Windows 10 BSOD Can't Access Repair Tool or Advanced Boot Options

[samsmyth93]

I just built a new desktop computer and was very happy with it for the first few days. I assembled the computer and installed Windows 10 Education (get it for free from my university) without any problems. A few days in, a friend was over trying out the computer, and he said his "finger slipped" while he was on the desktop trying to open the Steam app, but an error message came up (unfortunately do not remember what it said) and the app would not launch. I rebooted Windows, but was given an irql_not_less_or_equal blue screen. I still had a bootable USB with Windows 10 Education on it, so I plugged that in and tried to boot from it to access the repair Windows tool.

Here's where it gets odd. When I boot from the USB drive with Windows 10 Education loaded on in a bootable format, I continue to get the irql_not_less_or_equal blue screen. Sometimes it will give me a "kmode exception not handled" error when I boot from the USB drive. I tried taking out the GPU and the second stick of RAM so it only had one stick, but the error message persisted. I also removed all other internal drives besides the C drive. All over the internet it's talking about running the repair tool through the external USB drive, but like I said, I cannot even get to this screen. I did try using the USB drive with Windows 10 Education loaded on to it on another computer, and it booted properly to the screen that allows me to either do a clean install or repair the OS. This makes me think it is something hardware related. That being said, I did run the system 100% properly for a few days, so it is confusing.

Also, when it restarts a few times (it's stuck in a restart loop), it will attempt to go into the recovery tool, but quickly jump to a BSOD again, sometimes not even fully showing the error message, just restarting or freezing on a half-completed frowny face that comes with the BSOD.

Any ideas?!? Thanks for your time!

 

[Colif]

IRQ errors are drivers, they are software errors, not hardware. Kmode exception error likely to be as well. Its not going to be a hardware fault. Its likely a driver is causing them. Maybe your friends actions are a coincidence.

What are the specs of the PC? It seems odd to get BSOD booting off the USB, are you certain it is?

Do you have one or more hard drives? If you want to backup anything you don't want to lose, look at this: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/
I think the best answer would be to fresh install since its stuck in a boot loop but need to get past those errors first

 

[samsmyth93]

IRQ errors are drivers, they are software errors, not hardware. Kmode exception error likely to be as well. Its not going to be a hardware fault. Its likely a driver is causing them. Maybe your friends actions are a coincidence.

What are the specs of the PC? It seems odd to get BSOD booting off the USB, are you certain it is?

Do you have one or more hard drives? If you want to backup anything you don't want to lose, look at this: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/
I think the best answer would be to fresh install since its stuck in a boot loop but need to get past those errors first

Thanks for the reply Colif.

Specs are:

i7 6700k CPU
Asus Z170-A Motherboard
G. Skill Ripjaws V Series 32GB RAM (2x16)
1TB Samsung EVO SSD
2 HDDs I got from a friend for free, both a little over 500GB (tried disconnecting these while booting, and I had just formatted them anyways, they don't have anything on them)
Asus DUAL GTX 1070
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
EVGA 750 GQ 80 Plus Gold 750W PSU

Yep, it's definitely getting BSOD from booting off USB. Tried booting the same USB on a laptop I have, and it went into the Windows installer/repair perfectly. I'm honestly not too worried about losing data, because I only had it working for the better part of three days. How would I even be able to do a fresh install though? I can't get into anything Windows related, whether I try booting from the C drive or from a USB with a bootable Windows on it.

 

[Paul NZ]

Can you get into safe mode, if you boot from the hdd (not the flash drive)??

And can you remember the last thing you installed either hardware or software wise?

 

[samsmyth93]

Can you get into safe mode, if you boot from the hdd (not the flash drive)??

And can you remember the last thing you installed either hardware or software wise?

Do you mean the SSD? Because there is nothing on the two hard drives so there is nothing to boot to. I didn't even partition them yet, so they didn't actually show up in Windows. If I try to boot to the SSD it gives me the irql_not_less_or_equal BSOD a few times before it tries to automatically go into system repair, which quickly goes to BSOD yet again unfortunately.

Hmmm, can't say I quite remember what it was. Possibly Steam? I also installed AVG anti virus pretty early on, and I heard that can lead to some problems, but again, I have no way of actually getting into Windows currently to get to it.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Paul NZ]

Whatever windows is on. I know it wont boot normally but can it get into windows if you boot into safe mode

 

[samsmyth93]

Whatever windows is on. I know it wont boot normally but can it get into windows if you boot into safe mode

Nope, it just goes to BSOD regardless. Correct me if I'm wrong, but after Windows 7, safe mode was only accessible by going through advanced boot options, right? Unfortunately I can't even get to advanced boot options without it going to BSOD first.

 

[Paul NZ]

Restart and press the reset button 2 - 3 times. It may come up

 

[samsmyth93]

Restart and press the reset button 2 - 3 times. It may come up

Sorry, let me just clarify. So restart, press and hold power button to hard reset, power on again and once more press and hold power button, then a third time if it doesn't work on the second? Also, reset right away, or wait until it blue screens?

