I'm helping my younger cousin troubleshoot his PC. It has an RX 570, Ryzen 5 1600, 16 GB of DDR4 memory, and an A320M-A Pro motherboard. It was working normally until Windows started looping after he entered his PIN. He restarted the computer, and it displayed an "updates are underway" message. After waiting only 5–10 minutes, he manually turned the PC off. Since then, the computer powers on but does not boot. I've already checked the RAM and reset the CMOS, but neither helped. Could the interrupted update have corrupted Windows, and should I replace the drive, or is there something else I should test first?
2 Answers
The forced shutdown may have corrupted Windows or damaged the boot files, but that does not automatically mean the drive needs to be replaced. First, check whether you can reach the BIOS. If the BIOS appears, the core hardware is probably powering up, and you can try Windows recovery, startup repair, or reinstalling Windows from a USB installer. Back up any important files before reinstalling if possible.
A corrupted operating system is more likely than a fried CPU, especially since the problem happened immediately after interrupting an update. Try disconnecting unnecessary USB devices, confirm the monitor is connected to the RX 570, and see whether the system shows a manufacturer logo or BIOS screen. If it cannot display BIOS at all, then investigate hardware such as the graphics card, power connections, motherboard, or storage device.
I already tried the RAM and cleared CMOS, so I’ll check the display connection and whether it can enter BIOS before going deeper.
So the first step is checking whether the BIOS still comes up, rather than immediately buying a new drive?