Windows experienced an unexpected error. To install windows, restart the installation.

[ErvinBoyes]

Trying to do a fresh install of windows 8.1 64 bit to my SSD from my USB. I'm doing this because my windows was freezing a lot. My temperatures on everything were fine. replaced my memory a couple of months ago because I believed that it was faulty. I get this message after the installation restarts: "Windows experienced an unexpected error. To install windows, restart the installation". I then tried moving to windows 10 which didn't make any difference, although I've decided that I would prefer too install windows 10 now. It appears after the installation needs to continue to the boot drive rather than the SSD. what I see is the bios screen, with a small spinning windows loading icon, and then after a few seconds, the error
Things I've tried to fix it:
Installing the other drivers I have: windows was unstable and I kept getting blue screens, freezing up, unable to launch Far Cry 5, which was the same as before. The blue screens I got were SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION and CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED, which I had never seen previously.
Running a chkdsk on all my drives and the USB: no errors
trying just one of each ram stick rather than both: nothing
formatting the SSD to GPT: nothing
using Rufus instead of the Windows 7 media creation tool to create a bootable USB: nothing
switching to AHCI to IDE: slight difference, in AHCI, the window error would take less time to appear, but with IDE, it would take longer, and it would freeze for a few minutes before it appeared
cleaning all of the drives using diskpart: nothing
Specs
GPU: MSI GTX 970
CPU: I7 4790K @ 4.0GHZ, COOLED BY A DARK ROCK PRO 3 BK019
RAM: 2x 8GB PATRIOT VIPER RAM 1600MHZ
STORAGE: (OS) 120GB KINGSTON SSD, WD BLUE 2TB HDD, 256GB CRUCIAL SSD
MOTHERBOARD: MSI Z87-G45
PSU: CORSAIR MX750M
MONITOR: LG 34 INCH 2560x1080 21:9 MONITOR
FANS: 4 CORSAIR CASE FANS

 

[karenjoly]

ok, so much has gone on, its best to cover the basics first. Lets start with a clean install of windows 10. But before that, remove the overclock. Then follow these steps

Create an up to date USB install media by following the steps outlined here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

Then disconnect or disable all hdd /ssd drives but the one where you will install windows.

Next, insert the USB media tool, with the windows install files, into the board, then startup and go to the board setup and ensure the board is configured to use UEFI boot settings, CSM is enabled, and SATA mode set to AHCI.

On the motherboard boot device menu, select the command that identifies BOTH the firmware mode and the device. For example, select UEFI: USB Drive, or Windows Boot Manager:drive name, and list that device in the first boot slot on the board.

Reboot. Install begins.

When choosing an installation type, select Custom. On new disks, the drive will show a single area of unallocated space. If there are partitions, select each one and then "delete".

Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows detects that the PC was booted into UEFI mode, partitions the drive using the GPT and begins the installation.

All good ?

 

[ErvinBoyes]

ok, so much has gone on, its best to cover the basics first. Lets start with a clean install of windows 10. But before that, remove the overclock. Then follow these steps

Create an up to date USB install media by following the steps outlined here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

Then disconnect or disable all hdd /ssd drives but the one where you will install windows.

Next, insert the USB media tool, with the windows install files, into the board, then startup and go to the board setup and ensure the board is configured to use UEFI boot settings, CSM is enabled, and SATA mode set to AHCI.

On the motherboard boot device menu, select the command that identifies BOTH the firmware mode and the device. For example, select UEFI: USB Drive, or Windows Boot Manager:drive name, and list that device in the first boot slot on the board.

Reboot. Install begins.

When choosing an installation type, select Custom. On new disks, the drive will show a single area of unallocated space. If there are partitions, select each one and then "delete".

Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows detects that the PC was booted into UEFI mode, partitions the drive using the GPT and begins the installation.

All good ?

Yeah I've followed this process already. I made a slight error in my description. When I said "It appears after the installation needs to continue to the boot drive rather than the SSD", I didn't mean SSD, I meant to say USB. So what I meant to say is that the error appears after I'm done using the USB and I have to move onto the SSD. Also you mentioned something about 'CSM', and making sure it is set to use UEFI settings. my BIOS is set to use UEFI+Legacy, I'm not sure if thats the same, and Im not sure what CSM is either. I'm not sure that it is an option with my motherboard

 

[karenjoly]

CSM/legacy are the same. Removed the o/c ? Updated UEFI ?

 

[ErvinBoyes]

CSM/legacy are the same. Removed the o/c ? Updated UEFI ?

Yes removed the OC, just tried using UEFI to install it and got the same error

 

[karenjoly]

Try clearing the bios--pull the battery ? /Updating bios ?

 

[ErvinBoyes]

Try clearing the bios--pull the battery ? /Updating bios ?

I did try clearing the bios, to no avail. I haven't tried updating the bios though, so I will try that as soon as I can, which will be sometime tomorrow. Just want to say that I really appreciate the help so far though.

 

[karenjoly]

fingers crossed

 

[ErvinBoyes]

Try clearing the bios--pull the battery ? /Updating bios ?

Updating the BIOS worked, thank so much man

 

[karenjoly]

np