Problem solving after making a huge mistake!
Problem solving after making a huge mistake!
Hey there,
I’ve canceled my PC building license right away after I managed to swap out my RAM before removing the power supply. That was just a mistake on my end—no need to stress, but I’d really appreciate some guidance for handling similar problems in the future.
System details: Windows 10 Pro 64bit
Display: AOC 27" 1080p 144Hz
Motherboard: ASUS MAXIMUS VIII RANGER
CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K Skylake
GPU: Palit GeForce GTX 1070 Super JetStream - 8GB GDDR5
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3000 DC 16GB
Storage: Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD (OS)
Storage 2: Kingston NV2 M.2 NVMe SSD, 2TB
Power supply: Cooler Master V 750W
What transpired? I had some new RAM on hand and was planning to replace the old ones when I noticed blue screens linked to memory issues and a faulty memory check. I felt compelled to swap them out, turned off the PC, and opened the case. After taking out one stick, I noticed power was still connected since the PSU wasn’t fully disconnected. I was pleased with my decision, but then I removed the second stick and installed the new ones. Once booted, the system didn’t start properly—Windows wouldn’t launch, and recovery attempts failed. In the BIOS, the RAM was listed, but it didn’t progress to the recovery tool. I reverted to the old memory, yet the problem lingered. The RAM still appeared in BIOS, but it didn’t reach the recovery interface. After another reset, I stopped using the power source and haven’t touched it since.
I suspect a disk-related issue might be involved. Although the system struggles with booting, I can still access BIOS and see the RAM listed, suggesting it’s trying to load from the boot drive. Could the memory removal have damaged the boot disk? Might this mean I only need to reinstall Windows? Should I assume the memory is faulty, or could this have caused problems elsewhere in the system?
I shut down the machine and wasn’t in sleep mode. From what I found online, a completely broken system seems likely, though I’m not sure.
Please share your thoughts on how to proceed and what might be causing these issues.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Stupid
I'm unable to progress further. I can choose boot devices and bios appears fine, but the farthest I reach is that it indicates preparation for repair and stops at that point.
As a test using the new RAM, execute memtest86 or memtest86+. They start from a USB stick and avoid using Windows. You can obtain them from:
MemTest86 - Official Site of the x86 Memory Testing Tool
MemTest86 is the original self-booting memory testing software for x86 and ARM computers. It supports both BIOS and UEFI, with options to boot from USB.
www.memtest86.com
Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool
Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, standalone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)
www.memtest.org
If you complete a full pass without any errors, your RAM should be fine. Additional passes may reveal problems but require more time. It’s unlikely to be necessary unless you strongly suspect a RAM issue.
I think you might have turned on secure boot, which would only allow the original Windows to run. Consider resetting the BIOS settings back to their default settings.