Question Help Needed: Unable to Install Windows on New PC

[Mr Bean66]

Hi all,

I’m running into some major issues trying to install Windows on my new PC and I’d appreciate any guidance or suggestions.

Background:​

1. Old Installation Disk on New PC:
   
   • I tried transferring my old Windows installation disk to the new PC.
   • This resulted in blue screens which read "System Thread Exception Not Handled " and I could only boot into Safe Mode.
   • I suspect the issue here is related to drivers that were specific to my old hardware.
2. Linux Installation Success:
   
   • I’ve successfully installed a Debian-based Linux distro on the new PC.
   • However, I ran into issues setting EFI variables during the installation and had to manually configure them using efibootmgr. The system is now working fine on Linux.
3. Installing Windows via Installation Media:
   
   • I’m trying to install Windows on a separate drive using official installation media.
   • The installation process gets as far as copying and installing files, but then I hit an error:
     
     • “Windows could not prepare the computer to boot.”
   • This has happened consistently, no matter what troubleshooting steps I’ve taken so far.

Troubleshooting Done:​

• Verified the installation media integrity.
• Tried resetting the BIOS/UEFI settings.
• Made sure the target drive was formatted as GPT.
• Disabled Secure Boot and ensured UEFI boot mode was enabled.
• Tested the hardware (RAM, SSDs, etc.) to confirm there are no faults.

System Details:​

• BIOS/UEFI with manual EFI setup required for Linux.
• Multiple drives: Linux installed on one, attempting Windows on another.

Questions:​

1. Is there a way to resolve the “Windows could not prepare the computer to boot” error without starting over?
2. Any specific BIOS/UEFI settings I should double-check for compatibility with Windows installation?
3. Do I have a hardware problem?

Here is a pc part picker list with all the specs here: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/j7TF8Q

Please ask if you need anymore information.

Thanks in advance for any help!

EDIT:

Contents of: setuperr.log and setupact.log. In latest failed installation

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/7drkn9ab6zfupph,y3eygydh318ge3c/shared

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

I tried transferring my old Windows installation disk to the new PC.
you mean you cloned your older OS drive onto a new drive?

I suspect the issue here is related to drivers that were specific to my old hardware.
I'm reading this as you didn't reinstall the OS after what I'm assuming as a system upgrade with a new motherboard? If so, you will need to reinstall your OS. Furthermore, you're advised to install Windows then install another OS of your choice if you're interested in having a dual boot system.

Did you recreate your bootable USB installer for your OS? For the sake of relevance, what BIOS version are you on for your motherboard?