I'm helping a friend with a PC build and we've run into an issue while trying to install Windows. We've got an ASRock B550 motherboard, 64GB of DDR4 RAM, and an AMD 5900X CPU that I was using before upgrading to AM5. Another friend contributed the PSU, case, fans, and either a 3060 or 3070 GPU (not sure which yet). My friend also picked up a new Samsung 990 Pro 2TB M.2 SSD for storage. After assembling everything, I created a bootable Windows 11 installation USB using Microsoft's software.
However, when we try to boot it up, we are met with a blue screen saying "Recovery" and the message "Your PC/Device needs to be repaired. An unexpected error has occurred. Error code: 0xc000000f." I've tried toggling compatibility support (CSM) on and off, made sure secure boot is disabled, cleared the CMOS by shorting the clrcmos1 pins and removing the battery, and double-checked that the M.2 drive is properly seated. The USB drive is a 256GB formatted as FAT32, and I've tested different USB ports on the back. In BIOS, the M.2 SSD and the bootable USB drive are recognized, but no luck booting. I suspect it might be an issue with the USB drive or the installation media, but I'm at a loss. Any ideas?
1 Answer
Have you tried unplugging the M.2 drive and see if it boots from the USB stick? Sometimes the USB stick can get improperly built, and it might be trying to boot from an old version of Windows on the M.2.
Also, you'd want to grab the Win 25H2 ISO and use a tool like Rufus or Ventoy for a more reliable installation experience.