I just built a new PC, and I'm running into an issue where Windows 11 installs without any problems initially. However, when it reboots, it freezes before I can get to the setup screen. I either see a black screen with spinning dots that just hangs there or a solid blue screen with no cursor. While the BIOS works fine and the system posts, I can't seem to get Windows to complete its first boot.
I've already tried a bunch of troubleshooting steps, such as updating the BIOS, resetting CMOS, disabling CSM, enabling Secure Boot for UEFI, setting PCIe to Gen3, turning off EXPO, using just a single RAM stick, and even deleting and recreating USB partitions—but nothing seems to help. I'm looking for suggestions. Is this potentially an issue with AM5 or Ryzen 9000 during first boot, a RAM training problem, or maybe something with the GPU initialization? Here are my specs:
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
• GPU: MSI RTX 5060 8GB Trio OC (white)
• Motherboard: ASUS B650-E MAX Gaming WiFi W
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB (2x16)
• Storage: Ediloca 1TB NVMe SSD
• PSU: Corsair 850W Gold
• Monitor: Koorui 25 Inch 200hz
2 Answers
It might be a good idea to check for dump files, which are crash logs that can help diagnose BSOD issues. If you manage to access Windows normally or even through Safe Mode, look for dump files in C:WindowsMinidump. If you find any, zip them up and share them through a file-sharing site. If you're having trouble, check out a guide on configuring Windows to change the dump type to Small Memory Dump for more crash logs.
Have you tried booting from the Windows 11 installation USB and selecting "Repair this PC"? From there, go to "Troubleshooting" and then "Advanced Options" to find "Startup Settings." If successful, this might help you enter Safe Mode. If you can get into Safe Mode, it could be an issue with a missing driver—potentially the video driver—so you could try installing that to see if it helps.
I can't even get that far! It freezes before I reach the Windows installer, so I'm completely at a loss here.
Unfortunately, I can't reach Safe Mode; it freezes right after the Windows logo shows up. I'm seriously stuck here!