 

[Paul NZ]

If its got a reset button turn it on press it then do the same thing maybe 10 times. See if safe mode or something comes up

Before it crashes. We'll try and make it bring up safe mode or something else

 

[samsmyth93]

If its got a reset button turn it on press it then do the same thing maybe 10 times. See if safe mode or something comes up

Before it crashes. We'll try and make it bring up safe mode or something else

Hmmm, gave that a go, no luck. There was a reset button on the motherboard, so I pressed that consecutively about 10 times. Even tried with the USB drive with bootable Windows as the first in the boot order. Still just goes to IRQL blue screen.

 

[Colif]

you should wait for win 10 to start booting up before restarting, it should only need about 3 tries to get into automatic repair on the ssd

 

[samsmyth93]

you should wait for win 10 to start booting up before restarting, it should only need about 3 tries to get into automatic repair on the ssd

Yep, it says starting automatic repair, but goes right to BSOD after it says that.

 

[Paul NZ]

May have to reinstall windows then

 

[samsmyth93]

May have to reinstall windows then

Like I said, I can't even plug a bootable USB with Windows installer loaded on to do a reinstall. Goes to BSOD for that too, which is very odd. Going to try with a different USB, but my other computer, a laptop, can get to the install/repair window by booting from that USB, so I highly doubt that is the issue.

 

[Colif]

You shouldn't get irq errors and kmode errors installing windows... I wonder if its the ram, try running the free version of http://www.memtest86.com/ on one stick at a time, you don't want any errors << its probably wrong, its just a hunch. Its just normally if win 10 doesn't want to install, there is another reason

try making the ubuntu usb and use it to copy anything you want to keep onto the other hdds off your ssd (it would also confirm if ssd still works)

You might be best running http://www.dban.org/ on the ssd to remove win 10 completely and remove a potential source of bsod as well.

then run the installer again.

 

[Paul NZ]

Yup only other and probably the main culprit will be ram

 

[samsmyth93]

You shouldn't get irq errors and kmode errors installing windows... I wonder if its the ram, try running the free version of http://www.memtest86.com/ on one stick at a time, you don't want any errors << its probably wrong, its just a hunch. Its just normally if win 10 doesn't want to install, there is another reason

try making the ubuntu usb and use it to copy anything you want to keep onto the other hdds off your ssd (it would also confirm if ssd still works)

You might be best running http://www.dban.org/ on the ssd to remove win 10 completely and remove a potential source of bsod as well.

then run the installer again.

I'm thinking it might be the RAM. Something to do with hardware at least. I removed the SSD and put it in my laptop; Windows ran perfectly, so it's clearly not to do with Windows. Luckily this allowed me to copy anything I wanted to keep from that SSD on to an external hard drive, but I don't think that will be needed, as the SSD works fine, and the Windows installed on it also works fine.

 

[samsmyth93]

Turns out it was actually the motherboard. Sent it in for RMA

 

[beno301]

I'm having the same problem as you and I don't know what to do

 

[beno301]

I've had my computer for a month and a half so I have absolutely no clue what it could be. I've tried what you have tried booting the windows off of USB and and I get a bsod and irql_not_less_or_equal

 

[samsmyth93]

I'm having the same problem as you and I don't know what to do

I've had my computer for a month and a half so I have absolutely no clue what it could be. I've tried what you have tried booting the windows off of USB and and I get a bsod and irql_not_less_or_equal

Sorry to hear that! In this thread I said it was a faulty motherboard, but it actually was not that either. I swapped out every single part in the computer over a span of two months, and FINALLY found that it was a faulty CPU. Sent it back to Intel (their warranty service is hell on earth, at least for me here in Canada, but you can do it, I believe in you my dude), and just yesterday it arrived. Put it in, everything works fine.

I would suggest swapping out parts one by one if possible (I had a friend with a similar system and I also had to borrow a CPU from the computer shop). Look for a kmode_exception_not_handled BSOD. That has to do with kernel mode, which is something that the CPU handles. It may help you narrow it down a bit. Good luck!

 

[beno301]

I don't know I didn't install anything (or at least I don't think I did) because I was playing h1z1 and my pc crashes and ever since then I haven't been able to boot it up because of the reboot loop

 

[samsmyth93]

I don't know I didn't install anything (or at least I don't think I did) because I was playing h1z1 and my pc crashes and ever since then I haven't been able to boot it up because of the reboot loop

I can't solve your specific problem. I'm not an expert, so I can just tell you what fixed my problem. Swap out parts and you'll eventually find the problem. Hope it works out for ya sometime soon!

 

[Colif]

How about starting your own question and someone will help you there, generally only the people who commented in a post will look at them again once they complete so if you make a new post, more eyes will see it