I have had ongoing crash issues. Decided that a fresh version of windows should help after a long time of troubleshooting. Now when trying to install getting Stop code: SYSTEM_SERVICE EXCEPTION (0x3B) at about 75-80% of the instillation. Any help would be appreciated.
Update: just tried again got to 77% progress Stop code: PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (0x50)- What failed: Ntfssys
Please help, unable to reinstall windows.
Bit of context PC was bought from a family friend with no issues approx 4 weeks ago started fine but with only 8gb of ram couldn’t run a lot then started to crash and BDOS errors to the point it was happening after every start up. Followed chat GPT troubleshooting and then a friend who works with pc’s said just reinstall windows but I now cannot. Here is a summary of all the things I have done. Any help would be very very very greatly appreciated!!!!!
I have listed chronologically all of the issues and repairs. Again any help would be fantastic from everyone.
\>!The important error history!<
The errors we’ve now seen across the whole investigation include:
Unexpected system restarts
SYSTEM\\\_THREAD\\\_EXCEPTION\\\_NOT\\\_HANDLED (0x7E)
ntfs.sys
PAGE\\\_FAULT\\\_IN\\\_NONPAGED\\\_AREA (0x50)
Previous LiveKernelEvent 1A8
NVIDIA driver-related crashes/installation issues
Windows Recovery/Quick Machine Recovery loops
BitLocker recovery/boot issues following the earlier BIOS changes
Where that leaves us
The biggest finding is that the problem predates the current Windows installation and has now occurred during multiple clean Windows installation attempts.
We’ve therefore moved away from:
“Corrupted Windows installation”
towards:
“Something at the hardware/firmware level is intermittently corrupting or crashing Windows.”
The remaining hardware suspects are primarily motherboard/PCIe, CPU/memory controller, GPU, PSU and RAM, with the SSD currently looking considerably less suspicious based on the checks we’ve performed.
And importantly, we have not found evidence that the 931 GB or 238 GB storage drives are the cause, and we have deliberately avoided formatting them.
\*\*Date\*\*
\*\*Problem / error\*\*
\*\*What we did\*\*
\*\*Result\*\*
\*\*13 July 2026\*\*
BIOS changes caused Windows/BitLocker boot problems
Investigated BIOS after enabling Secure Boot/fTPM for Windows 11
BIOS/boot configuration became unstable; BitLocker recovery was repeatedly triggered
\*\*13 July\*\*
Secure Boot / fTPM issue
Checked \*\*CSM, Secure Boot, OS Type, PK state and fTPM\*\*
fTPM was eventually recognised as ready; Secure Boot/PK configuration remained problematic
\*\*13–14 July\*\*
BitLocker recovery loop
Checked BitLocker with manage-bde, including protection status and key protectors
Key protectors existed; protection status showed \*\*Off\*\* at one point; encryption was around \*\*14.8%\*\*
\*\*14 July\*\*
Windows boot looked abnormal
Restarted after BitLocker changes
Windows eventually booted, but initial boot resolution looked stretched/pixelated
\*\*14 July\*\*
Fortnite/game instability
Investigated Windows/BIOS state following the BIOS changes
Game still froze/crashed, suggesting the problem wasn’t simply Fortnite
\*\*14 July\*\*
TPM configuration
Checked TPM/fTPM and PCR validation
TPM reported \*\*ready\*\*; PCR profile included \*\*0, 2, 4\*\*
\*\*14–15 July\*\*
Secure Boot/BIOS configuration
Worked through ASUS BIOS settings including \*\*Windows UEFI mode, CSM, Secure Boot and fTPM\*\*
Eventually established a working UEFI configuration, but the wider system instability remained
\*\*17 Aug\*\*
PC suddenly restarting while sitting on desktop
PC was restarting without warning and returning to Windows lock screen
Established this wasn’t only happening during gaming/heavy load
\*\*17 Aug\*\*
Repeated BSOD/recovery environment
Windows Recovery showed \*\*Continue / Turn off PC / Quick Machine Recovery / Troubleshoot\*\*
Recovery options were investigated; Reset was avoided
\*\*17–18 Aug\*\*
Windows installation/recovery
Created a Windows 11 USB from \*\*Win11\\\_25H2\\\_English\\\_x64\\\_v2.iso\*\* on the SanDisk USB
USB successfully created and verified
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Windows installer
Split the 7.1 GB install.wim into .swm files because FAT32 couldn’t hold it
install.swm \\\~3.9 GB and install2.swm \\\~3.1 GB successfully created
