Windows 11 Random Restarts During Installation and OOBE. Stable in Linux and Windows Desktop
System Specs Motherboard: ASRock B450M Pro4-F (BIOS P10.43 Beta, AGESA ComboAM4v2 1.2.0.F) CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 RAM: 2x 16GB (tested and verified stable, no errors) Storage: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB NVMe OS: Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Problem This PC previously ran Windows without issues for 5-6 years. I recently decided to do a fresh Windows 11 install, and my system randomly restarts during Windows 11 (and Windows 10) installation at various stages. Sometimes at 15%, sometimes at 48%, sometimes during the OOBE setup when clicking "Next." There is no BSOD, no error message. The screen just goes black and the system reboots. The system is completely stable when idle at OOBE screens (it can sit for hours without issue), and it is fully stable once Windows is actually running on the desktop. Linux (Zorin OS) runs perfectly stable in every scenario: live USB, installation, and normal use. No crashes whatsoever. What I've Tested and Ruled Out Hardware RAM: Ran memory diagnostics, no errors found. Also tried using each stick individually (1 stick at a time), same issue with both. SSD: SMART health check shows no issues Multiple GPUs tested: Tried a different GPU, same random restarts during installation Multiple USB drives: Tried different USB drives for installation media, same result CMOS battery: Considered but system clock is accurate and BIOS settings persist BIOS Updated BIOS from P7.40 to P8.01 to P10.43 Beta (latest available with AGESA ComboAM4v2 1.2.0.F and updated fTPM) Disabled fTPM (Advanced > CPU Configuration > AMD fTPM Switch > Disabled), no change Tested multiple BIOS versions, restarts occur on all of them Software Tried both Windows 10 and Windows 11 installation, both experience the same random restarts Tried different Windows 11 ISOs, same behavior Linux is completely stable. Zorin OS runs without any issues, which rules out fundamental hardware failure Workaround That Got Windows Installed Since the Windows installer (Windows PE) kept crashing, I bypassed it entirely by applying the Windows image directly from Linux using wimlib: Booted Zorin OS live USB Partitioned the NVMe drive (GPT: 512MB EFI, 16MB MSR, 930GB NTFS) Used wimapply to apply install.wim (Index 6, Pro) directly to the NTFS partition Copied the EFI bootloader files manually Created BCD store from a Windows PE command prompt using bcdboot Windows booted successfully, but OOBE still caused random restarts when progressing through setup. I used Ctrl+Shift+F3 to enter Audit Mode, installed GPU and chipset drivers, and created a local user account manually via command line. Current State Windows 11 Pro is installed and the desktop is functional, but I'm stuck in Audit Mode with broken UWP/AppX app provisioning: Start Menu opens but taskbar icon clicks don't work Windows Search doesn't work Notification panel doesn't open Built-in apps like Notepad don't launch Creating a new user profile doesn't fix it (system-level issue) sfc /scannow finds no integrity violations DISM /RestoreHealth fails with error 0x800f0915 even with the ISO as source (version mismatch, Windows Update patched the system past the base ISO build) Re-registering AppX packages produces errors about missing paths Cannot run in-place repair upgrade because setup.exe refuses to run in Audit Mode Cannot fully exit Audit Mode. Registry values are set correctly but Windows keeps booting into Audit Mode (ImageState was IMAGE_STATE_SPECIALIZE_RESEAL_TO_AUDIT, changed to IMAGE_STATE_COMPLETE but Audit Mode persists) Sysprep /oobe /reboot triggers OOBE which crashes again with random restarts No unattend.xml files found on the system Key Observation The random restarts happen exclusively in: Windows PE (the installer environment) Windows OOBE (first-time setup screens, specifically when advancing through steps) The system is completely stable in: Linux (any distribution, any scenario) Windows desktop (Audit Mode, normal use) Windows OOBE when idle (sitting on a screen without clicking) This pattern suggests a driver or ACPI compatibility issue specific to the Windows pre-boot/setup environment on the B450 + Ryzen 5500 combination, not a hardware defect. Questions Has anyone experienced similar random restarts specifically during Windows installation/OOBE on B450 boards with Ryzen 5000 series CPUs? Is there a known incompatibility between Windows PE/OOBE and certain B450 + Zen 3 configurations? Is there a way to force Windows out of Audit Mode when all registry approaches have failed and OOBE causes crashes?
