Failed to set up Windows 11 on the latest machine.
Failed to set up Windows 11 on the latest machine.
Hello everyone, My dad just got a computer for flight simulation that I put together over the holidays. The build went smoothly, but after several days of effort I’m still stuck trying to install Windows 11 (or 10). The latest firmware is MS-7D54 from August 2022, and I’m using Seasonic Prime GX 1000W with Corsair 64GB (two 32GB sticks) in DDR4 3200MHz CL16 Vengeance LPX. The SSD is a Samsung 980 PRO M.2 NVMe 2TB from Zotac, and it’s running Windows 11 RTX 4090. My father earns more than me, but I’m still having trouble.
I created a USB from an official ISO and the checksum checks out. We only have Macs running, so I followed the guide here: https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-make-a-...sb-on-mac/. It’s possible the USB is corrupted or just not working properly. When I try to install, I reach the “Next” step and get one of three error messages. The drive appears clean but installation fails at zero percent with a specific error code.
After restarting, I see three partitions: System (100MB), MSR (16MB reserved), and Primary (1862.7GB). Once the partitions are set up and the disk is in, the install doesn’t start. A warning pops up saying it couldn’t create a new partition or find an existing one. I’ve found some .log files in X:/Windows, but they don’t seem to help.
I tried removing the SSD and checking RAM configurations, including single sticks in DIMMA2 and DIMMB2 slots. I also bought a fresh SSD and read another forum thread about an M2 NVMe drive not being recognized as UEFI. The new drive works identically.
I’ve tried everything possible so far—checking RAM, changing BIOS to UEFI, using different slots, and even switching to Windows 10. I haven’t removed the graphics card yet. If anyone has any tips or alternatives, I’d really appreciate it. Wishing you all a happy Christmas!
It looks like you've explored all reasonable solutions, and the main concern now is setting up a USB drive on your Mac, which is often reported to cause issues.
I would make a Windows installation the traditional way. Perhaps you could use Parallels or VirtualBox on your Mac to start a Windows environment and generate the installation media there. You can locate "test" Windows setups for various VM platforms at: Virtual Machines - Microsoft Edge Developer. Alternatively, try using Boot Camp Assistent. Make sure you don’t check the option that installs Windows 10 or later on your Mac. I attempted to learn the terminal method but haven’t confirmed whether splitting the WIM image is accurate without spending much time. You could inspect your Windows 11 USB drive; it doesn’t show an install.swm file, only a large install.esd file.
We first attempted Bootcamp, but my M1 Mac isn’t compatible. My father’s Intel Mac required us to partition the hard drive before installing Windows, which we refused to do. Perhaps we should have removed the partition later, but it seemed unnecessary. I’ll return tomorrow to another location and leave the computer with a local shop for help. Thank you all for your time, even if you didn’t reply. I’ll update here once I understand the issue. I’m still confused—especially since Windows doesn’t seem much better in terms of usability or error messages. It feels like we’re stuck in the past again.