have the extracted SATA controller drivers.

This should work.

 

 

Wait... you had Windows 7? Is your computer fully UEFI ready? If so..then disable CSM (Compatibility Support Module) in the UEFI, if you have the option, set itself to UEFI mode, and not BIOS/Legacy mode. On your SSD, delete all partitions completely (as we need to convert it from MBR to GPT for UEFI ready-ness), install your SATA controller drivers, form the partition, pick it, and install.

I've done everything you've suggested and it still wont fucking work. What a useless shit OS they've made when its easier to install Linux than it is to install Windows. Windows 8 doesn't throw a hissy fit like this. I could have installed Windows 8 4 times in the time I've spent troubleshooting a single useless installer. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author

checklist:

- Tried multiple flash drives

- Tried multiple USB ports

- Erased SSD partitions about 10 times now

- unplugged all non-essential hardware

- Updated to the latest BIOS

- Disabled CSM

- Loaded all applicable SATA and RAID drivers

- Bashed my head into a desk and repeatedly asked myself how Microsoft ever grew this big with such a shitty OS.

- Contemplated drowning my PC in the nearby river

 

I guess I'll just re install Windows 8.1 since Windows 8.1 fucking works and isn't a broken piece of shit like Windows 10 is. Good job Microsoft. Between your shit and Apple's shit and Linux's shit were going to be fresh out of working computers in the next decade or so. Welcome to the technological dark ages.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author

Okay so 150th time the charm. Apparently my SSD was plugged into a SATA port using a 3rd party SATA controller. I plugged it into a port that used the Intel controller and hey fucking presto Windows 10 installed.

 

I don't know why Windows 8.1 worked with the ASUS SATA controller and Windows 10 doesn't. ASUS didn't provide any driver for their SATA controller which is why loading the SATA drivers didn't work.

 

What an enormous pain in the ass this whole thing was. With any luck someone else with this mystery issue will find this post and it will be able to help them. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author

Okay I was fucking wrong. Its still broken. It installed, but its completely locking the fuck up at random and its still shitting itself over the SATA controllers even though I installed all the drivers.

 

Like what the actual fuck is wrong with this autistic OS? I had Windows 10 on this exact machine before. Why the fuck is Windows 10 such a piece of shit?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted
  • Author
19 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

What are you full system specs?

Core i7 5960X

ASUS X99-A USB 3.1 (latests UEFI BIOS)

16GB Mushkin DDR4-2133 (4X 4GB)

1TB Samsung 840 EVO 

4 1TB WD Black HDDs

GeForce 780 Ti

Blu Ray drive

1000 Watt Corsair RM power supply

 

I've been digging through the manual for my motherboard. It has 8 SATA ports all running off an Intel controller. In the BIOS under storage configurations it lists 2 SATA controllers. One with 6 ports and one with 2 ports. I have my 4 1TB Drives connected to the first controller and configured in a RAID 0 array using Intel's RAID driver. My Blu Ray drive and SSD are connected to the other controller.

 

According to the manual the 2nd controller is still part of the Intel controller but cannot use Intel Rapid Storage Technology and cannot be configured in RAID.

 

I've reverted back to Windows 8.1 using my official Windows 8.1 DVD and everything works fine, so its definitely an issue with Windows 10. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing Windows

×