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?
C++ Redistributable (x64) broken after Windows 11 update
Hello there, every update in the past 6 months has included an obsolete or corrupted C++ Redistributable (x64). This problem has widely reported and documented. Why is the Windows 11 team not inspecting the updates they push ? Windows 11 enterprise Latest 10.0.26200 build 26200:
Win 11 OEM Activation problems on Laptop w/ Win 10 S Mode
I purchased an HP laptop model 15-dw3033dx from Best Buy a few years ago. These had Windows 10 in S-Mode preinstalled. First thing I did after OOBE and initial activation was to go to the Windows Store and switch the laptop out of S-Mode, then I did a clean install of Windows 10 Home. I run it with a local account only. When I did a clean install from a fresh Win 11 Home 25H2 download with a local account, the system activated as expected. However, when I did a Win 11 Home 25H2 install with a customized autounattend.xml file and local account, I get an activation error with code 0xC004C003. I installed from the SAME media to the SAME laptop, the only difference being having the custom autounattend.xml file or not. I then did a clean install of Win11 Home 25H2 WITHOUT the custom autounattend.xml file and logged in with a Microsoft account. The Activation was normal. On the same laptop and same media, I reinstalled Win 11 25H2 Home using the custom autounattend.xml file and logged in with a Microsoft Account. This time, I get an activation error with code 0x8004FE94. This time I am given an option to activate by phone, but the countries listed goes from Afghanistan to Palau, and nothing past Palau. There was an option to say I changed hardware on the device so I gave that a try. I get a "Unable to activate Windows" message. Bottom Line - on the same laptop (sold w/ Win10 S Mode and switched out) and same install media, clean install of Windows 11 Home activates normally, customized autounattend.xml install gives activation error. I have some other similar devices at a local nonprofit to migrate to Win11 so all suggestions and insights are welcome!For some reason my Win 11 security has made it impossible to see my protection history
And now after years of this bug, I truly need to to remove something quarantined by the app but NO history is EVER displayed...making that unable to access...anyone found a workaround? Does Malwarebytes or similar programs processes keep it from displaying? Even when it is the primary antivirus
WiIN 11 Set up issues
+Just started a new minicomputer with WIN11. Moved data from old WIN 10 PC using a transfer cable. Had to use a transfer cable because the initial set up on new PC did not identify it was downloading data from original One Drive back up. Suspect it was working but did not provide any visual status to activity and % complete. My solution was a transfer cable Now find I have my old WIN10 desktop complete with all my original programs and documents, together with a new WIN 11 start screen which does not have access to my original programs unless I download them from the original site. Confused and disappointed in the whole process. If I now D/L programs from vendors site, do I have 2 copies - say original office on WIN10 desktop and a second version downloaded on WIN 11 start menu
