Stuck in a loop trying to reinstall Windows 11

Question

Stuck in a loop trying to reinstall Windows 11

Ian McCartney 0

Good afternoon all,

I am trying to install a fresh copy of Windows 11 onto an ASUS Zenbook that was having issues where it would consistently crash after rebooting & logging in. After lots of troubleshooting (I believe the issue may have been related to McAfee which had recently & inadvertently installed) I decided the cleanest option was to delete all data and attempt a fresh windows installation.

I used the Create Windows 11 Media Installation tool on a brand new flash drive (on a separate computer) and booted the ASUS laptop repeatedly until it got to the troubleshooting screen on startup. I selected load windows from external drive and selected the USB. I proceeded through the normal installation process, deleting all the disk 0 partitions that previously existed and created a new partition from the unallocated space. After continuing through the menu options, Windows 11 began to install.

However, at about 18%, the computer shut off and when it restarted, it gave me a pop-up saying "It looks like you started an upgrade and booted from installation media. If you want to continue with the upgrade, remove the media from your PC and click Yes. If you want to perform a clean installation instead, click No.

If I click "No", I am rerouted to the Windows 11 Installer prompts from the start and have to start all over, looping repeatedly.

If I remove the USB and click "Yes", it restarts the computer but takes me straight to the Asus BIOS. In the BIOs, there are no options shown under boot priority, nothing shown in the F8 Boot Menu.

Restarting without the USB in just takes me right to the BIOs every time, and restarting with the USB in takes me to the same question about how I started an upgrade and need to choose yes or no.

Any ideas on how to break out of this loop?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Protosavage 0 Reputation points

2025-12-12T19:58:46.0566667+00:00

I’m having the SAME exact issue. Except for 2 differences. One being my crash was from a forced windows update that I had to restart for. During restart it took me to BIOS. Now I’m right where you are. So I believe the problem is on Microsoft’s side. I am without a computer now. It’s very frustrating since windows updates have caused me issues for a couple years now. Never THIS serious of an issue though.

2nd difference is my install will compete to 100% but I still get the same “yes/no” message as you and clicking either has the same exact results as yours.

im no tech wiz, would appreciate any help. I have already enabled secure boot and set it to standard settings (not custom). I also made sure TPM 2.0 (I think it’s called) was enabled. I’ve tried installing both windows 11 and 10. Nothings working. All drives are showing and I cleared when I do it. I’m hopeless right now

2 answers

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Protosavage 0 Reputation points

2025-12-12T19:58:46.0566667+00:00

I’m having the SAME exact issue. Except for 2 differences. One being my crash was from a forced windows update that I had to restart for. During restart it took me to BIOS. Now I’m right where you are. So I believe the problem is on Microsoft’s side. I am without a computer now. It’s very frustrating since windows updates have caused me issues for a couple years now. Never THIS serious of an issue though.

2nd difference is my install will compete to 100% but I still get the same “yes/no” message as you and clicking either has the same exact results as yours.

im no tech wiz, would appreciate any help. I have already enabled secure boot and set it to standard settings (not custom). I also made sure TPM 2.0 (I think it’s called) was enabled. I’ve tried installing both windows 11 and 10. Nothings working. All drives are showing and I cleared when I do it. I’m hopeless right now

Answer 1

It sounds like you are encountering a boot loop during the installation of Windows 11 on your ASUS Zenbook. Here are some steps you can take to try to resolve this issue:

Check BIOS Settings: Ensure that your BIOS settings are configured correctly. You may need to set the boot mode to UEFI if it is currently set to Legacy. Also, check that Secure Boot is enabled.
Use the Correct Installation Media: Make sure that the USB drive you created with the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool is functioning properly. You might want to recreate the installation media using the tool on a different USB drive if possible.
Disconnect All Peripherals: Disconnect any unnecessary peripherals from your laptop (like external drives, printers, etc.) before attempting the installation again.
Access Command Prompt: If you can access the recovery options, try to open the Command Prompt and run the following commands:
- diskpart
- list disk
- select disk 0 (or the appropriate disk number)
- clean (this will erase all data on the selected disk)
- After cleaning, exit Diskpart and try the installation again.
Boot from USB Again: After ensuring the USB drive is set up correctly, boot from it again and select the option to install Windows. Make sure to delete all partitions during the installation process to ensure a clean install.
Check for Hardware Issues: If the installation continues to fail, there may be underlying hardware issues. You could run hardware diagnostics if your laptop has that option in the BIOS.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider checking for any specific BIOS updates from ASUS that might address installation problems with Windows 11.

References:

Answer 2

David Sanchez 17,445 Independent Advisor

Hi there! My name is David. It’s a pleasure to help you today.

Thank you for posting your question. If the system installation only reaches 18%, not all files and partitions will have been copied or created for the OS to boot from the laptop’s disk. That is likely why it gets stuck in the loop you mentioned.

As additional information, I suggest create a installation media, preferably on another USB drive, and connecting it to the USB 2.0 ports on your laptop.

It is also possible that there is a problem with the disk where the installation is being performed. I recommend you checking the status of the drive to validate that it is working correctly.

Let me know if the shared information has been helpful. Regards.

Ian McCartney 0 Reputation points

2025-12-03T04:11:04.15+00:00

Hi David, thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I have tried the USB installation method repeatedly and it never gets past 20% (the number varies from about 17-20% before the laptop shuts down.

You mention needing to check the status of the drive/disk where the installation is to be performed. Do you have any suggestions as to how to check this?
David Sanchez 17,445 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-12-03T06:38:30.26+00:00

Hi! Thank you for staying in touch.

I understand that what I suggested earlier did not work.

Of course, I can give you some suggestions on how to check the status of your disk.

Some laptops have diagnostic tools in the BIOS/UEFI for the main components such as RAM, Storage, and CPU. You can check with your device’s manufacturer to see if your laptop has this function. If you’d like, let me know the exact model of your laptop and I could help you verify if it includes this feature.

Another alternative is to test the disk on another PC if possible. There you can run tests with the manufacturer’s software (some disk manufacturers provide tools that allow you to check the status of the HDD/SSD, errors, damaged sectors) or use third-party software such as CrystalDisk or others.

I can also suggest a BIOS update on your laptop. A newer version could bring new features or fix existing problems.

NOTE: I recommend performing BIOS updates, or tests with the assistance of your laptop’s manufacturer or with a trusted technician, to ensure it is done correctly.

Let me know if the shared information has been helpful. Regards.
Protosavage 0 Reputation points

2025-12-12T20:22:25.6733333+00:00

I’m having same exact issue. I have a comment clarifying more things in the thread. My install gets to 100% and still does the same as op’s. I’ve checked my drives too. All good. Any ideas?

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Stuck in a loop trying to reinstall Windows 11

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