System locked during MSI installation process
System locked during MSI installation process
I was operating my computer (a few browser windows, VS Code, Overwatch 2 update), which I had customized since October 21, 2022. I took a short break for about ten minutes, looking away from the screen. When I returned, the display froze, no audio emitted, so I kept the power button pressed and restarted the machine. After rebooting, the screen remained stuck on the MSI logo with a frozen wheel (attached picture). Despite all efforts, I’m unable to get the PC past this point. My hardware: Intel Core i5-13600KF 3.5 GHz 14-core processor, be quiet! Pure Rock 2 FX CPU cooler, MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 ATX motherboard, Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB (2x16 GB) memory, Crucial P2 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVMe SSD, PNY XLR8 Gaming REVEL EPIC-X RGB Dual Fan graphics card, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, LHR 8 GB video card, GameMax RGB Rainbow 750W, 80+ Gold certified, fully modular ATX power supply, LG 24GN600-B 24.0" 1920x1080 144 Hz monitor – BIOS version E7D25IMS.192 Things I attempted: Disabled XMP, booted RAM one at a time, turned off secure boot, reset CMOS using battery (10-15 min), cleared CMOS with jumper, updated BIOS via M-Flash on multiple USBs but file not found, flashed BIOS with bios flashback, used several USBs including one pre-flash, formatted all drives as FAT32 with MBR, removed all components except CPU and motherboard ATX, tried booting from Windows installation USB which also failed, reset SSD via BIOS, booted from Windows USB again but screen remained frozen, performed NVME self-check on SSD in BIOS which showed clean result. Bought new RAM (Kingston Fury Beast DDR4 2x16GB) and attempted boot, tried new hard drive, removed SSD, placed GPU in a different PCIe slot (PCI3), observed before clearing CMOS the screen changed to Windows logo but froze identically; sometimes it displayed 'preparing automatic repair' and keyboard would turn off when screen froze. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, as I’m about to face exams and this phase will be much harder without my PC. Thank you. Edited January 13, 2023 by kran1521 added 10,11,12 to things tried**
Do you have a backup drive available? Unplug the primary operating system disk, and attempt to set up Windows on the secondary storage device? (Just to avoid damaging vital information on your main drive) Since I'm focusing on the SSD or software side, I'd appreciate your guidance.
Thank you for your response. I don’t have an extra storage device. The NVME self-check on my SSD came back clean in my bios, so I’ll add this to the original post and make the necessary changes. I’m thinking about purchasing a budget hard drive to verify this now.
To resell my old computer, I purchased a used 160 gb HDD for 5 euros from a nearby PC store. They had many of them available after upgrading customer machines. It’s outdated and unlikely anyone would actually need it. However, in your situation, it could serve as a helpful diagnostic tool.
If you're stuck on the manufacturer logo screen, it suggests your PC didn't finish its POST (Power On Self Test), indicating a possible RAM issue caused by the surge plug. You'll likely need to replace the RAM regardless of how much you dislike spending on it. It's unclear what damaged the surge protector, but it seems some surge current reached your RAM. To confirm, take your RAM to a nearby repair shop or store and have them test it for damage. Purchasing a RAM tester yourself is more costly.
I contacted the nearest computer repair shop and felt uneasy about the owner's manner. I've chosen to purchase a new RAM module and a budget hard drive from Amazon, which I can return if needed. Thank you for your help. I also tested my GPU in another slot, but it didn't work.
They probably think you're being charged for basic support. It seems like a RAM issue might be the cause. Have you checked each RAM one at a time? If the problem stays on the MSI screen, your RAM could be faulty. Once you replace it with a working one, the issue should resolve.
I purchased brand new RAM and a new hard drive from Amazon. After installing them, I tested the RAM but it didn’t function properly. I removed my SSD, connected the hard drive, and changed the GPU placement, yet the issue persisted. I’m now confused—could there be a motherboard problem?
Notice the capacitors on the motherboard. Do they emit any moisture? If yes, it likely points to a motherboard problem. Another possibility is a corrupted BIOS, or damaged RAM slots caused by a power surge. If the capacitors are leaking, the board itself may be affected.
Edited January 16, 2023 by WackySpace