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Boot USB
Verified EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI existed
USB was bootable
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Windows Setup
Initially selected Windows installation rather than repair
Installation proceeded
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Windows installation
Deleted the old \*\*Disk 0\*\* Windows partitions when instructed, leaving Disk 0 unallocated
Windows began a clean installation
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Installation reached \\\~75–80%
First major clean-install crash
\*\*BSOD: SYSTEM\\\_THREAD\\\_EXCEPTION\\\_NOT\\\_HANDLED (0x7E); ntfs.sys\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Recovery/installer loop
Windows Setup repeatedly returned to the “upgrade vs clean installation” prompt
Established the installer USB was being booted again rather than a completed Windows installation
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
RAM investigation
Confirmed original crashes occurred with \*\*2 × 4 GB\*\*, then tested \*\*16 + 4 GB\*\*, then \*\*16 GB alone\*\*
Crashes persisted; 16 GB alone was running at \*\*2133 MHz\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
RAM slot
Moved 16 GB Corsair Vengeance from \*\*B1 → A1\*\*
BIOS detected \*\*16,384 MB DDR4 at 2133 MHz\*\* normally
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Second clean installation
Started Windows installation with 16 GB alone
Installation reached \\\~77%
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Second major BSOD
Installation crashed
\*\*PAGE\\\_FAULT\\\_IN\\\_NONPAGED\\\_AREA (0x50)\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
SSD/filesystem investigation
Checked Samsung 860 EVO with filesystem scan
Windows reported \*\*no filesystem problems and 0 KB in bad sectors\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
SSD SMART
Checked SMART failure prediction
\*\*FALSE\*\* for the drives checked
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
SSD/SATA
Disconnected/reconnected Samsung 860 EVO SATA connection
SSD was still correctly detected
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
BIOS configuration
Established current baseline
\*\*CSM Disabled, Windows UEFI Mode, AHCI, fTPM Enabled, Erase fTPM NV Disabled, PBO Auto\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
BIOS
Confirmed BIOS version
\*\*6254\*\*, which is current for the ASUS Prime A320M-K
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
GPU
Confirmed \*\*Zotac GTX 1660\*\* and checked physical power
6-pin PCIe power securely connected
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
GPU/PCIe
Checked Above 4G, Resizable BAR and SR-IOV
Above 4G \*\*Enabled\*\*, SR-IOV \*\*Disabled\*\*, Resizable BAR initially \*\*Auto\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Resizable BAR test
Temporarily changed Resizable BAR \*\*Auto → Disabled\*\*
\*\*No improvement\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Third clean installation
Tested Windows installation with Resizable BAR disabled
Crashed much earlier, around \*\*30%\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Third major BSOD
Same installation test
Again \*\*SYSTEM\\\_THREAD\\\_EXCEPTION\\\_NOT\\\_HANDLED (0x7E) / ntfs.sys\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
Resizable BAR
Restored setting
\*\*Auto\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
CPU/BIOS
Checked Ryzen 5 3600 configuration
3.6 GHz, \\\~1.37 V live reading, \*\*PBO Auto\*\*
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
PSU
Identified PSU
\*\*Corsair CV450, 450 W\*\*; wattage isn’t obviously inadequate for Ryzen 5 3600 + GTX 1660
\*\*18 Aug\*\*
BIOS stability
Established PC can remain in BIOS for a long period without crashing
Please help, unable to reinstall windows.
Bit of context PC was bought from a family friend with no issues approx 4 weeks ago started fine but with only 8gb of ram couldn’t run a lot then started to crash and BDOS errors to the point it was happening after every start up. Followed chat GPT troubleshooting and then a friend who works with pc’s said just reinstall windows but I now cannot. Here is a summary of all the things I have done. Any help would be very very very greatly appreciated!!!!!
I have listed chronologically all of the issues and repairs. Again any help would be fantastic from everyone.
