Have you encountered any problems with your recent PC construction?
Have you encountered any problems with your recent PC construction?
Hello!
I constructed a PC for my aunt in 2013 and have now just assembled her latest model, so I’m sorry for any gap in my experience. Things have certainly changed a lot since then. I’m facing a few problems, but I think they might be related to the new setup.
Specs:
Motherboard: MSI B850 Gaming WIFI Plus
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR5 (2 x 16GB)
HDD: WD SN850X 1TB M.2
PSU: Corsair CX550
Possible Issues:
First Boot:
When I turned it on for the first time, the fans were running but there were no beeps. The screen was blank until after about five minutes, after which it started up normally. Is this typical behavior?
No Beeps:
In my previous PC, the motherboard emitted a short beep each time it powered on. Should the new board produce a similar sound? I don’t see any buzzer or speaker in the box, so I’m concerned about possible faults.
USB Ports:
During BIOS setup, the USB mouse and keyboard functioned correctly when plugged in at the back. However, they stopped working during Windows installation, even when connected to other ports on the back. The mouse worked when plugged into the front port after installing Windows. After rebooting, everything returned to normal. Is this an expected issue?
BIOS Changes Not Saving:
To install Windows, I changed the boot sequence in BIOS and disabled certain devices. It seemed to work without problems. Later, I adjusted the first boot option to the M.2 drive and saved. When I tried to load the default BIOS settings, the PC restarted to the home screen, then back to the same changes. After an hour of adjustments, I reconnected the DVD drive and successfully booted again. The settings appeared unchanged. Did anyone else encounter similar problems?
I’m not entirely confident about these changes, and I’d appreciate advice from someone more experienced.
P.S. Sorry for the lengthy update!
Initial boot problems are typical during RAM training on Ryzen systems. Many new motherboards lack a speaker; adding one might help. USB 3 ports frequently behave improperly until the operating system starts, which is not uncommon. Did you install Windows with more than one drive available or was only the target drive connected?
Have you ensured all steps were followed correctly when constructing a computer...?
1-Build the complete system by installing the CPU, memory, and boot drive, checking for any bent pins on the motherboard and confirming the memory slots are correct
1a- if the motherboard includes built-in video, begin the Windows installation process, even with a separate GPU card
2-install Windows and all updates
2a- install all necessary drivers for the motherboard
After completing these steps and the machine starts up normally in Windows, you can view that as your standard Windows installation setup. You may test network performance using a browser and speedtest.net if desired.
Now add your GPU and its corresponding drivers.
At this stage, unless you have additional storage drives to install, there should be nothing further required. Proceed with installing games and continue with your tasks!
This is my personal method, not claiming it's flawless, but it’s systematic. You’ll easily identify problems if you stick to each step, and troubleshooting will become simpler at the right point.
Thanks for the update, it helps ease my concerns. The only drives added during Windows installation were the DVD drive and the M.2 SSD. Could it be that something related to Windows might prevent the BIOS from saving the changes you made? I’ve checked the building part—I didn’t have bent pins or incorrect RAM slots, just managed to complete the process. It seems like I should investigate why the BIOS stopped saving before handing it over to my aunt, in case the problem reappears.
Either you don't have the BIOS set up properly for the M.2 drive, or the installation of windows did not complete properly. Windows should know that the boot drive is the M.2, and it's clear it doesn't not because it didn't boot into Windows. Several things could be wrong, but the boot record doesn't appear to being created and/or modified by the Windows install.
If this is a brand new build, have you contacted MSI to see if it's a BIOS bug, perhaps you need to update it. Or perhaps your method isn't a method they suggest to install Windows.
Prepare a USB stick as the installation medium, avoid using a DVD. Remove all other drives except the M.2. Reset the BIOS settings. Insert the stick into the device. Begin the Windows installation process and remove all partitions from the M.2 before the installer creates a new one and installs the OS. During the first restart of the installation, take out the USB stick. Ensure all files remain on the M.2, allowing the installation to proceed from there. Your issue likely stems from the boot sector not being created on the Windows installation drive. Check whether the original DVD was genuine or a personal copy—if it’s a copy, the DVD remains writable and the installer might have written the boot sector onto it instead of the M.2.
Thanks to all of you for your responses and apologies for the delayed reply; the notification email ended up in the spam folder.
@Teknoman2
I created the CD myself with the Windows tool. I plan to make a Windows USB stick tonight and then test your advice tomorrow to find out the outcome.
I wouldn't be able to function without a speaker. The speaker is connected to JFP2, and you can obtain it from Amazon by searching "Motherboard Speakers" or by retrieving the old one from your previous computer.
Which Windows versions are being installed? The DVD size is insufficient for a complete and standard W10 and W11 setup; certain adjustments were necessary for it to function properly from a DVD. It could also be an early release with built-in drivers for new hardware. Is the BIOS configured to activate all features required by W11? Even when installing W10, ensure UEFI and TPM are enabled so you can upgrade to W11 at your convenience. Additionally, connecting the PC to the internet via a wired or cable connection helps download updates and essential drivers that might be missing.