Question New computer with old HD and SSD; won't boot properly.

[Robo Reptile]

System specs:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600
GPU: AMD Radeon R9 390
Motherboard: MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max
RAM: 16 GB twin sticks

Fair warning: though I have built a PC before, that was a number of years ago and I'm still overall unfamiliar with all this.

As the title suggests, I kept the old SSD and HD from my old computer (Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit is on the SSD) and plugged them into the SATA ports.

Having assembled the computer and plugged everything in, I connected it to the monitor and keyboard and booted it up...

...and, as it turns out, it always results in "YOUR PC RAN INTO A PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO RESTART."

Though, interestingly, sometimes boot-up attempts result in seeing the familiar login screen with the wallpaper for a tantalizing few seconds before it goes to the error message. Not always, though.

The stop code alternates between "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" and another I didn't manage to catch.

May I please have some advice?

 

[ss202sl]

re-install windows

 

[Robo Reptile]

re-install windows

I just tried to reset the PC...but I got taken to the same be screen.

This time the error message was ntft_sys, if I remember correctly.

EDIT: To clarify, I mean I used the "reset computer" option in the advanced repair options, which purports to reinstall Windows.

EDIT 2: Now the system seems to be in an endless loop of auto-rebooting. The most recent error message was "SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED"

 

[Robo Reptile]

I think I'll just have to download the Windows media tool and perform a clean reinstallation. I really really hope the DRM stuff doesn't stop me cold - my copy of Windows is legitimate, but if it asks for a password or something I doubt I will remember it after these years.

 

[USAFRet]

New computer with old HD and SSD; won't boot properly.

A fresh install is indicated here.

Was your Win 10 license linked to a MS account?

 

[Robo Reptile]

Was your Win 10 license linked to a MS account?

I wish I could tell you. It's been years since I installed Windows 10 onto the SSD.

What I know is that right now, the computer is asking for a password for me to log into my administrator account so I can reset the computer...but I didn't use a password. I used a four digit PIN.

 

[USAFRet]

I wish I could tell you. It's been years since I installed Windows 10 onto the SSD.

What I know is that right now, the computer is asking for a password for me to log into my administrator account so I can reset the computer...but I didn't use a password. I used a four digit PIN.

Do you HAVE an MS account?
If so, log into that. I forget the actual location, but you can tell what 'systems' (and their OS) are linked to that account.

In any case...this new system requires a full OS reinstall.
No matter what happens with the licensing and activation.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[USAFRet]

Assuming you have an MS account:
Log into that at Microsoft.com
Top right, click on your username
Select My Microsoft Account
In the resulting screen, you might see a tab for Devices.
That will tell you what devices (and their OS) are linked to this MS account.

 

[Robo Reptile]

In any case...this new system requires a full OS reinstall.
No matter what happens with the licensing and activation.

That would have been nice to hear when I was asking people about the process before I bought the parts. : /

Still, thank you.

Assuming you have an MS account:
Log into that at Microsoft.com
Top right, click on your username
Select My Microsoft Account
In the resulting screen, you might see a tab for Devices.
That will tell you what devices (and their OS) are linked to this MS account.

It does not appear to have been linked to my MS account. There is something called DESKTOP-T4AILQG but it looks like my old windows tablet.

Where does this leave me?

 

[USAFRet]

Where does this leave me?

Any possibility of putting the old system back together?

 

[Robo Reptile]

Any possibility of putting the old system back together?

Oh, yes. It would be a bit inconvenient, but I still have the old stuff lying around, as well as the tools to reassemble it.

 

[USAFRet]

That would have been nice to hear when I was asking people about the process before I bought the parts. : /

Still, thank you.

With a new system and old drive+OS, there are 3 possibilities:

1. It boots up just fine.
2. It fails completely
3. It boots up, but you're chasing issues for weeks/months.

Seems you've found #2.

With new parts, a fresh install is always recommended, usually required.
Anyone who says it "just works" hasn't done it enough to see it fail.

 

[USAFRet]

Oh, yes. It would be a bit inconvenient, but I still have the old stuff lying around, as well as the tools to reassemble it.

So, the Win 10 on that old system came from...?
Was an Upgrade from Win 7?

Put the old thing back together, see if you can link that particular system to your MS account.

