[SOLVED] BSOD while installing Windows [7, 8.1 and 10] in both "normal" mode and inside virtual machines.

[Naldrek]

Hi.

I recently bought some new parts from a trusted seller in China. So I got some generic RAM sticks and a Ryzen 3500x CPU. The motherboard is an MSI B450-A Pro Max.
I had Windows 10 on a SSD, so I just tried and installed everything and just plugged the SSD, hoping there would be no problems, but BSOD happens. I assumed it was the new parts and I just formatted the SSD (with gparted in ubuntu 16.04 using a bootable USB). But every time I tried to install Window 10 (from a bootable USB created using Windows Media Creation Tool) a BSOD error shows. Every time the message is different, so far, the ones I remember are:

• win32kfull.sys
• KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
• DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
• SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
• PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
• IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

These errors always shows up after 10 or 15 seconds after the Windows installation screen appears (where you choose the language and country). If I do nothing (not choosing any option) the BSOD still appears.

I thought it was faulty hardware, so I ran memtest86 with these results. No errors as you can see.
I also installed Ubuntu 16.04. No problems at all. I tested both the CPU and RAM under load by using the stress software in Ubuntu (stress --cpu 6 --io 4 --vm 10 --vm-bytes 1024M --timeout 300s). CPU didn't heat and didn't throw any errors.
So far, with all the testing, I had gotten no errors under Ubuntu.

I have tried:

• Installing Windows with bootable USB using MBR and GPT.
• Changed the BIOS options, using CSM, UEFI and UEFI + Legacy compatibility.
• Different Windows versions such as 7, 8.1 and 10.
• Using 3.0 USB (the blue one) and 2.0 USB (the gray one) to install Windows from bootable USB.
• Removing hardware such as mouse, keyboard, ethernet cable.
• Updated BIOS.
• Turning off HD Audio from the BIOS.
• Different USB sticks.
• Unplug the SSD just to try the Windows installation.
• Try to install Windows with and without ethernet cable.
• Reset the CMOS by using the JBAT1 pins from the motherboard.

Under Ubuntu I installed VirtualBox and downloaded a Windows 10 ISO image from the official page (and activated CPU virtualization in BIOS) and even got a BSOD inside the Virtual Machine! (with no effect in the host) So I can't even run Windows on a VM. The error was "DRIVER PNP WATCHDOG".
I have also installed Ubuntu 18 in a VM with no problems.

I've tried a lot and I have no more clues to solve this. But the thing that bothers me is the fact that Ubuntu works perfectly while installing and using, but windows won't...
I will gladly try anything you recommend.

 

[Colif]

it could still be the ram even though it passes Memtest, if it not been tested with the board it might still be throwing errors due to timings. I would suggest trying different ram that is shows as working with the board, makers like Corsair or Crucial have memory finders.

Most of the time I see BSOD during win 10 installs it is ram

 

[Naldrek]

it could still be the ram even though it passes Memtest, if it not been tested with the board it might still be throwing errors due to timings. I would suggest trying different ram that is shows as working with the board, makers like Corsair or Crucial have memory finders.

Most of the time I see BSOD during win 10 installs it is ram

I switched the RAMs and guess what, it worked! It still bugged me that Ubuntu won't make any complain tho, makes me think that those RAM are still salvageable.
Thanks!