Question What did I do?

[OndreyaDier]

Okay, so I bought a decent used gaming desktop off Ebay and it worked great! No problems at all for months!! But I needed to boot a linux USB drive, it's been awhile, so I changed the boot order around to make the USB first. It didn't work for some reason & out of panic I just clicked "default settings" in the BIOS, thinking the defaults should be fine. Is it because this machine was custom built, are you not supposed to use default settings then? I've tried putting a Windows Installation USB to fix it, but same issue, the Windows USB freezes while the circle dots are moving just like when I try to load the main OS. So I tried a Linux USB, it crashes once the OS tries to boot.
Nothing works, only access I have is to the BIOS settings. Can't get to Window repair tools or any other USB OS.

I tried changing so many settings, going back to factory defaults, doing a hard reset with CMOS battery & unplugging/replugging connections. I flashed the BIOS twice. Nothing will get me out of this Automatic Repair Loop (sometimes it freezes on the circle dots, sometimes it just out right crashes & restarts but I can never get past the first loading screen.)

I wouldn't mind starting over & reinstalling windows, I have nothing to save just my desktop & money. I read the CPU could have a hardware problem... but this whole event seemed to be triggered by me removed around with the BIOS so I doubt it's a hardware issue unless it was really weird & unfortunate timing. Motherboard is Fatal1ty X99 Professional Gaming i7 . Please save me, ugh.

 

[RARRAF]

it sounds like your USB has corrupted it self some how I would start a fresh https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10 and second one down create installation media.

 

[OndreyaDier]

it sounds like your USB has corrupted it self some how I would start a fresh https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10 and second one down create installation media.

I'm sorry but that doesn't sound true. Like I said, I had an issue with BOTH usb's: Windows Installation & Linux Tails OS. Neither OS is able to boot. And I've used the Linux USB on my laptop, runs fine with no issues. And this is already the second time I've made a Windows 10 Installation USB & failed, I've even tried 3 different USBs. Considering the automatic repair loop, I don't think this is a USB issue. (Although after the hard CMOS battery reset, my USB keyboard stopped working & needed to switch to those older keyboards without USB.)

Update: just tested the Windows Install USB on my laptop, works fine.