I recently upgraded my PC with a Ryzen 7 5700x, MSI B550M Pro VDH Wi-Fi motherboard, and a Deepcool AG400 cooler. However, when I first powered it on, it froze on the motherboard loading screen with a message saying "Preparing Automatic Repair." I figured it was due to the hardware change affecting Windows, so I created a bootable USB drive with Windows 11 using two older Sandisk Cruzerblade 16GB drives. When I set the USB as the primary boot option, my system freezes at the motherboard logo screen. I've checked my BIOS settings and set it to UEFI, toggled Secure Boot on and off, and ensured TPM is enabled. However, I've also encountered a blue screen with the error code "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL." Could these USB drives be the issue? I've read they're not ideal for booting, but I don't have any other USB drives available right now.
3 Answers
It sounds like you're on the right track! Booting from a previously used SSD definitely can lead to issues with a new setup. Have you checked the SSD for any signs of corruption? If removing it didn’t help either, the USB drives could be limiting your boot options. It's worth trying another drive if you can borrow or buy one. Let's also not forget—the hardware connections themselves can sometimes cause these freezes, so double-check all your cables and components.
Just to clarify, have you tried booting from the USB drive on another machine? This could help confirm whether the USB is the issue. Regarding the blue screen, that's certainly a significant clue—make sure you check for memory issues as well. Sometimes, just reseating the RAM can sort out bugs like this.
Before diving deeper, make sure your BIOS settings are optimized for your new hardware. Sometimes, settings from an old setup can interfere. I'd also suggest downloading a fresh copy of the Windows installer using a different USB drive if possible. The older drives might be causing the problems you're facing because even if they seem to be formatted right, they might not be reliable for booting. Let's see if we can tackle that first. If you keep having issues, we might need to look at your hardware too.
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