Windows 10 installation BSOD using GPT

[spardante]

Hi, guys. I'm definitely new here, so if I'm not following a proper format, I apologize.

I am having a hell of a time trying to do a clean windows 10 install on a new hard drive.

Here is the tower I have:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009PHVZJE/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

A bit of history. I have had the desktop for years. It started with Windows 7, and it upgraded itself to Windows 10 despite my best efforts to stop it when all the upgrades we're being pushed around (forcing me to also learn a bit about UEFI). I also replaced the graphics card to an ASUS GTX 1070 ROG STRIX.

Everything had been working fine for over a year with the upgrade until I started getting random BSOD errors, some saying WHEA UNCORRECTABLE ERROR or another one or two with different names. It might run for a day, hours, or even minutes and randomly BSOD.

I intitially tried clean wipes and reinstalls using a USB stick and Media Creation Tool. I was able to reinstall, but it would not solve the restarts.

So I decided it might be the old hard drive. I bought a new FireCuda 2TB SSHD. Here is where I am running into issues now. When initializing the disk, I wanted to use GPT since it's all new and everything with better partition support, so I setup as GPT and created a new 400GB NTFS partition. This was apparently a big mistake.

I tried my same windows 10 USB disk to install but it would not allow it due to the hard drive being GPT. I learned that the windows 10 Media Creation Tool will only create a USB installer as MBR, causing incompatibility with hard drive targeted for install.

I learned of Rufus, the third-party tool that could create a USB install disk with GPT using the windows 10 iso. I did this and tried again.

I received an error that the drive order was not correct. I could proceed, but looked up how to fix it. So I learned about calling the cmd prompt during install and using diskpart to clean the drive of all partitions, then returning to the installation window to create a new partition (which properly creates the other required partitions).

Finally, after having gone through all of this, I could start the installation. However, very soon after it I was hit with another BSOD. And now it hits a BSOD every time I attempt the install. Sometimes it will crash immediately after "Getting files ready for installation". Sometimes it will complete the intial screen successfully and restart, then BSOD while it is getting things ready after restart.

Error codes I have seen now are
APC INDEX MISMATCH
KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED
SYSTEM SERVICE EXCEPTION

I just can't seem to pass this level.

Does anyone have any ideas? Any help is appreciated.

 

[stdragon]

There's a few misconceptions here, but that's ok

1. If you're getting BSOD errors and reboots, then you've most likely got a hardware issue. First thing to do is make sure your CPU, MB, and RAM are working as they should. To validate, create a bootable USB thumbdrive of Memtest86 (free edition) and let it run its course to completion. Hopefully it all passes. If not, you need to get that solved first before proceeding further.

2. Use the Media Creation Tool to download and install to USB flashdrive bootable media. Don't worry how it's formatted, it should reformat for you to spec.

3. Be sure your BIOS is set to UEFI mode and not BIOS/Legacy. Otherwise, Windows installation will set the C drive as MBR and not GPT. To ensure it will get created as a large GPT boot volume, the BIOS needs to be in UEFI mode

4. In the event you think you've hosed up the partitioning scheme of your primary hard drive, you can clean it with the following commands (using the Windows 10 USB flashdrive via command options)

From the command line

DISKPART

LIST DISK

If you see your primary internal drive as DISK 0, make a mental note of it (be careful to not select the wrong drive)

SELECT DISK 0

CLEAN

By now, your primary disk will have been wiped clean of all partitions, both MBR and GPT based.

Now reboot and proceed with the Windows 10 installation from the USB install media.

 

[spardante]

There's a few misconceptions here, but that's ok

1. If you're getting BSOD errors and reboots, then you've most likely got a hardware issue. First thing to do is make sure your CPU, MB, and RAM are working as they should. To validate, create a bootable USB thumbdrive of Memtest86 (free edition) and let it run its course to completion. Hopefully it all passes. If not, you need to get that solved first before proceeding further.

2. Use the Media Creation Tool to download and install to USB flashdrive bootable media. Don't worry how it's formatted, it should reformat for you to spec.

