[SOLVED] Windows 10 USB won’t load when ssd plugged in.

[NoelFN]

Long story short, I was doing very little on my pc and it became sluggish. Turned it off and turned it back on and wasn’t able to boot windows. I plugged in my usb that I had used to install windows onto my computer with to try and repair it. None of the repair options worked and they also took over 10 minutes each to actually complete. I decided to format my usb and install windows with the media creation tool. I plugged it in and after getting a windows logo with a loading circle icon, I got left on a black screen and it never moved while I waited for over an hour. However when I unplugged my ssd and only had the usb in, it booted up straight to the menu where I can either install windows or repair my computer, neither of which I can do since my ssd is unplugged. At this point I just want to format my ssd and to a complete reinstall of windows. All my important files are on my other drives.

 

[USAFRet]

At this point I just want to format my ssd and to a complete reinstall of windows. All my important files are on my other drives.

No problem.

Physically disconnect all other drives.
Install.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

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After that, please start some sort of backup routine.
Your data needs to be on more than one physical device.

 

[NoelFN]

No problem.

Physically disconnect all other drives.
Install.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

After that, please start some sort of backup routine.
Your data needs to be on more than one physical device.

Whenever I have my usb and my ssd that I want to install windows onto, that’s when I get the black screen after the windows logo with a loading circle. I don’t know how to get past that.

 

[USAFRet]

Whenever I have my usb and my ssd that I want to install windows onto, that’s when I get the black screen after the windows logo with a loading circle. I don’t know how to get past that.

It is attempting to boot from the USB?
How did you create it?

You may just need to make a new USB to install from.

 

[NoelFN]

It is attempting to boot from the USB?
How did you create it?

You may just need to make a new USB to install from.

Yes I set the boot priority to the usb. I created it with the windows media creation tool. It literally only doesn’t load when I have the ssd plugged in. I also tried to plug my ssd into another computer that does work. But whenever I have that ssd plugged in, it gets stuck on a windows logo with a loading circle and the only boot option set on that pc is the one that the computer originally had that works.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes I set the boot priority to the usb. I created it with the windows media creation tool. It literally only doesn’t load when I have the ssd plugged in. I also tried to plug my ssd into another computer that does work. But whenever I have that ssd plugged in, it gets stuck on a windows logo with a loading circle and the only boot option set on that pc is the one that the computer originally had that works.

What motherboard and SSD?

 

[NoelFN]

What motherboard and SSD?

Motherboard: MSI Z370-A PRO
SSD: SanDisk 120gb ssd

 

[USAFRet]

Motherboard: MSI Z370-A PRO
SSD: SanDisk 120gb ssd

SATA III SSD?

Try it in a different SATA port.

 

[NoelFN]

SATA III SSD?

Try it in a different SATA port.

I just tried and it still doesn’t not seem to work.

 

[USAFRet]

I just tried and it still doesn’t not seem to work.

Given your initial post, this drive may be dead.

 

[NoelFN]

Given your initial post, this drive may be dead.

Dead as in it’s gone forever correct? I was thinking the same just wanted to test everything before I gave up on it.

 

[USAFRet]

Dead as in it’s gone forever correct? I was thinking the same just wanted to test everything before I gave up on it.

Possibly, yes.

Do you have another otherwise blank HDD or SSD available?
If so, try an OS install on that. Just to rule out the rest of the system.
If it works, that original SSD may probably be the issue.

Or, if you are a little bit conversant with Linux and have a bootable Linux USB around, boot into that and see if the system works with that problematic SSD connected.