Win 10 0xc000021a error when trying to install from USB stick.

[BananaScientist]

Hi,

I've just built a new computer. I5-6600K with cooler master fan, MSI gtx 1070, Asus z170a motherboard. My computer boots into BIOS fine, recognizes all the components and seems fine. However, when I put the Windows 10 usb stick that I bought to install windows, it gives me a BSOD 0xc000021a error, and restarts. This cycles indefinitely.I get to the screen where I choose 32 or 64-bit and am able to select one, but then the system crashes in a few seconds. I'm not even sure what I would do to try to identify the problem. Help?

Here's what I've tried: Tried switching around sata ports for the SSD/HDD, tried moving the RAM sticks to the other two slots, tried clearing RAM cache. I can get to the windows memory diagnostics tool and the computer runs it fine without ever crashing (though I didn't have time to finish the whole run), and the tool immediately detects a hardware problem. I've ordered two new RAM sticks that I'll test tonight so maybe that'll solve it (probably wishful thinking). I've also tried creating a new USB, but that one gave the exact same error.

So in summary, computer seems to be fine, everything is definitely hooked up right, BIOS shows all components, everything has power. Windows crashes when trying to install, but runs memory diagnostic without crashing.

Please help! It's really bumming me out to be locked out of my new PC...

 

[Paul NZ]

Did you delete all partitions in setup then install windows?

I would get the mediacreation tool get the 32 or 64 bit ISO. Then use rufus or burn it to DVD. Then see if it works

What hdd are you trying to install windows on? Is that new?

 

[BananaScientist]

Did you delete all partitions in setup then install windows?

I would get the mediacreation tool get the 32 or 64 bit ISO. Then use rufus or burn it to DVD. Then see if it works

What hdd are you trying to install windows on? Is that new?

HDD: Seagate 2TB BarraCuda SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive (ST2000DM006)
SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E500B/AM)

Trying to install the OS on the SSD.

Both new. Would new drives have partitions that need to be wiped? How would I do this without an OS?

I have burned the 64-bit ISO onto my usb (I don't have an optical drive in this build) and will try that when I get off work.

 

[Paul NZ]

Leave the one you want to install windows on connected. Unplug the other one . You can connect it after windows has been installed

Did you use rufus to extract the ISO to the flash drive.

The mediacreation tool isnt that good for putting it on a flash drive

If the mobo supports UEFI if you used rufus change it to GPT partition before you add the ISO

Enable secureboot, UEFI and AHCI in the BIOS if it's 64 bit. Before you install windows

You can delete partitions on a hdd in windows setup. Once you get to the setup screen / before you install windows

 

[SgtScream]

Try booting your USB stick to a BLACK usb 2.0 port.

 

[BananaScientist]

Leave the one you want to install windows on connected. Unplug the other one . You can connect it after windows has been installed

Did you use rufus to extract the ISO to the flash drive.

The mediacreation tool isnt that good for putting it on a flash drive

If the mobo supports UEFI if you used rufus change it to GPT partition before you add the ISO

Enable secureboot, UEFI and AHCI in the BIOS if it's 64 bit. Before you install windows

You can delete partitions on a hdd in windows setup. Once you get to the setup screen / before you install windows

I used rufus to burn the ISO to the flash drive, and it was GPT. I believe UEFI is automatically enabled but I'll check, same with AHCI. I'll try disconnecting the HDD as well. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll try them out when I get home later tonight.

 

[Paul NZ]

Sweet. Because what can happen if you have more than 1 hdd and keep the others connected, sometimes the boot loader / info ends up on the wrong hdd

And if the other hdd is removed (it maybe faulty, or something) the main hdd / boot disk wont boot.

Because it wont be able to find the boot loader

 

[SgtScream]

Leave the one you want to install windows on connected. Unplug the other one . You can connect it after windows has been installed

Did you use rufus to extract the ISO to the flash drive.

The mediacreation tool isnt that good for putting it on a flash drive

If the mobo supports UEFI if you used rufus change it to GPT partition before you add the ISO

Enable secureboot, UEFI and AHCI in the BIOS if it's 64 bit. Before you install windows

You can delete partitions on a hdd in windows setup. Once you get to the setup screen / before you install windows

I used rufus to burn the ISO to the flash drive, and it was GPT. I believe UEFI is automatically enabled but I'll check, same with AHCI. I'll try disconnecting the HDD as well. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll try them out when I get home later tonight.

