My Windows 11 Experiment

[wstrohm]

Cosmix, thanks for your reply.
1. Intel LAN function is enabled in BIOS.
2. Installation runs properly but stops at "Let's connect you to a network."
3. I found that there is no built-in LAN driver, so checked out an Internet video with instructions.
4. On this computer (at left), went to the ASUS website and downloaded the LAN driver for the B760-I motherboard.
5. Copied it to my Win 11 installer USB drive per video instructions.
6. Ran the installer again to the point where a "Load Driver" option was displayed.
6a. Tried it.
7. Got the error message "No signed driver found." The contents of my Win 11 USB installer flash drive are shown below. The LAN driver is in the highlighted folder at the root drive of the USB. Do I need to extract the individual items in the folder because the installer cannot see them????????

 

[Cosmix]

Update :

I like this ( remember Rufus ? ) :

Redirecting

to "Microsoft's" answer

 

[wstrohm]

Hi, Cosmix,

I have tried many things in attempting to get past the brick wall shown in my previous post... none have worked. I see that Rufus is a ".exe" file, meaning that I have to be on a Windows computer to run it. I guess I can do that, and thanks for the links. I see the download is Win 11 version 23H2, so maybe with Rufus, and if my luck changes, I'll get past that blockage. At least now my hardware is working! Thanks for your help!

 

[P1LGRIM]

 

[P1LGRIM]

If all else fails, maybe one of these would do the trick :

 

[Cosmix]

Hi, Cosmix,

I have tried many things in attempting to get past the brick wall shown in my previous post... none have worked. I see that Rufus is a ".exe" file, meaning that I have to be on a Windows computer to run it. I guess I can do that, and thanks for the links. I see the download is Win 11 version 23H2, so maybe with Rufus, and if my luck changes, I'll get past that blockage. At least now my hardware is working! Thanks for your help!

Hello,

You definitely need to "Install Windows 11 without Internet". Having to log into your own PC using a Microsoft account is silly.

As such, you should :
- disable in BIOS the WiFi controller
- (may be ) disable in BIOS the ethernet controller(s)
- do NOT connect an ethernet cable until offline installation is done ( you do not want that the installation process to interfere with Microsoft's updates push )

None of the installations I have done (starting with Windows 11 beta in 2022) "feature" that silly/funny requirement.

Well ... later, after everything is working as desired, you can create a Microsoft account ( @hotmail.com ) and use it if needed
========

But stay tuned : the next version of Windows (beta) should launch in 2024 ( it has to do "something" with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite CPU ).

 

[wstrohm]

I appreciate all the help, thanks to all. Cosmix, I spent some time yesterday with Rufus and got past that brick wall. I now have a working copy of Windows 11 Build 23H2 on my new Alder Lake computer. I used the 3.20 version of Rufus, even though there is a version 4.4 which for some reason I couldn't download from GitHub. So thanks to you, my Skylake Win 11 ("hybrid") computer, and Rufus, I think I'm more than 50% there. Now I'm going to "Restore" a backup of all the stuff I have on my Skylake computer (games and other apps) to the new computer. I'll use "Mini-Tool Shadowmaker" to do that.

 

[wstrohm]

Lots of water under the bridge, but now I have a working Windows 11 (23H11) on my new Alder Lake computer with the following hardware:

ASUS B760i motherboard
Intel Core i7 12700F CPU
Noctua NH-L9i-1700 CPU cooler
64 GB Crucial CL40 4800 MHz DDR5 RAM
2 WD SN850X 1 TB Nvme SSDs
Noctua NF-A8 fan (chassis fan)
AMD RX 6400 Graphics card
Apex MI-008 case with dual USB 3.0 ports added to the front panel

The Win 11 installer was made with "Rufus" version 3.20. Thank you, Cosmix!

I have the following working games on this new build:
Myst (2021 version)
Riven (1997 version)
Myst III: Exile (original version)
Myst IV: Revelation (original version)
Myst V: End of Ages (original version)
URU: Complete Chronicles (original version)
Obduction (version 1.8.4)
Firmament (version 1.2.0)
Plus the Unigine benchmarks Heaven, Valley, and Superposition

I have noticed the "Memtest86" RAM verification test passes 100%, but during the test I see RAM temps of up to 99C, and CPU and chassis fans running full blast. None of the games or benchmarks above cause temps anywhere near that.

Still evaluating...

 

[wstrohm]

"Alder" AC power usage is about 45 watts at idle, and playing the latest games it runs between 105 and 125 watts. So the 4800 MHz CL40 DDR5 RAM is apparently not sucking up much power. However I have noticed that the change from PCIe version 3.0 (in my Skylake computer) to 4.0 in the Alder Lake computer has made very little, if any, change in the AMD RX 6400 graphics card performance.

Looks like my new Silverstone SF30 300 Watt power supply is not being challenged. Think I'll tear apart the failed Allied 250 watt supply just to see what I can see. The Noctua NF-A8 chassis fan exhaust is warm during games, but not too warm.

 

[wstrohm]

Just added another WD SN850X 1 TB NVMe SSD, this time to the bottom side of the ASUS B760i mobo. Everything still works, except the new SSD does not show up in File Explorer. I'm guessing it needs to be formatted. Is the best way to do that with the Windows 11 installer? Or is there a safer or easier way? I do have "Mini-tool Shadowmaker," but the SSD doesn't show up in that app either. I don't want to "clone" the System, just format the disk so it can be used for backing up data.

Thanks for any advice!