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I'm trying to install Windows 8.1 on my machine. After the first part of the installation is ready the installer reboots my PC, and when the installation continues, in the "Getting Devices Ready" screen I get a blue screen with the following error: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. Windows 8 installation goes just fine, like any other operating system. Any ideas?

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  • Sounds like a driver problem. I would disconnect any external devices you can. This is a fresh installation right? An upgrade from Windows 8.0 to 8.1 could explain this behavior.
    – Ramhound
    Sep 16, 2013 at 16:43
  • I tried both, first upgrade, then, as you suggested too, fresh install. Same error. Aren't there any logs to look into? I don't have any exotic hardware. The most "exotic" card is the WiFi card, ASUS PCE-N53.
    – lucassp
    Sep 16, 2013 at 16:46
  • can you find a crash dump? Sep 16, 2013 at 17:42
  • In 99% you have some device which driver causing this issue. Try to remove any external USB devices first. if the issue still occurs, than remove any additional cards you have in your PCI/PCIe slots. in most cases it is the device/driver issue. You can try to locate the device that creates the issue by adding one by one. If you want to locate exact device ASAP, before you accomplish installation, than remove a single device and try to install Windows. When it pass installation, you will know which device causes you the trouble Oct 19, 2013 at 16:47
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    @magicandre1981 For future reference, there's a setupmem.dmp file generated in the $WINDOWS.~BT\Source\Panther folder. That's a normal minidump, and can be analysed with WinDbg.
    – Bob
    Oct 20, 2013 at 1:47

1 Answer 1

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In 99% you have a device which driver causing this issue. Try to remove any external USB devices first. if the issue still occurs, than remove any additional cards you have in your PCI/PCIe slots.

In most cases it is the device/driver issue. You can try to locate the device that creates the issue after Windows installation by adding one at a time. If you want to troubleshot before you accomplish Windows installation, than remove a single device and try to install Windows. When it pass installation, you will know which device causes you the trouble.

If you have a WiFi adapter with the Ralink chip, than just remove it as these Ralink chips have a huge issues with 8.1. Stay away from Ralink if you want to use Windows 8.1

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    Huh, wish I waited another day and read this first. I just wasted a whole day diagnosing an update BSOD, finding out it was my Ralink WiFI adapter, removing it, upgrading, reinserting it only to find out the BSODs persist after the update. As a warning to others: don't try it - it's not good for your sanity.
    – Bob
    Oct 20, 2013 at 1:46

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