>!The important error history!<
The errors we’ve now seen across the whole investigation include:
Unexpected system restarts
SYSTEM\_THREAD\_EXCEPTION\_NOT\_HANDLED (0x7E)
ntfs.sys
PAGE\_FAULT\_IN\_NONPAGED\_AREA (0x50)
Previous LiveKernelEvent 1A8
NVIDIA driver-related crashes/installation issues
Windows Recovery/Quick Machine Recovery loops
BitLocker recovery/boot issues following the earlier BIOS changes
Where that leaves us
The biggest finding is that the problem predates the current Windows installation and has now occurred during multiple clean Windows installation attempts.
We’ve therefore moved away from:
“Corrupted Windows installation”
towards:
“Something at the hardware/firmware level is intermittently corrupting or crashing Windows.”
The remaining hardware suspects are primarily motherboard/PCIe, CPU/memory controller, GPU, PSU and RAM, with the SSD currently looking considerably less suspicious based on the checks we’ve performed.
And importantly, we have not found evidence that the 931 GB or 238 GB storage drives are the cause, and we have deliberately avoided formatting them.
**Date**
**Problem / error**
**What we did**
**Result**
**13 July 2026**
BIOS changes caused Windows/BitLocker boot problems
Investigated BIOS after enabling Secure Boot/fTPM for Windows 11
BIOS/boot configuration became unstable; BitLocker recovery was repeatedly triggered
**13 July**
Secure Boot / fTPM issue
Checked **CSM, Secure Boot, OS Type, PK state and fTPM**
fTPM was eventually recognised as ready; Secure Boot/PK configuration remained problematic
**13–14 July**
BitLocker recovery loop
Checked BitLocker with manage-bde, including protection status and key protectors
Key protectors existed; protection status showed **Off** at one point; encryption was around **14.8%**
**14 July**
Windows boot looked abnormal
Restarted after BitLocker changes
Windows eventually booted, but initial boot resolution looked stretched/pixelated
**14 July**
Fortnite/game instability
Investigated Windows/BIOS state following the BIOS changes
Game still froze/crashed, suggesting the problem wasn’t simply Fortnite
**14 July**
TPM configuration
Checked TPM/fTPM and PCR validation
TPM reported **ready**; PCR profile included **0, 2, 4**
**14–15 July**
Secure Boot/BIOS configuration
Worked through ASUS BIOS settings including **Windows UEFI mode, CSM, Secure Boot and fTPM**
Eventually established a working UEFI configuration, but the wider system instability remained
**17 Aug**
PC suddenly restarting while sitting on desktop
PC was restarting without warning and returning to Windows lock screen
Established this wasn’t only happening during gaming/heavy load
**17 Aug**
Repeated BSOD/recovery environment
Windows Recovery showed **Continue / Turn off PC / Quick Machine Recovery / Troubleshoot**
Recovery options were investigated; Reset was avoided
**17–18 Aug**
Windows installation/recovery
Created a Windows 11 USB from **Win11\_25H2\_English\_x64\_v2.iso** on the SanDisk USB
USB successfully created and verified
**18 Aug**
Windows installer
Split the 7.1 GB install.wim into .swm files because FAT32 couldn’t hold it
install.swm \~3.9 GB and install2.swm \~3.1 GB successfully created
**18 Aug**
Boot USB
Verified EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI existed
USB was bootable
**18 Aug**
Windows Setup
Initially selected Windows installation rather than repair
Installation proceeded
**18 Aug**
Windows installation
Deleted the old **Disk 0** Windows partitions when instructed, leaving Disk 0 unallocated
Windows began a clean installation
**18 Aug**
Installation reached \~75–80%
First major clean-install crash
**BSOD: SYSTEM\_THREAD\_EXCEPTION\_NOT\_HANDLED (0x7E); ntfs.sys**
**18 Aug**
Recovery/installer loop
Windows Setup repeatedly returned to the “upgrade vs clean installation” prompt
