[SOLVED] Unable to install Windows 10 - BSOD

[Danogot516]

I have a PC I built a couple of years ago and decided to finally switch to windows 10. I used the official tool to make a bootable usb drive and began installing it when the installation suddenly froze, no hdd activity and then I got a bsod without an error code.

I tried switching RAM sticks - no difference.
I tried switching USB drives, used Rufus and another windows 10 version - nothing.
The few times the installation finished, It froze again on the initial setup while windows was getting devices ready. I even tried installing windows 7 again but had the same problem.
I checked HDD with Crystal Disk Info and it said HDD was okay. I tried plugging HDD into different port and with a different cable, but the results were the same. I was able to plug another hdd with windows 10 on it and the PC booted without any problems and ran without a hitch the whole day. While I was using the other HDD's OS I was able to copy files between my original HDD without any problems. I suspect the motherboard but I simply can't afford a new mobo atm. I just want to find a way to install Windows 10 and use it. I had a plan of using a laptop to install the OS on the HDD and then plug it back into the PC but the laptop's sata connectors are joined and I need to power the HDD through the PC to get enough power for it.

Specs:
ASRock FM2A78M Pro4+
AMD A10-7870K Turbo Boosted to 4.1GHz
nVidia GTX 1050ti
2x8 DDR3 1600MHz
2x4 DDR3 1600MHz
(Both work in dual channel and I tried using each of the two kits separately)
PSU 450W I don't remember the brand
HDD 1TB Seagate BarraCuda 7200rpm

 

[Danogot516]

Help?

 

[Danogot516]

Could it be HDD failure, even though I was able to install and boot windows 10 perfectly fine on another machine? I'm grasping at straws, I need this PC to work and I've tried so many things.

 

[Colif]

I thought you had tried another hdd installed on another pc in it, or was it same hdd each time?

Have you run https://www.seagate.com/au/en/support/downloads/seatools/seatools-win-master/ on the hdd?

did you end up running prime 95?

I know you tried both sets of ram and get errors but did you ever actually test them to see if they okay? no point using bad ram, its not going to help
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.
Memtest is created as a bootable USB so that you don’t need windows to run it

what PSU is it?

 

[Danogot516]

I thought you had tried another hdd installed on another pc in it, or was it same hdd each time?

Have you run https://www.seagate.com/au/en/support/downloads/seatools/seatools-win-master/ on the hdd?

did you end up running prime 95?

I know you tried both sets of ram and get errors but did you ever actually test them to see if they okay? no point using bad ram, its not going to help
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.
Memtest is created as a bootable USB so that you don’t need windows to run it

what PSU is it?

PSU is LINE-EX 450W

Running prime 95 right now.

The HDD story is as follows:
Put a laptop HDD with windows 10 installed on it parallel to my 1TB HDD and windows 10 booted without any problems or instabilities. I ran Crystal Disk Info and Hard Disc Sentinel and they said my 1TB HDD status was excellent.

Then I took my 1TB HDD to another PC and installed and booted windows 10 successfully and without any error of BSOD. I then come back and plug the HDD with the newly installed win 10 and everything freezes and then I get a BSOD the first couple of seconds after the OS boots.

I try running OS in safe mode - no problems at all, doesn't give me any BSOD. I try to uninstall SATA and USB drivers but problem still persists when I try to boot in normal mode.

I ran windows' memory check and there weren't any errors left but I might try memtest after prime 95.

I thought it could be a bad SATA controller so I bought a PCIe SATA card but when I plugged HDD in it I still get a consistent freeze couple of seconds after boot and then a BSOD.

 

[Colif]

Then I took my 1TB HDD to another PC and installed and booted windows 10 successfully and without any error of BSOD. I then come back and plug the HDD with the newly installed win 10 and everything freezes and then I get a BSOD the first couple of seconds after the OS boots.

what about doing this again, install win 10 on hdd in another pc, and put it in current PC.
Boot from installer and on screen after language choices, click repair this PC
choose troubleshoot
choose reset this PC
choose wipe everything and let it restart and see if it can get any further.

