Hey everyone! I've been troubleshooting this frustrating issue for the past couple of days and I'm starting to feel like I'm going in circles. I recently upgraded my PC and prepared a USB flash drive with the Windows 11 installer. The installation goes fine until it hits 100%, but once it resets, my PC just boots back to the BIOS.
If I keep the USB stick plugged in or reinsert it, I see a message saying: 'It Looks Like You Started an Upgrade and booted from the installation media. If you want to continue with the upgrade, remove the media from your PC and click Yes. If you want to perform a clean installation instead, click No.' Clicking Yes just sends me back to the motherboard screen, and clicking No just restarts the process over again.
I've already unplugged all other SSDs, cleaned the disk, and wiped any previous partitions. My original SSD had Windows 10 on it but was completely wiped for this installation. I even tried switching the SATA ports and using different USB slots for the thumb drive. My BIOS says the Windows Boot Manager is prioritized, and it's currently the only boot selection available.
I have CSM disabled, I'm in Windows UEFI mode, and I can't find any option to completely disable Secure Boot—only Custom and Standard modes are available.
Here are my specs:
Old Build:
- OS: Windows 10 (x64)
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 Six-Core, 3200 MHz
- Motherboard: Micro-Star B350 PC Mate
- RAM: 16 GB
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
New Build:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Six-Core, 12 Thread
- Motherboard: ASUS B650E MAX GAMING WIFI AND AM5 ATX
- RAM: Flare X5 (16GB) DDR5-6000
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 8GB
I'm really hoping someone can point me in the right direction here!
2 Answers
It sounds like the BIOS isn’t recognizing the drive you’re trying to install Windows onto. You might want to physically unplug the drive, reseat it, and make sure it’s securely connected to the m.2 or SATA port. Sometimes a loose connection can cause these kinds of issues.
Have you checked the Boot Priority in your BIOS? After installation, it’s crucial that your primary SSD appears there. If it keeps showing only the USB stick, it could be related to the settings, especially with Secure Boot and CSM. You might want to try toggling those settings to see if it makes a difference.
Is the drive you’re using a 256 GB SSD? If that’s the case, make sure that’s the correct boot option you’re looking at. If it’s listed but you're still having trouble, adjust the cables and perhaps swap out the SATA ports again to see if that helps.