Question M.2 Windows 11 Installation Problem

[Kzarq]

Hey all,

I recently rebuilt my PC with a new mobo, CPU and cooler. I would like to use my Samsung 980 M.2 as my C drive so I loaded an installation media on my USB and started doing the typical process of installing it.

Immediately I ran into a problem as the installer wouldn't let me install windows to the drive. I resolved this by watching a video I found and basically fixing it through diskpart. I've formatted my drive in GPT and it does appear on my boot order as UEFI OS so my system DOES recognize it. After I saw this I set this M.2 to the first in boot prioroty. It is the only drive I have installed right now.

At first in the initial steps for installation it seemed fine and then my PC rebooted. When it did it took me back to the first Windows install screen. So it seems like I'm stuck in some sort of installation loop and I don't know what to do.
Has anyone encountered this before and know what to do to fix it? I'd appreciate any tips.

Specs:
MSI Pro Z690-A DDR4
Intel i5-13600K
Samsung 980 Pro 1TB

Quick Edit
I may have found my issue but I don't know how to navigate it at all and I don't want to start deleting partitions without knowing what I'm doing. Can someone explain what I'm seeing here?

https://imgur.com/a/vGpg2a0

View: https://imgur.com/a/vGpg2a0

 

[boju]

With a new drive all you click on is next. Delete all partitions. If next button isn't clickable then you'll have to click on new button.

Leave boot order as it was. Once install media finishes copying files and restarts pull the usb stick. Ssd should take over for the installation.

 

[TerryLaze]

At first in the initial steps for installation it seemed fine and then my PC rebooted. When it did it took me back to the first Windows install screen.

At what exact point during installation does this happen?

Also are the partitions from the old installation, or did you do them in diskpart, or did the new installation make them?

As boju said, if you don't need anything from the old install and if these partitions are from the old install then just delete everything and let the installation create the partitions it wants.

 

[Kzarq]

At what exact point during installation does this happen?

Also are the partitions from the old installation, or did you do them in diskpart, or did the new installation make them?

To answer your first question, when I tried to install it it went through the first 5 steps which I believe said "Copying windows files for installation" and all that. Once it was done it counted down from 10 to reboot and then once it did it simply went back to the first install screen.

And honestly I'm not sure- there was no previous installation of windows on there just files I ended up cleaning. I think I made one in diskpart and then the others are from the new installation? I don't know exactly.

Would it be okay to just delete all of these partitions so I can let the installer make the ones it needs then?

 

[TerryLaze]

To answer your first question, when I tried to install it it went through the first 5 steps which I believe said "Copying windows files for installation" and all that. Once it was done it counted down from 10 to reboot and then once it did it simply went back to the first install screen.

Then you might be still booting from the installation media, take that out and go into bios to make sure it starts from the M2 drive.

Would it be okay to just delete all of these partitions so I can let the installer make the ones it needs then?

If you don't need any of the files that could be on there then yes, you could just delete everything and start over.

 

[Kzarq]

Then you might be still booting from the installation media, take that out and go into bios to make sure it starts from the M2 drive.

If you don't need any of the files that could be on there then yes, you could just delete everything and start over.

The weird part is that I did take out the USB installation media and set my M.2 as the boot drive and it still went back to the first install screen on boot.

I haven't touched it since last night so I will be deleting the partitions and simply redoing the installation today. This might be a foolish question (Still somewhat of a novice) Do I keep the 921GB partition or should I just delete all 4?..

 

[TerryLaze]

Do I keep the 921GB partition or should I just delete all 4?..

Look into it, if there are files in there you still want, keep it and/or copy the files to somewhere else.

 

[Kzarq]

Look into it, if there are files in there you still want, keep it and/or copy the files to somewhere else.

There should be no files on right now since I cleaned it so it doesn't matter to me really. If I delete all 4 will it automatically recreate a single basic partition for my M.2? I'm assuming so. I just want to be sure I don't mess anything up by accident.