Otherwise it has to be something in your PC that isn't working properly and is causing errors.
How old is PSU?

 

[Danogot516]

what about doing this again, install win 10 on hdd in another pc, and put it in current PC.
Boot from installer and on screen after language choices, click repair this PC
choose troubleshoot
choose reset this PC
choose wipe everything and let it restart and see if it can get any further.

Otherwise it has to be something in your PC that isn't working properly and is causing errors.
How old is PSU?

PSU is about 2-3 years old.

Does the "Reset this PC" wipe absolutely everything from the HDD?

Edit: prime 95 has been going on for more than 2 hours without any errors, I might stop it and put memtest on.

 

[Danogot516]

Memtest is on pass 3 91% complete with 0 errors overall. I doubt any errors will come up. Could the PSU be the problem? Not having enough power for the big HDD but enough for the small HDD which has Windows 10 on it.

I'm still lost.

 

[Colif]

Does the "Reset this PC" wipe absolutely everything from the HDD?

resets just wipe C partition, if there are other partitions on the drive they will be ignored. If there are other drives in PC, they will be ignored. Windows won't know what is on them afterwards though.

its not a very well known PSU so it could be a power issue. I would buy one from a more known company like EVGA, Corsair or Seasonic as they will supply the power they say they do.

 

[Danogot516]

resets just wipe C partition, if there are other partitions on the drive they will be ignored. If there are other drives in PC, they will be ignored. Windows won't know what is on them afterwards though.

its not a very well known PSU so it could be a power issue. I would buy one from a more known company like EVGA, Corsair or Seasonic as they will supply the power they say they do.

I know the PSU is off-brand but I has worked up until now without any problems. If the windows reset doesn't do the trick should I test the PSU. Maybe check that the SATA power connectors give enough juice to the HDD with a multimeter.

 

[Colif]

if you have a multi meter, go for it. its the best way to test PSU as you can see what its like under load.

 

[Danogot516]

Was resetting PC when it suddenly shut down and screwed the whole OS. Will test the PSU tomorrow as I think that is the most probable culprit.

 

[Danogot516]

I tested the PSU:
3VDC constistently showed as 5VDC
5 VDC consistently showed as 7VDC
12VDC showed as 17VDC
I couldn't get a reading for the -12VDC
Needless to say I'm getting a new PSU by the end of the week and will report back if that fixes the issue.

 

[Colif]

that is a little hot

the tolerances are only .5% so
3.3vdc should be max of 3.465, not 5
5VDC should be max of 5.25, not 7
12VDC should be max of 12.6, not 17
thats one way to fry parts. Everything was getting too much.
But then you know that

 

[Danogot516]

that is a little hot

the tolerances are only .5% so
3.3vdc should be max of 3.465, not 5
5VDC should be max of 5.25, not 7
12VDC should be max of 12.6, not 17
thats one way to fry parts. Everything was getting too much.
But then you know that

Changing PSU solved nothing - I still get the BSOD when I try to install Windows 10 with the same stop code as before (DPC WATCHDOG VIOLATION). I have no idea.

 

[Colif]

no lan cards in pc?
nothing else in PC you haven't mentioned?

memory passes.
same error on 2 PSU (it might not be complete waste of money if those voltages were believable before, PSU may have taken something with it and its why it won't work still)
HDD seems to work
have you tried installing without GPU in PC? Its a long shot, I don't think its GPU but never know.

Have you tried using another USB drive as it could be the USB stick you are installing off

I would get PC looked at by a shop, as the items left we haven't tested are hard to test.. or if its motherboard, there are no tests. Only way you can tell its the motherboard is by making sure everything else works.

 

[Danogot516]

Brought the PC to a shop and had them look at it. As we assumed, it turned out to be the motherboard. My only guess is that the faulty PSU fried some components which led to the problem. Installed a new motherboard and the PC works as good as before. Note to other people: if you can spend some extra money, buy a good PSU to avoid such problems. Thanks for the help of everyone, Colif especially. Cya when another problems pops up 😀