Hey everyone! I've been trying to reinstall Windows on my old PC because it kept throwing critical errors whenever I turned it on. I figured a fresh start with a clean install would do the trick. However, when I get to the "Getting devices ready" stage during the installation, I keep running into a BSOD that says DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG. After restarting, it just gives me an error message saying that the installation can't continue due to an unexpected issue.
I've already tried several troubleshooting steps: I updated the BIOS and changed some settings (disabled CSM and Fast Boot), disconnected all secondary drives and unnecessary peripherals, tested two different SATA SSDs, and even swapped cables and ports. I also attempted to install VMD during setup, but nothing seems to work. I remade my boot USB multiple times, following various guides, and made sure to use a USB 2.0 port. I'm starting to wonder if the problem might be with the motherboard or RAM. Has anyone faced a similar issue or have any suggestions?
3 Answers
Getting some dump files could really help diagnose your BSOD issue. If you can access Windows normally or use Safe Mode, check the C:WindowsMinidump folder for any dump files. If you find some, zip the folder and upload it to a file-sharing site, as it's useful to have multiple files for analysis. If you only have one, make sure to follow a guide to change the dump file type to Small Memory Dump so you don't overwrite it. This info can be super helpful for anyone trying to help you out here!
I can relate—I had a similar problem recently! BitLocker was giving me a hard time on all my drives. Once I disabled it, I tried installing Windows 11 using an external NVMe enclosure. It worked initially, but then the installation started failing. Eventually, I switched to using a smaller USB 2.0 drive instead of my 3.0 one, and that finally did the trick for me.
I struggled with a similar issue, and changing my USB drive helped! I used a 2.0 USB instead of a 3.0, and it made all the difference. If you're trying to create a bootable USB for Windows 11, make sure you download the official installer from Microsoft's website. You can create a bootable USB from that, and it should work without problems. Good luck!
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