Driver PNP Watchdog Error During Windows Setup

[Khat17]

Good day @Ub6424 - thanks for your reply.

I'm able to get to the boot menu and start any of the utilities I have. I rather E2B or Ventoy.

 

After loading - I can run Linux or the WinPE that I've got. But the Windows installation does not work.

Each one runs stable and can be left for hours with no issues.

Attempts to run any Windows setup fails. I have a Windows 7 multi-boot that is not official - runs off a Win 10 PE - and that actually loads. But the official Windows 10 or Windows 11 installations - which load off a PE from what I recall - do not work. They keep giving the PNP watchdog error.

*EDIT*

So I don't really do software as such - in terms of programming. But I do troubleshoot and think of stuff periodically. So...I edited the contents of the boot media and copied some of the directories from the unofficial bootable ISO to try and get the PE to load. At the very least - if I can get it to read the sources and just install the files - that would be great.

Another option would be to use the existing WinPE that I have - which boots - and somehow copy files from that to get the Win 11 install to actually load. 

Once again - that's very confusing to me. What could possibly cause the setup environment to not load? And I mean - I've used just about every tool that I can think of - including the HP official tool. So....

[ub6424]

Well, that looks good on the hardware side...

(1) We start once again 😊

- Please take another USB flash drive and create a new windows 10 installation media.

- Use another computer to do this, of course 😃

- Safely remove the USB flash drive 

https://www.isunshare.com/windows-10/three-ways-to-safely-eject-a-usb-flash-drive-on-windows-10.html

(2) Insert ssd/m.2 drive again

(3) Start installation with usb flash drive

(4) Tell me what's going on with your strange system

[Khat17]

Yeah. Last time I saw something like this - was a bit different. The OS PE would load but it wouldn't install. That system had SATA and M.2 ports. The SATA port was faulty causing read/write errors and problems with the installation. Moving to M.2 resolved that.

This system has the SATA port, but it would need the cable which I don't have.

As for removing safely - lots of free apps available. Best one I've found is actually paid.

Link was removed. It's called "USB Safely Remove" - should be the first result on Google.

That allows you to remove any USB - will also kill/stop any process that may be preventing removal. Good stuff.

If all else fails with ejecting - just turn off and unplug at that point. Then boot up again without the drive.

I can say from now - it's probably going to give the same results. Just let me know how you'd like me to create the bootable USB - which tool.

Bear in mind as well - each USB that has been created works quite fine in other systems. Will post back once done with testing. But I suspect I'll be getting the same issue. 

Currently attempting to do the install directly from the PE that will boot. Had to do some registry editing according to some instructions found to bypass setup checks. Hopefully that will work. Will post the results.

*EDIT*

So the install completed. But the system STILL REFUSES TO BOOT. Great stuff. In case this would resolve the issue for some other reader - let's post the details.

If your system will boot to WinPE and you have the Windows 11 install ISO - edit these registry entries. You can find information if you do a search online for "bypass this pc doesn’t meet the requirements windows 11" or similar stuff.

• Open REGEDIT
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
• Right click on the SETUP branch and go to New -> Key
• Name the key LabConfig
• You'll be creating 4 new DWORD entries under the new key.
• New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value
• BypassTPMCheck
• BypassSecureBootCheck
• BypassRAMCheck
• BypassCPUCheck
• Set all values to 1

This allowed the setup to run - it partitioned the drive and completed the install. But guess what? Right back to DRIVER PNP WATCHDOG for me. It may work for someone else - but I seem to be stuck with this dog - maybe because I'm a cat person?

[Khat17]

Morning. So I tested Ubuntu desktop and that works but no mouse - touch pad drivers I guess. Will look into that and see what's up.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/303926088480

Will look into that as an option and replace the drive with regular SATA. Could be that the M.2 isn't working properly. Could be a board issue. 

Cloning the original drive results in the Windows loading screen perpetually spinning - the loading circle.

If I had the programming / software knowledge, I'd take the boot info (PE) from the working Windows multi-boot ISO and try to load it on the system. The next option is to attempt a repair on the installation from within the WinPE that loads. 

For my specific situation, I'm not seeing a solution as yet. So let me list the possibilities.

If your Windows USB loads then use the option in the previous post to proceed - if you have issues.

• If your hardware is good then the registry option in the previous post may load yours.
• To get to that - if your Windows setup loads - press SHIFT+F10 and then type REGEDIT. Follow from there.

If you're experiencing the same issues as I've had, you may want to RMA the device. If you don't mind other options - try Linux. Just get the drivers after or use a USB mouse.

Try a different drive.

Try using the regular SATA drive if you have the cable available. 

Those are the only options I see at this point. If there happens to be a breakthrough, I'll post what was done and how it was solved.

Many thanks to @Ub6424 for the help provided so far. If you (or anyone else) can think of anything else - please let me know. May not have the device on hand, but will see.