Question Custom PC having lots of issues since resetting

[leedsfan]

Hi Guys, I was wondering if anyone can help me out, I had issues with my pc so I reset windows and it would not allow me to install any apps at all (chrome/firefox/slack/steam) so I took it to a PC repair shop and while they have seemed to fix some of the issues there are still issues with updating/installing drivers and some apps, I am not really sure how to even troubleshoot this but I am unable to install the latest update for windows which is showing as Windows 11, version 24H2 for me, I get error code 0xc1900223 when trying.

Prior to me resetting the PC i didnt have any issues like this so I dont believe it will be a hardware compatibility issue but I could be wrong, Also when I plug in any USB storage device into the PC it just shows up as unknown in the device manager and I cannot install drivers as above.

Please feel free to ask any questions as i really dont know what to do next.

System Specs

 

[Aeacus]

Only fix: format OS drive and make a new, clean Win11 install.

Guide here: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/windows-11-clean-install-tutorial.3831442/

and it would not allow me to install any apps at all (chrome/firefox/slack/steam)

Either kernel/OS corruption, drive permissions issue or malware. Can be all combined too.

Clean OS installation will get rid of all software issues, including bloatware and malware (except firmware rootkits).
So, when you still have issues even after clean OS installation, it would be time to look towards hardware, since hardware may be faulty.

there are still issues with updating/installing drivers and some apps

Rather than trying to find those needles in a haystack, wiping it all and starting fresh is best, fastest and easiest. And even when you try to do deep dive into the OS itself, it may all end up with the same result, where only fix is clean OS installation.

I had issues with my pc

Not that it would be relevant anymore, but i'm more interested in why you thought that resetting Win would fix your issues. And did you try other, less severe methods (e.g sfc/ scannow) before?

 

[Darkbreeze]

- I had issues with my pc so I reset windows

-Prior to me resetting the PC i didnt have any issues like this

These two statements seem to be in direct conflict with each other? Please clarify. Either you did or you did not have issues that caused you to reset Windows.

I would likely agree however that it sounds like you need to do a clean install.

The problem with the "restore" image on laptops and prebuilt OEM systems, is that when you use THAT, you also put all of the preinstalled bloatware back on there as well. We've seen such high numbers of cases where brand new systems could barely hold their own necks up due to the weight of all the bloatware that they ran as though they were terribly infected with malware when they actually only had piles of useless "optimization" and other bundled software installed.

Not to mention, the "reset" option generally pulls from an image that was created LONG before, and since then there may have been changes that make using that image now a bad idea such as having updated the BIOS to a version that doesn't play nice with that older Windows build version or images that have become corrupted over time.

I ALWAYS recommend doing a clean install whenever there's a question of which way to go. That includes every time Microsoft releases a major update. Microsoft does not have a very good track record of making transitions between upgrades or major updates terribly smooth, seamless or trouble free. Usually, more often than not, problems are created that did not exist before the update or upgrade. Not in every case to be sure, but often enough to warrant avoiding the process when it is at all possible or at the very least, every other major update/upgrade.

Continuing to simply upgrade/update or reinstall the factory bloatware often just continues to put the same problems that existed from the start, right back where you left them prior to the process. I would never allow one of my machines, or any machine I work on, to go longer than two major updates without doing a clean install to the newest available Windows ISO release, and usually, unless there are circumstances that make it terribly inconvenient to do so, every major update.

If you wish to DO a clean install, you can do so as follows. This is totally up to each person to determine if that is the best course of action for them or not. In some few cases, there are very good reasons such as having software installed that cannot easily be reinstalled or a really terrible internet connection that makes it difficult to download the installers. Otherwise, I highly recommend it.

The Pro and Enterprise versions DO have better administration tools, and that is the ONLY reason to go with those versions IMO.

Windows 11 Clean install tutorial​

.

 

[leedsfan]

I really appreciate both of your replies, the issues i had prior to the original restore were just random crashing of games and slowness of the PC, i used to do a full reset every year or so and had no issues doing this previously.

This time however all of these issues happened so I gave it into a PC repair shop and they have told me its fixed twice now when its clearly not.

I would be happy to do a full reinstall as you both said, but I cannot connect any USB storage devices to my PC, they just dont get picked up, they do however show up in disk management, but I cannot access them via my PC (they work fine on a laptop and mac I have).

I read online that you can sometimes have to assign a drive letter to the device so when I tried to do that I got an error showing the below.

Error Message

Any advice would be greatly appreciated again.

 

[logainofhades]

Create the booatble USB drive with your laptop, then boot from that drive on the system in question.

 

[Aeacus]

but I cannot connect any USB storage devices to my PC, they just dont get picked up

Use your laptop to create Win11 installation media on your USB thumb drive.

Afterwards, follow the Win11 guide that both, i and Darkbreeze linked. Installing Win is on hardware level and doesn't take into consideration the Disk Management, that is part of (seemingly) corrupt OS you now have.
In similar sense, when you have brand new PC with empty drive, there is no OS or Disk Management, yet, Windows can be installed on the PC just fine.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I really appreciate both of your replies, the issues i had prior to the original restore were just random crashing of games and slowness of the PC, i used to do a full reset every year or so and had no issues doing this previously.

This time however all of these issues happened so I gave it into a PC repair shop and they have told me its fixed twice now when its clearly not.

I would be happy to do a full reinstall as you both said, but I cannot connect any USB storage devices to my PC, they just dont get picked up, they do however show up in disk management, but I cannot access them via my PC (they work fine on a laptop and mac I have).

I read online that you can sometimes have to assign a drive letter to the device so when I tried to do that I got an error showing the below.

Error Message

Any advice would be greatly appreciated again.

Do you, sigh, really, want me to take the time to post for you ALL of the threads where somebody was saying the exact same thing as you and a clean install fixed them ALL? Because I will if you want. I just don't think it's really that necessary AND there isn't much point if you aren't willing to actually read through them as well. Up to you. If you want, I will, and you will see that's not just blowing smoke up your buttocks.