PC crashes during Windows installation

If your PC crashes during Windows installation or setup, you can use the fixes provided in this article. Some users experienced this issue while installing Windows Update, whereas some experienced it while performing a Clean Installation of Windows. Corrupt Windows installation media can cause this problem. Another cause is faulty hardware, such as faulty RAM, BIOS settings, etc.

PC crashes during Windows installation

Use the solutions if your PC crashes during Windows installation:

1. Download the ISO file again
2. Disconnect the dedicated GPU
3. Clean your hard disk partition
4. Turn off XMP or related profile in BIOS
5. Reset BIOS to default settings
6. Update BIOS
7. Hardware fault

All these fixes are explained below. Before proceeding, I suggest you disconnect all the unnecessary peripherals connected to your computer and try again.

1] Download the ISO file again

If your PC crashes while performing the Clean Installation of Windows, the ISO file may be corrupt. I suggest you download the ISO file again and prepare the bootable USB flash drive using the newly downloaded ISO file. Now, use that USB flash drive to install Windows. You can also try using another USB flash drive to create a bootable Windows installation media.

2] Disconnect the dedicated GPU

If your computer has dedicated and integrated graphics cards, disconnect the dedicated graphics card and then proceed with Windows installation. If this works, you can connect the dedicated graphics card after the installation completes.

3] Clean your hard disk partition

Clean the hard disk partition on which you are installing Windows. This will erase all the data from the selected hard drive partition. Therefore, be careful while selecting a hard drive partition.

On the first screen of the Windows installation, press the Shift + F10 keys to launch the Command Prompt. When the Command Prompt appears, type the following commands one by one and hit Enter after typing each command:

diskpart
list disk
select disk #
clean
exit

In the above command, replace # with the correct hard disk partition. After cleaning the hard drive partition, proceed with the Windows installation and see if your PC crashes this time.

4] Turn off XMP or related profile in BIOS

If the XMP profile is enabled on your system, disable it in BIOS and then continue installing Windows. Computers of different brands use different terms for the XMP profile. For example, this profile is named DOCP for computers with AMD motherboards.

If you have an MSI motherboard, you can easily activate and deactivate the XMP profile. When you enter your MSI BIOS, you will see the XMP profile options on the main screen. If it is white, the XMP profile is deactivated. If it is red, it is activated. Click on it or select it with your keyboard arrow keys to activate and deactivate it. After that, save the settings and exit.

Different brands of supported motherboards have different processes for enabling and disabling the XMP profile. Refer to your computer manufacturer’s support website for instructions on how to disable the XMP or related profile in your system BIOS.

5] Reset BIOS to default settings

Some incorrect BIOS settings may be causing this issue. In this case, resetting the BIOS settings to the default can help.

6] Update BIOS

If resetting the BIOS settings to the default does not help, update your BIOS. You can download the latest BIOS version from your computer manufacturer’s official website.

7] Hardware fault

Apart from software issues, faulty hardware can also cause this problem. Your RAM may be faulty. Windows 11 requires at least 4 GB of RAM. If your system has more than one RAM stick, you can try removing one RAM stick and then proceed installing Windows. If your computer crashes, remove another RAM stick and insert the previous one. This will let you know whether your RAM sticks are faulty.

Another possible cause is the faulty motherboard. Apart from this, you may also have other faulty hardware. Maybe the SSD on which you are trying to install Windows is faulty. Take your computer for repair.

That’s it. I hope this helps.

Why does my computer keep crashing when installing Windows 11?

While installing Windows 11, if your computer crashes, your hard drive or SSD may be faulty or have some bad sectors. You can run a command to clean the hard drive partition and see if it helps. Another cause for this issue is faulty hardware. The problem may be with your motherboard, RAM, SSD, or any other piece of hardware.

Can bad PSU cause PC crashes?

Yes, a bad PSU can cause a PC to crash. The work of a Power Supply Unit is to supply the correct power and voltage to the motherboard and its hardware components. If the PSU is faulty, it will supply incorrect voltage which leads to the damage of hardware components. This will cause a PC to crash.

Read next: Windows 11 stuck at Ready to install.