Established the installer USB was being booted again rather than a completed Windows installation
**18 Aug**
RAM investigation
Confirmed original crashes occurred with **2 × 4 GB**, then tested **16 + 4 GB**, then **16 GB alone**
Crashes persisted; 16 GB alone was running at **2133 MHz**
**18 Aug**
RAM slot
Moved 16 GB Corsair Vengeance from **B1 → A1**
BIOS detected **16,384 MB DDR4 at 2133 MHz** normally
**18 Aug**
Second clean installation
Started Windows installation with 16 GB alone
Installation reached \~77%
**18 Aug**
Second major BSOD
Installation crashed
**PAGE\_FAULT\_IN\_NONPAGED\_AREA (0x50)**
**18 Aug**
SSD/filesystem investigation
Checked Samsung 860 EVO with filesystem scan
Windows reported **no filesystem problems and 0 KB in bad sectors**
**18 Aug**
SSD SMART
Checked SMART failure prediction
**FALSE** for the drives checked
**18 Aug**
SSD/SATA
Disconnected/reconnected Samsung 860 EVO SATA connection
SSD was still correctly detected
**18 Aug**
BIOS configuration
Established current baseline
**CSM Disabled, Windows UEFI Mode, AHCI, fTPM Enabled, Erase fTPM NV Disabled, PBO Auto**
**18 Aug**
BIOS
Confirmed BIOS version
**6254**, which is current for the ASUS Prime A320M-K
**18 Aug**
GPU
Confirmed **Zotac GTX 1660** and checked physical power
6-pin PCIe power securely connected
**18 Aug**
GPU/PCIe
Checked Above 4G, Resizable BAR and SR-IOV
Above 4G **Enabled**, SR-IOV **Disabled**, Resizable BAR initially **Auto**
**18 Aug**
Resizable BAR test
Temporarily changed Resizable BAR **Auto → Disabled**
**No improvement**
**18 Aug**
Third clean installation
Tested Windows installation with Resizable BAR disabled
Crashed much earlier, around **30%**
**18 Aug**
Third major BSOD
Same installation test
Again **SYSTEM\_THREAD\_EXCEPTION\_NOT\_HANDLED (0x7E) / ntfs.sys**
**18 Aug**
Resizable BAR
Restored setting
**Auto**
**18 Aug**
CPU/BIOS
Checked Ryzen 5 3600 configuration
3.6 GHz, \~1.37 V live reading, **PBO Auto**
**18 Aug**
PSU
Identified PSU
**Corsair CV450, 450 W**; wattage isn’t obviously inadequate for Ryzen 5 3600 + GTX 1660
**18 Aug**
BIOS stability
Established PC can remain in BIOS for a long period without crashing
Bit of context PC was bought from a family friend with no issues approx 4 weeks ago started fine but with only 8gb of ram couldn’t run a lot then started to crash and BDOS errors to the point it was happening after every start up. Followed chat GPT troubleshooting and then a friend who works with pc’s said just reinstall windows but I now cannot. Here is a summary of all the things I have done. Any help would be very very very greatly appreciated!!!!!
I have listed chronologically all of the issues and repairs. Again any help would be fantastic from everyone.
>!The important error history!<
The errors we’ve now seen across the whole investigation include:
Unexpected system restarts
SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x7E)
ntfs.sys
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (0x50)
Previous LiveKernelEvent 1A8
NVIDIA driver-related crashes/installation issues
Windows Recovery/Quick Machine Recovery loops
BitLocker recovery/boot issues following the earlier BIOS changes
Where that leaves us
The biggest finding is that the problem predates the current Windows installation and has now occurred during multiple clean Windows installation attempts.
We’ve therefore moved away from:
“Corrupted Windows installation”
towards:
“Something at the hardware/firmware level is intermittently corrupting or crashing Windows.”
The remaining hardware suspects are primarily motherboard/PCIe, CPU/memory controller, GPU, PSU and RAM, with the SSD currently looking considerably less suspicious based on the checks we’ve performed.
And importantly, we have not found evidence that the 931 GB or 238 GB storage drives are the cause, and we have deliberately avoided formatting them.