3. Be sure your BIOS is set to UEFI mode and not BIOS/Legacy. Otherwise, Windows installation will set the C drive as MBR and not GPT. To ensure it will get created as a large GPT boot volume, the BIOS needs to be in UEFI mode

4. In the event you think you've hosed up the partitioning scheme of your primary hard drive, you can clean it with the following commands (using the Windows 10 USB flashdrive via command options)

From the command line

DISKPART

LIST DISK

If you see your primary internal drive as DISK 0, make a mental note of it (be careful to not select the wrong drive)

SELECT DISK 0

CLEAN

By now, your primary disk will have been wiped clean of all partitions, both MBR and GPT based.

Now reboot and proceed with the Windows 10 installation from the USB install media.

Hi, stdragon. Thank you very much for your response. Apologies for the delay, but was working on a few things. Here are my responses:

1. Just to clarify, I believe the new BSOD errors I'm getting right now are directly related to the Windows 10 Installation I'm trying to perform because it happens either during the initial installation screen or just after the first restart during the installation. Regardless, I was able to setup the Memtest86 drive and had it run last night, which completed with 0 errors.

2. The last time I created a Win10 Installation drive it defaulted to MBR. And after reading online, it seemed to confirm that the Media Creation Tool would now allow GPT. So that's why I went to Rufus. However, this is definitely my next step to recreate the USB install drive with the MCT and see what happens.

3. I confirmed the BIOS was set o UEFI, and that both the new hard drive and USB install drive were configured as GPT by using disk part.

4. This is what I meant when I said I was "using disk part to clean the drive of all partitions" during the installation window.

 

[stdragon]

If you haven't already, ensure that the latest BIOS has been installed for the motherboard.

Ensure that your CPU isn't overheating. If it is, that could ostensibly cause BSODs while under load - and it is under load while in the middle of installing Windows.

The MCT will install the Windows 10 v1803 build onto the flash drive. However, just to be sure there isn't something wonky with the update process, be sure to install Windows 10 with the network disconnected. Don't let it check for updates and apply them during the OS installation. Only connect to the network after everything completed. It's possible that during the update process, it's pulling down a driver that's causing an issue. If you're missing drivers, apply those manually and not let Windows get them from their own Windows Update repository.

 

[spardante]

If you haven't already, ensure that the latest BIOS has been installed for the motherboard.

Ensure that your CPU isn't overheating. If it is, that could ostensibly cause BSODs while under load - and it is under load while in the middle of installing Windows.

The MCT will install the Windows 10 v1803 build onto the flash drive. However, just to be sure there isn't something wonky with the update process, be sure to install Windows 10 with the network disconnected. Don't let it check for updates and apply them during the OS installation. Only connect to the network after everything completed. It's possible that during the update process, it's pulling down a driver that's causing an issue. If you're missing drivers, apply those manually and not let Windows get them from their own Windows Update repository.

Ok, so the motherboard BIOS is up-to-date. Temps are around mid-40's to mid-50's for the most part. Nothing stellar, but nothing I would think would be an issue.

And I still can't get past the first boot during installation, so it hasn't gotten to any part where it could use internet. I disconnected anyway, and still hanging up.

I"m about ready to just settle for MBR 🙁

 

[R0GG]

Try installing windows 10 having CSM enabled side by side with UEFI mode (never failed me) while disconnecting all other drives from your mobo.

How to install Windows 10 from USB with UEFI support >>
- How to create a USB bootable media using Media Creation Tool
- How to create a USB bootable media using Rufus
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-create-windows-10-usb-bootable-media-uefi-support

 

[stdragon]

Unless there's something going on with resource management (IRQ and DMA allocation) via PnP, it shouldn't be doing that. If it is a hardware resource issue, clearing the CMOS setting on the MB can reset that as well.

Hey, I've seen stranger solutions to a problem. Might as well give it a shot.

 

[spardante]

Hi, guys. Apologies for taking so long to get back into this. I tried the CSM, but no change. I also tried clearing the CMOS on the motherboard, and that introduced new problems. After I reset the CMOS and loaded up bios, I had to reset the UEFI settings to get it to recognize the USB installer, which I expected. However, now it won't boot from the usb stick. I can select it and try to boot, but it just goes black for a second and then reloads the bios screen.

I then tried foregoing the whole GPT situation and reformatted the drive to MBR and used an MBR-formatted usb stick created with the windows media Creation tool. It will recognize the stick and begin installation, but now fails again at the restart stage of the installation like it was doing with the GPT-formatted stick.

So, in short, after the CMOS reset, I am no longer able to boot under UEFI (although it recognizes them and tries). And MBR installation is failing now where I was previously trying a GPT installation.