Question Endless blue screens with different errors when installing Windows 10

[whatever61]

Hello,

I have received a new refubrished server and trying to install Windows 10 on it from USB.

I am encountering endless blue screens with different error messages, while trying to install Windows 10.

system service exception - this one is the most common
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
SYSTEM PTE MISUSE
CLOCK WATCHDOG TIMEOUT

The blue screens are coming randomly but all the time before the beginning of the installation.

I have tried to disable different hard drives and connecting another HD, but it didn't help.
I have tried different settings in the BIOS, also didn't help.

One time I have managed to start the installation, then after it copied the files and made a restart it continued installing and then I got a blue screen again. Now I get a blue screen all the time..

Bottom line I don't manage to install any OS on it.
The USB flash has no problems as I just installed Windows 10 on another computer from it.

Please let me know if there are any suggestions before I return it.

Thanks

 

[Darkbreeze]

Disconnect ALL drives, except the drive you are installing FROM and the drive you are installing TO, and that includes any optical drives AND ALL external USB storage devices, if there are any attached.

Make sure your installation media is inserted in a USB 2.0 port, not a 3.0 port, because it may not fully support booting from a 3.0 port OR try a different USB port than the one you've been trying to use.

Before you begin the installation, it would be a good idea to reset the BIOS settings by removing the CMOS battery and then going into the BIOS and selecting the option for default or optimal default settings. It might also be a good idea to try using only one memory module at a time while installing, because it's possible one or more memory modules has a physical problem that is causing your errors. Many of those errors you've listed can be memory related.

How old is this hardware? What is the model of the server board? Are you using ECC memory? Are all memory modules from the same kit or do you have mixed memory?

Have you double checked to see if maybe there's a bent pin on the board or CPU?

 

[Colif]

Try running memtest86 on each of your ram sticks, one stick at a time, up to 4 passes. Only error count you want is 0, any higher could be cause of the BSOD. Remove/replace ram sticks with errors.

it creates a bootable USB so make it on another PC

Most of time, if I see BSOD during install, it is likely ram.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Memtest86


Go to the Passmark software website and download the USB Memtest86 free version. You can do the optical disk version too if for some reason you cannot use a bootable USB flash drive.

Create bootable media using the downloaded Memtest86 (NOT Memtest86+, that is a different, older version and is outdated). Once you have done that, go into your BIOS and configure the system to boot to the USB drive that contains the Memtest86 USB media or the optical drive if using that option.


Click here to download Memtest86 USB package

Create a bootable USB Flash drive:

1. Download the Windows MemTest86 USB image.

2. Right click on the downloaded file and select the "Extract to Here" option. This places the USB image and imaging tool into the current folder.

3. Run the included imageUSB tool, it should already have the image file selected and you just need to choose which connected USB drive to turn into a bootable drive. Note that this will erase all data on the drive.


No memory should ever fail to pass Memtest86 when it is at the default configuration that the system sets it at when you start out or do a clear CMOS by removing the CMOS battery for five minutes.

Best method for testing memory is to first run four passes of Memtest86, all 11 tests, WITH the memory at the default configuration. This should be done BEFORE setting the memory to the XMP profile settings. The paid version has 13 tests but the free version only has tests 1-10 and test 13. So run full passes of all 11 tests. Be sure to download the latest version of Memtest86. Memtest86+ has not been updated in MANY years. It is NO-WISE as good as regular Memtest86 from Passmark software.

If there are ANY errors, at all, then the memory configuration is not stable. Bumping the DRAM voltage up slightly may resolve that OR you may need to make adjustments to the primary timings. There are very few secondary or tertiary timings that should be altered. I can tell you about those if you are trying to tighten your memory timings.

If you cannot pass Memtest86 with the memory at the XMP configuration settings then I would recommend restoring the memory to the default JEDEC SPD of 1333/2133mhz (Depending on your platform and memory type) with everything left on the auto/default configuration and running Memtest86 over again. If it completes the four full passes without error you can try again with the XMP settings but first try bumping the DRAM voltage up once again by whatever small increment the motherboard will allow you to increase it by. If it passes, great, move on to the Prime95 testing.

If it still fails, try once again bumping the voltage if you are still within the maximum allowable voltage for your memory type and test again. If it still fails, you are likely going to need more advanced help with configuring your primary timings and should return the memory to the default configuration until you can sort it out.

If the memory will not pass Memtest86 for four passes when it IS at the stock default non-XMP configuration, even after a minor bump in voltage, then there is likely something physically wrong with one or more of the memory modules and I'd recommend running Memtest on each individual module, separately, to determine which module is causing the issue. If you find a single module that is faulty you should contact the seller or the memory manufacturer and have them replace the memory as a SET. Memory comes matched for a reason as I made clear earlier and if you let them replace only one module rather than the entire set you are back to using unmatched memory which is an open door for problems with incompatible memory.

Be aware that you SHOULD run Memtest86 to test the memory at the default, non-XMP or custom profile settings BEFORE ever making any changes to the memory configuration so that you will know if the problem is a setting or is a physical problem with the memory.