Question PC keeps rebooting while installing Windows

[BrightPark]

I’ve been having this issue where my computer randomly blue screens on me while playing games or in idle. Me and my friend decided it was probably a driver compatibility issue since I’ve recently switched from intel to Ryzen. So we decided to give my computer a clean reinstall of windows and see if that would work. But while trying to install it, my computer will randomly shut off and reboot as if I just restarted it. I switched out my ram with a different kind, same issue, made sure all of my connections to the motherboard is correct, same issue. Used a spare hard drive I had to install Windows there instead of my SSD, same issue. One thing I think might have happened unfortunately is that when I was trying to install a new aftermarket CPU cooler, I might have applied a little too much force on the cpu to get it clipped in. I later found out the cooler wasn’t compatible with my mobo and swapped it with the stock cooler. So now I’m theorizing the issues may be my PSU, CPU, or my mobo. Really stumped on this one.

Specs:
Ryzen 5 3600
Asrock B450M-HDV
GTX 1060 6GB
120gb SSD
1tb harddrive
EVGA 500w PSU
Single stick 16gb patriot viper RAM 2400

 

[ConanLock]

What is the model PSU? It could be a lower quality one which is now on its last legs.

You also mention that an incompatible cooler was forced down onto the CPU. I'd suggest you to take the CPU out of the socket, then reseat it to rule out bad CPU connection.

Lastly, if you have access to another PC, you could try downloading Memtest86, flashing it onto a USB using the program called Rufus, then booting into this instead of the Windows installer. After running 5 passes of Memtest86, has it found any errors?

 

[BrightPark]

It may just be the PSU when thinking about it. It’s an almost 3 year EVGA white certified 500w PSU.

I did pull out the CPU and inspected it and as far as I’m concerned, both the CPU and socket seem fine. None of the pins are bent or have any thermal compound on it. And when the computer would turn on for a short period before bluescreening, I was getting pretty normal temps in idle.

 

[BrightPark]

It may just be the PSU when thinking about it. It’s an almost 3 year EVGA white certified 500w PSU.

I did pull out the CPU and inspected it and as far as I’m concerned, both the CPU and socket seem fine. None of the pins are bent or have any thermal compound on it. And when the computer would turn on for a short period before bluescreening, I was getting pretty normal temps in idle.

I’ll try to install that Rufus program later today and see what comes of it.

 

[BrightPark]

What is the model PSU? It could be a lower quality one which is now on its last legs.

You also mention that an incompatible cooler was forced down onto the CPU. I'd suggest you to take the CPU out of the socket, then reseat it to rule out bad CPU connection.

Lastly, if you have access to another PC, you could try downloading Memtest86, flashing it onto a USB using the program called Rufus, then booting into this instead of the Windows installer. After running 5 passes of Memtest86, has it found any errors?

So I used my brothers power supply from his gaming PC, and it’s also a 500w and the computer still rebooted while trying to install windows, so that rules out being an issue with my power supply. So it has to be either the motherboard or CPU

 

[ConanLock]

Have you updated the motherboard's BIOS to the newest currently available. Ryzen 3000 isn't perfect on b450, but with each BIOS revision it is getting better. It could be worth trying that.

 

[Akram Sidena]

Can you tell us exactly at which point does it reboot ? It may give us a better understanding for what's going on. It being a CPU issue is a long shot, if the CPU was faulty you'd not go as far as installing the windows. It may well be an issue in the motherboard itself (Precisely in Data Circuits) which are acting faulty.

Is it rebooting constantly? At the same point over and over ? Or the rebooting is random, whichever stage the installation ?

 

[BrightPark]

Have you updated the motherboard's BIOS to the newest currently available. Ryzen 3000 isn't perfect on b450, but with each BIOS revision it is getting better. It could be worth trying that.

I didn’t try updating the bios but the box and manual for the motherboard said they were Ryzen 3000 ready and that I wouldn’t have to update the bios. I could give it a try though

 

[BrightPark]

Can you tell us exactly at which point does it reboot ? It may give us a better understanding for what's going on. It being a CPU issue is a long shot, if the CPU was faulty you'd not go as far as installing the windows. It may well be an issue in the motherboard itself (Precisely in Data Circuits) which are acting faulty.

