BSOD's overall performance is severely impacted, unable to execute any tasks.
BSOD's overall performance is severely impacted, unable to execute any tasks.
I was encountering numerous BSODs on my system, attempted various solutions, and am now facing a difficult situation. During these moments, the boot process would start, then display the PIN prompt on the login screen (as shown in the images). I tried reinstalling Windows 11 from a USB drive created using the media creation tool; I could boot into it, select my language, and proceed with the installation, confirming all files would be erased. The process would pause, wait, and then restart, returning to the install screen repeatedly. Initially, I used a bootable USB from a Windows 10 system, but it only recognized that drive and didn’t detect any others (as seen in the first image). After reformatting and using the creation tool on my wife’s Windows 11 machine, the same issue persisted—reinstalling itself endlessly instead of installing properly. Given that I couldn’t even reinstall the operating system, what options do I have to resolve this?
Oh, and this has been happening for about two months since I had the i9 replaced due to overheating; it functioned normally for roughly two months before things deteriorated.
Components:
- Intel i9-14700kf
- MSI Z790-P Wifi Motherboard
- Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 24GB
- 64Gb DDR5/6000MHz RAM
- Windows 11 Pro
- 4TB Kingston SNV2S/4000G SSD
- 2x 8TB Seagate Ironwolf Pro SATA 3
- Corsair RM1200x SHIFT 80 PLUS 1200W PSU
- Link: https://imgur.com/a/u9rVA3A
Just wondering about the other connections on your platform besides the bootable USB for Windows 11. What BIOS version is installed on your motherboard? Do you have a link to the RAM kit you're using? It's best to remove all drives except the one you plan to install the operating system onto.
disk 0 partition 1 esd-usb corresponds to your USB flash drive
disk 0 unallocated space 84.5gb matches your USB flash drive
the media creation tool seems to have just formed a 32gb partition on a 128gb flash drive
does it appear as a 4 tb nvme drive? Where is the actual nvme?
what cooler are you using? Perhaps the BIOS settings are incorrect – resetting CMOS to defaults might resolve the issue.
hardware problems are likely here; the motherboard may be damaged after overheating the CPU. Or there could be another error with the nvme drive. Fix the hardware before installing Windows.
I understand it's only focusing on the flash drive in that picture, which is the issue. It seems the real hard drives weren't detected for reinstalling Win 11. This happened when I used the creation tool on my Win10 system on a thumb drive. After it couldn't find any drives, I switched to another thumb drive, formatted it, and ran the tool on my wife's Win11 system. That one keeps restarting after you ask to reinstall Win 11 without specifying which drive to use.
Cooler is a Cyberpower 360mm liquid cooler.
Regarding the motherboard, I had the system in for CPU replacement about two to three months ago. They tested it before returning it, and it functioned well for two months until it failed completely. I attempted to diagnose the hardware when the BSOD appeared, but before I was fully locked out. Memtest86 detected no memory issues, and Crystal Disk reported all drives were fine. Now that I'm completely disabled from using the computer, I have limited diagnostic options unless you recommend solutions that work with a thumb drive. I checked the motherboard manual and plan to try the load optimized defaults option first before touching the actual hardware. I’m not as comfortable with hardware anymore (I used to be around 40 years old).
Yes, the i9 problems were the reason it was sent to Cyberware for a CPU replacement. It functioned properly for two months after the CPU was swapped, but then issues began. I believe the problem wasn't memory, as memtest86 didn't detect any errors when run. In BIOS I performed F6 for optimized defaults, then adjusted settings so the USB key came first, which led me into the Win 11 setup. Before proceeding, I wanted to share a screenshot of the options so I could follow the correct steps. Should I format the Windows partition and install there, or should I select the existing partition and install over it?
Disk 2 partition 3 windows - if that's the desired installation location. Windows setup could simply place the prior Windows install into windows.old.
Unallocated space on disk 0 is 7.3tb? What does that mean? Disk 0 shows 16.0mb, disk 1 shows 16.0mb, partition 2 shows 7.3 - two entries for a 7.3 Terabyte USB flash drive? I haven't heard of it before. It seems the information might be incorrect or unclear.
Disk 2 appears to resemble your 4tb NVMe drive, so proceed accordingly. You can either clear all partitions on disk 2 and install there, or install only over the existing Windows partition, which will move the old installation into the windows.old directory.
You changed the CPU, but it's the same one you might not need to reinstall Windows for. Since your drive is now recognized in the BIOS, you should be able to boot directly to Windows without issues. Cleaning up the results won't harm anything, as overwriting the previous installation will only remove remnants of old apps.
Well, the USB issue might not be a clear sign of anything specific. It seems that repeated writes to the USB stub have left remnants of partition data from earlier attempts. Cleaning the disk would require using the Disk Part utility in the Command Prompt. Alternatively, you might consider using a USB cleaner tool and rebuilding the USB stub with a media creation program or an ISO file via Rufus.
Regarding the ongoing BSODs—perhaps they replaced the CPU. However, it’s hard to tell if a brand new CPU was installed or if parts were swapped repeatedly without clear evidence. A stack of used CPUs could still cause problems even after swapping. It’s possible that changing the CPU simply broke the Windows Hello connection. You might try a bootable USB memtest utility, though this could take a long time given the system's complexity.
In general, a diagnostic test is likely needed. There are no known offline CPU testers available. If you have time, consider installing Linux on a USB drive and running a live session, or install it directly on the system—if the CPU fails, it should cause issues regardless.
Neither the USB drive appearing unusual nor the Windows login failure indicates a persistent CPU fault after replacement. You haven’t noticed any crashes during Windows setup, whether you’re using Windows or another OS. A repair shop could simply reinstall Windows and perform tests, charge for labor if necessary, and replace parts if needed. Fixing such a system isn’t straightforward.