Date
Problem / error
What we did
Result
13 July 2026
BIOS changes caused Windows/BitLocker boot problems
Investigated BIOS after enabling Secure Boot/fTPM for Windows 11
BIOS/boot configuration became unstable; BitLocker recovery was repeatedly triggered
13 July
Secure Boot / fTPM issue
Checked CSM, Secure Boot, OS Type, PK state and fTPM
fTPM was eventually recognised as ready; Secure Boot/PK configuration remained problematic
13–14 July
BitLocker recovery loop
Checked BitLocker with manage-bde, including protection status and key protectors
Key protectors existed; protection status showed Off at one point; encryption was around 14.8%
14 July
Windows boot looked abnormal
Restarted after BitLocker changes
Windows eventually booted, but initial boot resolution looked stretched/pixelated
14 July
Fortnite/game instability
Investigated Windows/BIOS state following the BIOS changes
Game still froze/crashed, suggesting the problem wasn’t simply Fortnite
14 July
TPM configuration
Checked TPM/fTPM and PCR validation
TPM reported ready; PCR profile included 0, 2, 4
14–15 July
Secure Boot/BIOS configuration
Worked through ASUS BIOS settings including Windows UEFI mode, CSM, Secure Boot and fTPM
Eventually established a working UEFI configuration, but the wider system instability remained
17 Aug
PC suddenly restarting while sitting on desktop
PC was restarting without warning and returning to Windows lock screen
Established this wasn’t only happening during gaming/heavy load
17 Aug
Repeated BSOD/recovery environment
Windows Recovery showed Continue / Turn off PC / Quick Machine Recovery / Troubleshoot
Recovery options were investigated; Reset was avoided
17–18 Aug
Windows installation/recovery
Created a Windows 11 USB from Win11_25H2_English_x64_v2.iso on the SanDisk USB
USB successfully created and verified
18 Aug
Windows installer
Split the 7.1 GB install.wim into .swm files because FAT32 couldn’t hold it
install.swm ~3.9 GB and install2.swm ~3.1 GB successfully created
18 Aug
Boot USB
Verified EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI existed
USB was bootable
18 Aug
Windows Setup
Initially selected Windows installation rather than repair
Installation proceeded
18 Aug
Windows installation
Deleted the old Disk 0 Windows partitions when instructed, leaving Disk 0 unallocated
Windows began a clean installation
18 Aug
Installation reached ~75–80%
First major clean-install crash
BSOD: SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x7E); ntfs.sys
18 Aug
Recovery/installer loop
Windows Setup repeatedly returned to the “upgrade vs clean installation” prompt
Established the installer USB was being booted again rather than a completed Windows installation
18 Aug
RAM investigation
Confirmed original crashes occurred with 2 × 4 GB, then tested 16 + 4 GB, then 16 GB alone
Crashes persisted; 16 GB alone was running at 2133 MHz
18 Aug
RAM slot
Moved 16 GB Corsair Vengeance from B1 → A1
BIOS detected 16,384 MB DDR4 at 2133 MHz normally
18 Aug
Second clean installation
Started Windows installation with 16 GB alone
Installation reached ~77%
18 Aug
Second major BSOD
Installation crashed
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA (0x50)
18 Aug
SSD/filesystem investigation
Checked Samsung 860 EVO with filesystem scan
Windows reported no filesystem problems and 0 KB in bad sectors
18 Aug
SSD SMART
Checked SMART failure prediction
FALSE for the drives checked
18 Aug
SSD/SATA
Disconnected/reconnected Samsung 860 EVO SATA connection
SSD was still correctly detected
18 Aug
BIOS configuration
Established current baseline
CSM Disabled, Windows UEFI Mode, AHCI, fTPM Enabled, Erase fTPM NV Disabled, PBO Auto
18 Aug
BIOS
Confirmed BIOS version
6254, which is current for the ASUS Prime A320M-K
18 Aug
GPU
Confirmed Zotac GTX 1660 and checked physical power
6-pin PCIe power securely connected
18 Aug
GPU/PCIe
Checked Above 4G, Resizable BAR and SR-IOV
Above 4G Enabled, SR-IOV Disabled, Resizable BAR initially Auto
18 Aug
Resizable BAR test
Temporarily changed Resizable BAR Auto → Disabled
No improvement
18 Aug
Third clean installation
Tested Windows installation with Resizable BAR disabled
Crashed much earlier, around 30%
18 Aug
Third major BSOD
Same installation test
Again SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (0x7E) / ntfs.sys
18 Aug
Resizable BAR
Restored setting
Auto
18 Aug
CPU/BIOS
Checked Ryzen 5 3600 configuration
3.6 GHz, ~1.37 V live reading, PBO Auto
18 Aug
PSU
Identified PSU
Corsair CV450, 450 W; wattage isn’t obviously inadequate for Ryzen 5 3600 + GTX 1660
18 Aug
BIOS stability
Established PC can remain in BIOS for a long period without crashing