Is it rebooting constantly? At the same point over and over ? Or the rebooting is random, whichever stage the installation ?

I noticed that it will not reboot when I’m in BIOs, at least it hasn’t happened yet. It usually reboots as it’s getting the installation for Windows ready, around the 70%-90% mark. Then it’ll reboot and show the Asrock logo then it’ll go back to the original windows setup screen, the one where it asks to choose the language and country etc.

 

[BrightPark]

I didn’t try updating the bios but the box and manual for the motherboard said they were Ryzen 3000 ready and that I wouldn’t have to update the bios. I could give it a try though

Have you updated the motherboard's BIOS to the newest currently available. Ryzen 3000 isn't perfect on b450, but with each BIOS revision it is getting better. It could be worth trying that.

One thing that I’ve also tried it hook up the motherboard speaker and enabled the boot beep, and when I turn on my PC, it’ll give off one quick beep. I looked up the Asrock website and I’m not sure if this is accurate considering this was posted by then officially in 2002, but they said one quick beep could be an error with the memory. Another website that isn’t Asrock but more recent from the last couple years said the same thing. So maybe it’s a ram issue, or at least the ram slots themselves? I’ve tried two different types of DDR4 ram in both of the ram slots and it shows the same thing for each.

 

[ConanLock]

Using Memtest86 will check for any RAM errors, so if you didn't check already, now would be a good time.

Also yes, although it supports Ryzen 3000 out of the box, the support it give might not be the best. Since the BIOS version it includes, more stable ones might have been released, which could fix your problems.

 

[BrightPark]

Using Memtest86 will check for any RAM errors, so if you didn't check already, now would be a good time.

Also yes, although it supports Ryzen 3000 out of the box, the support it give might not be the best. Since the BIOS version it includes, more stable ones might have been released, which could fix your problems.

Just wondering, would I have to do the test on another computer? I know I have to download memtest on another computer but do you’ve think I’d be able to run the tests on my computer? Or would I have to put the ram in another computer and test it there?

 

[ConanLock]

Download it from https://www.memtest86.com. It should come in a .IMG format. Next, get Rufus from https://rufus.ie. Put a USB Memory stick into your PC (one that you are ok with being wiped). Open Rufus, and choose to browse to your image file in the top drop-down menu. Be sure you do that, and not instead FreeDOS, ReactOS, or any of the other options. Now, make sure it has selected the correct drive letter for your USB, then click begin or start or whatever the button at the bottom is.


You can then boot into this USB like you would boot into Windows USB installation media. Do the test on the PC that is rebooting. Make sure to leave it for about 5 passes, and get back to us if it finds any errors.

 

[Vic 40]

Maybe also create a new install usb stick,might also be a problem if the one used now somehow got corrupted.
Windows 10 usb install tool
make sure the usb is fat32 and is big enough <8gb.

 

[BrightPark]

Download it from https://www.memtest86.com. It should come in a .IMG format. Next, get Rufus from https://rufus.ie. Put a USB Memory stick into your PC (one that you are ok with being wiped). Open Rufus, and choose to browse to your image file in the top drop-down menu. Be sure you do that, and not instead FreeDOS, ReactOS, or any of the other options. Now, make sure it has selected the correct drive letter for your USB, then click begin or start or whatever the button at the bottom is.


You can then boot into this USB like you would boot into Windows USB installation media. Do the test on the PC that is rebooting. Make sure to leave it for about 5 passes, and get back to us if it finds any errors.

So I did the tests and it passed with no errors, so later today I’m going to try and update my bios.

 

[Vic 40]

Did a bios update help?
Did you try a new install device?

 

[BrightPark]

Did a bios update help?
Did you try a new install device?

Unfortunately I have to have a older Ryzen cpu to actually do the bios update which I do not have. I don’t think it was the usb either because I popped in my older intel cpu I originally upgraded from and used the same stick and windows installed with no problems

 

[Vic 40]

If the pc works and you can play games for a while before you bleuscreen (aka it works) should the current cpu be enough to update the bios.

 

[BrightPark]

If the pc works and you can play games for a while before you bleuscreen (aka it works) should the current cpu be enough to update the bios.

It might be a while before I get my hands on a cpu to use to update the bios, I’ll try my best to do that and report back with results