Windows setup on the latest build isn't working properly, and I've talked to Microsoft for more than two hours.
Windows setup on the latest build isn't working properly, and I've talked to Microsoft for more than two hours.
I faced some issues while setting up the Windows installation media. A couple of colleagues assisted in another discussion, and it appeared to function properly. I connected the USB drive, restarted once, and followed the initial installation prompts. It worked as expected.
Eventually, I reached the stage where I needed to input the Windows product key, which I hadn't obtained yet. I'll omit the specifics, but I had to buy Windows 11 via phone from an agent. They sent me a confirmation email, though not the product code. They mentioned it might take up to 24 hours but provided the code over the phone. I entered it, but it didn't work. We double-checked twice, and it still didn't succeed.
They asked me to re-download the installation media and try again, which I did. Now, when I attempt to boot, I encounter a specific screen. The details on that screen are unclear and unhelpful. I've restarted multiple times, but the same message appears each time. In the boot menu, it indicates the system is starting from the USB drive.
I'm using an X870E Aorus Pro Ice motherboard.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions.
Ok! So far so good! But I'm panicking a little right now.
I ended up getting a new usb, re-downloaded the installation media, and booted from that. It worked! I'm in the windows setup and everything was going fine...until...
"Let's connect you to a network"
The screen says "If you need to install a network adapter driver, download it from our device manufacturer's website or from the maker of your network adapter."
It won't let me proceed, so I guess I definitely need the driver, but I don't know what to do next. I went to the Gigabyte website and the only thing I found that said anything about WiFi was "Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 WIFI driver". I removed the usb from my new pc and downloaded that WiFi driver. I re-inserted the usb and...
Not activating Windows doesn't stop it from starting. You can bypass the activation process during OS installation. If you don't have the activation key at this stage, skip it, complete the setup, and activate later. When prompted to select the installation USB drive in the boot menu (F12), a malfunction with the drive may be causing the issue. Consider reflashing the drive using the Windows 11 ISO (preferably with Rufus) and retrying. Also, verify that your BIOS is set to UEFI mode and TPM is enabled.
The details displayed on that screen are very clear—there is a "boot configuration missing." Yes, if you're booting from USB, the USB needs to be recreated. Also, ensure you only boot from USB by manually selecting the boot menu each time. If the BIOS is set to automatically boot from USB, Windows will assume the USB is your primary disk and attempt to use it for booting.
Mobos use two distinct lists for booting, one for general device types like dvd/usb/harddrive/net, and another specifically for hard drives. The goal is to configure the BIOS so that the hard drive appears first in the boot sequence. During installation, this setting should be restored so the boot menu automatically selects the hard drive as the initial device, ensuring all boot files are placed there rather than on the USB drive.
Ok, so just to be clear... I boot without the usb inserted, enter the boot menu, make sure the hard drive is the primary boot drive, turn off the pc, insert the usb, and boot again?
My very first boot was without the usb, just to make some basic bios changes (turning on EXPO, etc..). Then I inserted the usb to run the windows installer.
The hard drive cannot serve as the 'primary boot drive' until an operating system is installed on it. Do this, and exactly this...
I've reviewed the background and details you provided about the BIOS settings.
The tutorial you referenced guided you through several steps, including entering the product code and reusing the installation media after issues arose.
At that stage, you didn't modify or reset any BIOS parameters; you simply reinstalled the USB drive and restarted the system.
Later, when attempting to access the boot menu, the interface presented limited options, showing only one boot priority listed: UEFI Generic Flash Disk 2.00, Partition 1.
When the USB was removed, no additional entries appeared under Boot Option Priorities.
On the main BIOS screen, your hard drive was displayed under Peripherals, with two entries: PCIEX16 (PCIe 5.0x16) and M.2A (Samsung SSD 990 PRO 4TB). Secure boot was active, and there was a Trusted Platform Module option set to Auto.
Regarding TPM 2.0 or AMD fTPM, the BIOS listed an option labeled Trusted Platform Module with Auto enabled, offering five choices including Enable ASP fTPM and Enable Pluton fTPM.
This information suggests you may have followed the recommended steps, but the system still displayed unexpected priorities.
Further clarification or additional details could help identify any discrepancies.