F5F Stay Refreshed Software Operating Systems Windows 11 setup is paused at 1%, preparing files for installation.

Windows 11 setup is paused at 1%, preparing files for installation.

Windows 11 setup is paused at 1%, preparing files for installation.

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MR_Snorlax231
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07-29-2021, 10:33 AM
#1
I recently assisted a friend with moving his PC into a new case and upgrading several parts. We coordinated through a video call since he's based in Germany and has never assembled a PC before. Once everything was set up, the machine started up and recognized all components correctly, booting from USB without issues. The main challenge came during installation – it formatted the drive and created partitions, but the installer froze at around 1%. It seemed like either a very slow flash drive or insufficient time was needed. After leaving the installer running overnight, it still stuck at that low percentage. I'm completely puzzled. We've tried rebuilding the stick using the official Windows Media Creator with Rufus and Ventoy, but nothing changed. Now we're downloading Windows 10 to check for differences. Unfortunately, he doesn't have another USB drive to test, and his only alternative is a work laptop, making it impossible to run the installer there. I'm unsure whether purchasing a new USB stick is the best solution and would like more options before spending money. Current specs: Ryzen 3700X, MSI B550M PRO-VDH, Kingston Fury Renegade 32GB, 3200MHz CL16, AsRock Radeon 7900GRE, Steel Legend 2TB SSD, plus a 2TB SanDisk SATA SSD and a Seagate Barracuda 1000W SSD. He's also using an Lian Li DAN A3-MATX case. Yes, the CPU will be upgraded next—just avoid rushing this. At the moment, a better CPU won't help much since his system is already stable. The old Windows installation he had from a previous PC (with an i7 3770K) booted perfectly on the new hardware after being set up in legacy mode. It appears the installation process has since overwritten the boot partition. The 64GB flash drive works fine for copying files, though speeds are limited to USB 2.0. The mystery lies in why the installer halts early and can't proceed further. I've already told him to restore default settings and disable Secure Boot to see if that helps. Also, his motherboard BIOS is only a few versions behind, and I installed Windows 11 on it for testing before sending him the hardware back in October—it worked perfectly then. Any thoughts? We'll likely try disconnecting the other drives during installation and reattaching them afterward, but keep these ideas in mind. Thanks for your help—I'm hoping you can solve this puzzle.
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M
MR_Snorlax231
07-29-2021, 10:33 AM #1

I recently assisted a friend with moving his PC into a new case and upgrading several parts. We coordinated through a video call since he's based in Germany and has never assembled a PC before. Once everything was set up, the machine started up and recognized all components correctly, booting from USB without issues. The main challenge came during installation – it formatted the drive and created partitions, but the installer froze at around 1%. It seemed like either a very slow flash drive or insufficient time was needed. After leaving the installer running overnight, it still stuck at that low percentage. I'm completely puzzled. We've tried rebuilding the stick using the official Windows Media Creator with Rufus and Ventoy, but nothing changed. Now we're downloading Windows 10 to check for differences. Unfortunately, he doesn't have another USB drive to test, and his only alternative is a work laptop, making it impossible to run the installer there. I'm unsure whether purchasing a new USB stick is the best solution and would like more options before spending money. Current specs: Ryzen 3700X, MSI B550M PRO-VDH, Kingston Fury Renegade 32GB, 3200MHz CL16, AsRock Radeon 7900GRE, Steel Legend 2TB SSD, plus a 2TB SanDisk SATA SSD and a Seagate Barracuda 1000W SSD. He's also using an Lian Li DAN A3-MATX case. Yes, the CPU will be upgraded next—just avoid rushing this. At the moment, a better CPU won't help much since his system is already stable. The old Windows installation he had from a previous PC (with an i7 3770K) booted perfectly on the new hardware after being set up in legacy mode. It appears the installation process has since overwritten the boot partition. The 64GB flash drive works fine for copying files, though speeds are limited to USB 2.0. The mystery lies in why the installer halts early and can't proceed further. I've already told him to restore default settings and disable Secure Boot to see if that helps. Also, his motherboard BIOS is only a few versions behind, and I installed Windows 11 on it for testing before sending him the hardware back in October—it worked perfectly then. Any thoughts? We'll likely try disconnecting the other drives during installation and reattaching them afterward, but keep these ideas in mind. Thanks for your help—I'm hoping you can solve this puzzle.

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C
chapi89
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07-29-2021, 10:04 PM
#2
Did you turn off the old mode before starting the installation? You're right, it's wise to clear those non-boot drives too, just in case. While I usually point the finger at the USB stick, they can sometimes behave unpredictably.
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chapi89
07-29-2021, 10:04 PM #2

Did you turn off the old mode before starting the installation? You're right, it's wise to clear those non-boot drives too, just in case. While I usually point the finger at the USB stick, they can sometimes behave unpredictably.

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60NoMeuPau
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08-01-2021, 07:28 PM
#3
I've also reset the BIOS to its original configuration. A fresh USB drive has been delivered and Windows has been installed properly. That's all well and good, but it's strange since the previous drive continues to function normally.
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60NoMeuPau
08-01-2021, 07:28 PM #3

I've also reset the BIOS to its original configuration. A fresh USB drive has been delivered and Windows has been installed properly. That's all well and good, but it's strange since the previous drive continues to function normally.

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JagBattleDuty0
Junior Member
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08-02-2021, 05:59 PM
#4
Its a fairly common problem. I have a bunch of USB sticks of various ages and still had to buy a brand new one for my Steam Deck because it wouldn't boot the Windows installer properly either from any other drive I own, that work fine on every other PC I've used them on.
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JagBattleDuty0
08-02-2021, 05:59 PM #4

Its a fairly common problem. I have a bunch of USB sticks of various ages and still had to buy a brand new one for my Steam Deck because it wouldn't boot the Windows installer properly either from any other drive I own, that work fine on every other PC I've used them on.

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