Cross-device clipboard not working on Windows 11 25H2 (Phone Link connected, sync enabled)
Hi everyone, I’m experiencing an issue with cross-device clipboard sync between my Windows 11 laptop (Version 25H2, Build 26200.7840) and a Samsung S25 Ultra. What is already working: Phone Link shows the phone as connected, Bluetooth pairing is successful, Clipboard history is enabled in Windows, Sync across devices is turned on with automatic sync selected, the option to allow this PC to access mobile devices is enabled under Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Mobile devices, the phone is signed in using the same Microsoft account, and cross-device copy and paste is enabled in Link to Windows on the phone. The problem: Even with all required settings enabled, the phone does not appear under Mobile devices, copy and paste between the phone and PC does not work, and no errors are shown in Phone Link or Windows settings. Additional observations: The system is running Windows 11 25H2 (Build 26200+). Some legacy sync services used in older builds are no longer present. This appears to be a device registration or cross-device platform issue rather than a configuration mistake. Troubleshooting already attempted: Re-linking Phone Link from scratch, signing out and back into the Microsoft account on both devices, clearing Link to Windows app data on Android, restarting related Windows services and rebooting both devices, verifying clipboard sync settings multiple times, and installing the latest Windows updates available for this build. None of these steps resolved the issue. Question: Is this a known issue with Windows 11 25H2 / Build 26200+ that affects cross-device clipboard registration? If anyone has a confirmed fix, registry or feature-flag workaround, or official confirmation from Microsoft, I would really appreciate the guidance. This could also help others using newer Windows builds. Thanks in advance.
settings were not migrated from previous OS installation due to partial or ambiguous device match
I can't access the files on my external ssd drive. The Event record = settings were not migrated from previous OS installation due to partial or ambiguous device match Device Manager = present but Volumes tab shows "-"s Disk Management = not present I am not a newbie and it is very rare I cannot fix a computer/IT issue on my own but this one has me stuck. Windows is up to date, BIOS is up to date, drivers, etc. I've done ALL the things suggested online. I even wiped my computer and reinstalled everything, still not working. I need a fix for this, I need the files. HELP!M Service Failed to Start
Hi, I'm getting the following error which seems to be causing my PC to freeze and it can only be unfrozen by powering off/on: 'The M service failed to start due to the following error: The system cannot find the file specified.' Using the registry editor I found the following: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\M I noticed that the ImagePath data is set to C Can anyone shed any light on what the M service is and how to rectify this? Regards, Rich
Comparing Notifications: Pop-ups vs. History
There appear to be two distinct components of Windows notifications: the brief pop-ups that appear for a short period of time (referred to as "toasts") and the notification history accessed by clicking the Notifications icon. Is it possible to manage these two elements separately? For instance, I find the pop-ups from Macrium Reflect notifying me of backup progress useful, but I do not require a log of these pop-ups. Conversely, in a scenario where I was configuring task scheduler to execute a script before the computer goes into sleep mode, a pop-up notification would be irrelevant, but having a record of the notification could offer valuable diagnostic insights. (In this particular case, either the script or the notification failed, as evidenced by the lack of information in the notification history.) Is there a method to independently control these distinct facets of notifications? Currently, the only option I can identify in the Settings is a binary choice for enabling or disabling specific notifications.Issue Printing in Color on Windows 11
I am having an issue enabling color printing on Windows 11 for my HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 printer. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the printer several times, installed the latest printer drivers for this model, and made sure that it was set up using a Standard TCP/IP Port instead of WSD. Here is what my computer is showing when I attempt to print: Ink cartridges installed have a sufficient amount of ink (I just installed two new ink cartridges). Any possible solutions would be much appreciated!
Bluetooth Headset Microphone Constantly Disconnects
Hello, I have noticed this issue not only with myself, but several colleagues of mine using any bluetooth headset and its built-in microphone. When initially connecting bluetooth headsets to our Windows devices (Apple, Shokz, etc.) they work as intended. However, the microphone seems to disconnect and no longer be recognized by Windows randomly throughout the day and/or right before answering calls (through MS Teams). Audio continues working as intended. The only solution I have found is restarting the device. You can imagine this becomes extremely annoying and causes us to lose time working. I have tried several other solutions. Uninstalling the drivers through device manager just creates an endless loading screen loop and never completely uninstalls any drivers while the headset is paired. Removing the device in Windows Bluetooth settings also ends up getting stuck and doesn't allow you to un-pair or re-connect to the headset. Restarting Bluetooth services does not fix the issue either. Does anyone have a similar issue or a fix for this? It has only started happening recently, maybe within the past couple weeks.
User Folder displaying wrong name and icon
I recently noticed that my personal user file is displaying the name "Pictures" and has the Pictures icon. However, when I click on the folder, everything is correct within the folder and the address bar shows the correct folder name. I've attempted to attach an image here; I had to paste several images together to create the attached image, so I know that the address bar would not actually be visible at this point, but if I click on the Pictures folder then the address bar it becomes visible. Thanks, Tom