Is this a usb stick that came with windows all ready on it to be used for installation? Or did you make it? You don't have to "burn" the iso onto the flash drive, you just have to extract it using 7zip or WinRAR.

 

[BananaScientist]

Leave the one you want to install windows on connected. Unplug the other one . You can connect it after windows has been installed

Did you use rufus to extract the ISO to the flash drive.

The mediacreation tool isnt that good for putting it on a flash drive

If the mobo supports UEFI if you used rufus change it to GPT partition before you add the ISO

Enable secureboot, UEFI and AHCI in the BIOS if it's 64 bit. Before you install windows

You can delete partitions on a hdd in windows setup. Once you get to the setup screen / before you install windows

I used rufus to burn the ISO to the flash drive, and it was GPT. I believe UEFI is automatically enabled but I'll check, same with AHCI. I'll try disconnecting the HDD as well. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll try them out when I get home later tonight.

Is this a usb stick that came with windows all ready on it to be used for installation? Or did you make it?

I bought one USB from amazon, and when that one failed I tried to make a new one using the Windows media creation tool. That gave the same error.

 

[SgtScream]

Leave the one you want to install windows on connected. Unplug the other one . You can connect it after windows has been installed

Did you use rufus to extract the ISO to the flash drive.

The mediacreation tool isnt that good for putting it on a flash drive

If the mobo supports UEFI if you used rufus change it to GPT partition before you add the ISO

Enable secureboot, UEFI and AHCI in the BIOS if it's 64 bit. Before you install windows

You can delete partitions on a hdd in windows setup. Once you get to the setup screen / before you install windows

I used rufus to burn the ISO to the flash drive, and it was GPT. I believe UEFI is automatically enabled but I'll check, same with AHCI. I'll try disconnecting the HDD as well. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll try them out when I get home later tonight.

Is this a usb stick that came with windows all ready on it to be used for installation? Or did you make it?

I bought one USB from amazon, and when that one failed I tried to make a new one using the Windows media creation tool. That gave the same error.

Did you try a usb 2.0 port? Also if you can get to a boot menu or change boot priority, make sure you select uefi usb.

 

[SgtScream]

You don't have to "burn" the iso onto the flash drive, you just have to extract it using 7zip or WinRAR.

 

[BananaScientist]

Did you try a usb 2.0 port? Also if you can get to a boot menu or change boot priority, make sure you select uefi usb.

I tried every usb port. And I can get into the BIOS fine, it also automatically sets the UEFI usb as top priority.

 

[Paul NZ]

Update the BIOS in the BIOS first. See if that fixes something

 

[SgtScream]

Can you boot to usb, using that flash drive, on another computer/laptop?

 

[SgtScream]

Post a picture/screen shot of what the files look like on the flash drive.

 

[BananaScientist]

Post a picture/screen shot of what the files look like on the flash drive.

I didn't try booting on another computer, I just looked through the files. it seemed to be all there, in 32 and 64 bit. I don't have the flash drive with me at work at the moment, I can update this when I get home tonight.

 

[BananaScientist]

Leave the one you want to install windows on connected. Unplug the other one . You can connect it after windows has been installed

Did you use rufus to extract the ISO to the flash drive.

The mediacreation tool isnt that good for putting it on a flash drive

If the mobo supports UEFI if you used rufus change it to GPT partition before you add the ISO

Enable secureboot, UEFI and AHCI in the BIOS if it's 64 bit. Before you install windows

You can delete partitions on a hdd in windows setup. Once you get to the setup screen / before you install windows

Paul you are my HERO. The problem was having both the HDD and SSD connected at once. I disconnected the HDD, installed windows on my SSD, then reconnected the HDD and everything works perfectly. Thank you SO much!!!

 

[Paul NZ]

Excellent !

 

[youngevans]

Try booting your USB stick to a BLACK usb 2.0 port.

I was facing this problem I had a usb 3.0 pendrive in a usb 3.0 usb port and when i changed it into 2.0 port the error was gone