Then, you can probably transfer that license to your new system.

It will still require a fresh install.

 

[Robo Reptile]

So, the Win 10 on that old system came from...?
Was an Upgrade from Win 7?

It was a fresh purchase of Windows 10.

Anyway, I'm still running into problem after problem. I put together my old setup...but now it won't boot up. The CPU and GPU fans spin and the fancy GPU lights....light up...but the screen remains dark, and every minute or so it all stops spinning and goes dark, then starts up again.

AFAIK I've plugged everything in solidly and the front panel connectors seem to be in order. I just don't know what's going wrong here.

 

[USAFRet]

If it was a Win 10 that you purchased and installed, that license should be usable on your new system. No linking needed.

I don't suppose you have the license key anywhere, do you?

 

[Robo Reptile]

If it was a Win 10 that you purchased and installed, that license should be usable on your new system. No linking needed.

I don't suppose you have the license key anywhere, do you?

Looking through my old threads, I found something I had forgotten about:

At one point my old SSD with Windows on it failed, and I downloaded a Windows media creation tool to reinstall it. AFAIK there was no need to re-buy Windows.

I don't have the licence key, but it looks like I didn't need it last time. Maybe I don't need it this time either? Maybe I can redownload it onto a USB and use it that way?

 

[USAFRet]

Looking through my old threads, I found something I had forgotten about:

At one point my old SSD with Windows on it failed, and I downloaded a Windows media creation tool to reinstall it. AFAIK there was no need to re-buy Windows.

I don't have the licence key, but it looks like I didn't need it last time. Maybe I don't need it this time either? Maybe I can redownload it onto a USB and use it that way?

In the same system, entering the license key is not needed. That system specs are noted at the activation server farm, and it will reactivate no problem.

Here, you have a whole new system. MS knows nothing about it.

 

[Robo Reptile]

In the same system, entering the license key is not needed. That system specs are noted at the activation server farm, and it will reactivate no problem.

Here, you have a whole new system. MS knows nothing about it.

Ah, great. So I really do have to either get my old system working or buy Windows all over again. And my old system is not working.

I guess this is yet another "system not booting up properly" thread now. Particularly irritating since it worked fine for years. I just unplugged and replugged my front panel connectors according to the instructions on the old motherboard, pushed all power wires and the GPU in a bit harder, and it's still not booting up properly.

 

[USAFRet]

At what point during the boot up does it fail?

 

[Robo Reptile]

At what point during the boot up does it fail?

Like I said, the screen simply remains black. I've tried connecting the HDMI cable directly to the motherboard and to the attached GPU, with the same results: fan and lights come on, screen stays black, fan and lights periodically shut off for a moment then start again.

 

[USAFRet]

You can install Win 10 on the new system and leave it Unactivated.
Until such time as you can get the old system up and link that license, or buy a new license for the new system.

 

[USAFRet]

Here's a possibility:

How to Recover Software Product Keys From Any Computer, Even a Broken One

Product keys are becoming less and less common these days, but if you have a piece of software on your computer---and can't find its product key---this simple program can help you extract it.

www.howtogeek.com

 

[Robo Reptile]

You can install Win 10 on the new system and leave it Unactivated.
Until such time as you can get the old system up and link that license, or buy a new license for the new system.

Well, I know that I was able to get as far as the BIOS and a quasi-boot on my new setup. At this rate, it's looking like it will be the least amount of hassle to simply buy a new Windows licence...though potentially expensive.

That program looks interesting, but I'm still in a catch-22 - I need to actually get a computer with Windows working before I could extract the product key for Windows.

What should I make of websites offering Windows 10 for £20 or so?
Are any of them legit?

 

[USAFRet]

As above, install Win 10 and skip the license key part. It will install and run just fine.

As far as the cheap Windows licenses?

[SOLVED] - Has anyone here bought one of those cheap Win10 keys?

And it actually worked?

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Robo Reptile]

As above, install Win 10 and skip the license key part. It will install and run just fine.

That...is good to know.

As far as the cheap Windows licenses?

[SOLVED] - Has anyone here bought one of those cheap Win10 keys?

And it actually worked?

forums.tomshardware.com

So those things are essentially a gamble. Also good to know.