Installing windows 10 on new build - help needed!!

[ST_Nuts]

Right, picked up a motherboard bundle on ebay for a cheap music media build (Gigabyte H77M-D3H Motherboard, Intel Core i3 2120, 4GB Kingston HyperX Bundle)
worked fine at first using an old ssd with windows 10 already installed. Thought I'd do a fresh windows 10 install (Pro 64bit) which I've downloaded from Microsoft onto a flash drive. Everything goes ok right up until it needs to re-start during installation and then it just goes back to the initial windows setup?

I have tried using a ebay licence key - nope. Tried clicking 'I don't have a key' - same. Re-downloaded windows 10 to flash drive - nope. Changed from SSD to 3.5HDD - Still nothing!! Just keeps going back to this screen below;



Any ideas what's causing this? Is the board fecked?

[The teacher]

When it restarts, remove the usb stick.

I'd guess it's booting from that as first boot, not the new SSD.

Jon

[ST_Nuts]

Thanks will give that a go!

[ST_Nuts]

That worked a treat until...

After a couple minutes when successfully loading up windows the display just went blank.. Now nothing..

I can get into bios but won't load windows.. just a blank screen.

I fking hate computers

[The teacher]

I'm not sure. It could be a graphics card driver issue, in that it is now displaying through the VGA connection not the HDMI. I'd try plugging in a VGA cable to the monitor (if monitor has right the port).

If not, somebody with more brains than me will need to help out!

[Chimune]

How you getting on op?

[ST_Nuts]

Chimune said:

How you getting on op?

None the wiser! I haven't got a vga cable so unable to try that for now.. Currently re-installing windows on the other hdd but I won't connect online and I'll see what happens to rule out driver issues? It's an old board (2013 I think) so maybe windows is automatically updating the display driver causing the problem?

[Chimune]

Ok. Some questions :
1. Have you reset the bios to default to rule out any odd settings the prev owner may have used.
2. Are you using the Onboard graphics card?
3. Can you see drive activity (flashing drive light) when the screen is blank?
4. Do you see spinning dots, the pale blue window on black bg, or the entire blue screen?

[ST_Nuts]

1. Yes
2. Yes (HDMI)
3. Currently not connected to a case so no led's connected at the moment
4. Nothing at all - literally a blank screen!!

ETA - everything's still switched on and running with the blank screen, no error codes or anything.

[Chimune]

But it displays the bios ok?
There should be a setting in there somewhere to choose the Onboard card or a pci express one. Check it's Onboard.
Two other settings worth toggling :
Os install mode
Boot mode.

Fwiw I doubt drivers issue, feels like something else.
Pull cmos battery overnight if you run out of ideas!

[ST_Nuts]

Chimune said:

But it displays the bios ok?
There should be a setting in there somewhere to choose the Onboard card or a pci express one. Check it's Onboard.
Two other settings worth toggling :
Os install mode
Boot mode.

Fwiw I doubt drivers issue, feels like something else.
Pull cmos battery overnight if you run out of ideas!

Yeah bios is fine. I have checked the onboard graphics is enabled.

I have just reinstalled windows on the 3.5 hdd and not connected it online - absolutely fine!! But I know if I connect it'll just go dead again - would this confirm driver issues? Are there any settings I can change to force stop graphic driver updates?

[Chimune]

Stop and disable the windows update service, Manually d/L the latest driver for graphics card and update it. Reboot and if everything OK Re enable the window update service. ms updates hopefully won't replace it.

[Chimune]

Just seen that it uses Intel HD 2000/3000/4000 which is an extremely common graphics chip. Ms drivers should be fine.
Something else afoot if updates wreck it....

[hutchst]

I don't have any idea whether this will help your problem, but I recently had a problem installing on a new pc, which was solved by disabling "legacy boot" in the BIOS and forcing UEFI

But the real reason for posting was to ask whether you considered linux with Plex if it's just a media server you're after? Do you need Windows?

[Speedy11]

I had a very similar issue the other day. The solution to my problem was when it rebooted back the start of the initial windows setup was to turn off the PC, go into BIOS and change the HDD boot order.

My computer was seeing the USB stick as a HDD and had it above the HDD that windows has been installed onto. So I moved the USB stick order to be below the windows HDD.

[rlg43p]

ST_Nuts said:

Yeah bios is fine. I have checked the onboard graphics is enabled.

I have just reinstalled windows on the 3.5 hdd and not connected it online - absolutely fine!! But I know if I connect it'll just go dead again - would this confirm driver issues? Are there any settings I can change to force stop graphic driver updates?

Chimune said:

Stop and disable the windows update service

I suspect that Chimune is right. I was wondering myself whether your PC is really "dead" when you think it is, or whether it is off spending a lot of time processing something (like downloading Windows updates). How long have you left it in this "dead" state?

[Jinx]

IIRC there is a major issue with Intel HD4000 IGP and windows 10 1809 (the increasing inaccurate October update) . You need to use the older driver ( https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/28164?la...) . You probably would have been ok with teh 1803 build but the latest download will be the 1809 one.

[Chimune]

Thought Oct update was sorted now? How can a pulled then re-released update not have fixed an issue with such a common g card??

[ST_Nuts]

Appreciate all the help.

I'll have another play this afternoon - How long would you wait to see if the display rights itself? TBH I've probably only left it no more than 5 minutes with my lack of patience! Will leave it for a while if it happens again.

Linux is a good option as this is essentially just for playing music (spotify).. Would Linux support a soundblaster card?

Thanks again.

Edited by ST_Nuts on Tuesday 29th January 13:42

[ST_Nuts]

Forced stopped windows updates and connected online.... So far so good!!