Question Asus Thunderbolt EX 4 Card only enables connection to peripherals after restart, but not on boot?

[bmyers007]

My Asus Thunderbolt EX4 card only enables connection to my Universal Audio x8p (audio interface) after restart, but not on boot in Windows 10.

Ever since I got an Asus Thunderbolt EX 4 card to connect the UA x8p in Windows I've had problems with connectivity. I had work-arounds that I used over the years, but after a fresh Windows install I thought I'd be ok, but no go.

I've confirmed compatibility with my motherboard (Asus Z390-A) and I've got everything configured in the BIOS to get the card to work, but it will only connect after a restart, not on boot. It's just an extra step that I've got to go through every time, but it still bothers me to have to do it every time.

It's a fresh Windows 10 install. I've confirmed the drivers are correct with Asus, and the BIOS settings will enable the device to connect, but only after a restart, not on boot? I'm thinking it might be a BIOS setting that I may have missed, but unfortunately Asus is of no help...

Does anyone have any ideas why this might be happening?

 

[Lutfij]

Can you check and see what BIOS version you're on at this moment of time?

Just an FYI;

ThunderboltEX 4 - Tech Specs｜Motherboards｜ASUS Global

ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 add-on card delivers 40 Gbps bi-directional bandwidth, USB4⢠device compatibility, and DisplayPort⢠1.4 support.

www.asus.com

Compatible Models
Please note that only ASUS Intel 500 series and later motherboards with a 14-1 pin Thunderbolt header can support ThunderboltEX 4 card.
*Refer to the following link for an up-to-date list of compatible models:

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-C.../Accessories/ThunderboltEX-4/HelpDesk_Manual/

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/Add-on_card/ThunderboltEX_4/ThunderboltEX_4_Card_Compatible_Model_List_add_B760_strix_20230217.pdf?model=ThunderboltEX%204

Just to doublecheck, your board is not on the supported motherboards list.

 

[bmyers007]

Thanks for your reply. As for your question about the bios, I updated it yesterday so it is current. As for the compatibility with my older board, I started off with a thunderbolt EX3 card and used that for quite some time with my Z390-A board with the same problem. I upgraded to the EX4 card on the chance that it might work and it does, but only after the restart. So the question remains, what is causing the connectivity problem on boot that is only remedied by going through the extra step of a restart?