[SOLVED] Boots Straight into Windows, Cannot Enter Bios - No Bios Splash Screen

[andrewperk]

Hello, I just got a B450 Tomahawk Max motherboard. When I turn the computer on it boots immediately into Windows with the CPU fan at full speed(cpu temps are fine), however I cannot get into the Bios to adjust settings.

Additionally before it goes to Windows, it is just a Black screen. There is no MSI Splash screen for the Bios. No message saying to press any keys to enter the Bios. It just moves right to Windows.

During Boot if I hold down DEL or F11(read this from the manual) to get into the Bios it stays at the black screen and doesn't move or display anything. My monitor just goes into sleep mode and computer stays running with nothing on the screen, no LED debug lights or anything.

So far I have tried:

• I do not have fast boot turned on, my student version of Windows doesn't even have that option
• Resetting the CMOS battery both for 30 seconds and 5 minutes
• Unplugging all USB and restarting
• Reseating the RAM (this actually caused the computer to not boot at all and just stay at a black screen, it would not go into Windows)
• Tried using just 1 stick of RAM (stayed at a black screen, would then not enter windows), so I put both stick back in (could still not get into Windows, just a black screen)
• Reseated the GPU and used a different PCIe cord (this change then made it boot back into Windows just like it was before, I cannot get into the Bios)
• Made a USB stick formatted with Fat32 renamed the bios file to MSI.ROM, stuck into the USB port on the IO shield to the one marked Flash Bios hit the button, it flickered like 3 times then turned off, my Bios version did not change(verified in System Information) and I could not enter the Bios still.

I'd appreciate any help.

Update #1 - I am thinking that it is booting to bios but its just not sending the signal to the monitor because the computer is running with no led debug lights after pressing DEL, the monitor says no signal and just goes to sleep. My monitor has a Vga port and 2 hdmi ports. My gpu has one hdmi, one dvi, and 3 display ports.

Update #2 -I figured out the problem. It was a faulty motherboard, even though it was brand new. I took it back to microcenter and exchanged it. Problem solved.

Thanks.

 

[Colif]

I assume its win 10

tried settings/update & security/recovery
under advanced start up, click restart now
windows will restart in blue menu
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose UEFI firmware Settings
this should restart PC in the bios.

 

[andrewperk]

I assume its win 10

tried settings/update & security/recovery
under advanced start up, click restart now
windows will restart in blue menu
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose UEFI firmware Settings
this should restart PC in the bios.

Thanks Colif, but this did not work either. It did reboot but it just went to a black screen and my monitor when into sleep mode. The computer was still running, no LED debug lights were on. I wake the monitor back up and it says no signal. I have my monitor connected via an HDMI cable to my HDMI port in my GPU, not my IO HDMI.

 

[Colif]

what about unplugging the boot drive. it can't get into windows then...

I assume you don't have a Ryzen apu as I would suggest trying onboard video to see if its showing bios on there.
Tried HDMI if you use DP or visa versa, it might be showing signal on an illogical port.

 

[andrewperk]

what about unplugging the boot drive. it can't get into windows then...

I assume you don't have a Ryzen apu as I would suggest trying onboard video to see if its showing bios on there.
Tried HDMI if you use DP or visa versa, it might be showing signal on an illogical port.

Ok, my boot drive is my m.2 I'll remove that and see if it goes in without access to Windows.

And yeah I have a discrete GPU I use an RX570 and the CPU is Ryzen 7 3700x.

I don't have a DP plug, I can try and get one tomorrow to test with.

Seeing how it acted using the UEFI restart it kind of makes me think that maybe it was in the Bios just not showing through my HDMI, cause the computer was still running but nothing on the screen and no debug lights.

I'll try removing the M.2 and a DP plug tomorrow and update the thread.

Thanks Colif.

 

[Colif]

try spamming the del key on the black screen
same mobo, same problem - he can get into bios with del key method above

 

[andrewperk]

try spamming the del key on the black screen
same mobo, same problem - he can get into bios with del key method above

That did not work. If I keep spamming it nothing happens, it just doesn't give a signal to the monitor when trying to get into the bios. The monitor goes into standby, if I hit the monitor button to turn it back it says no signal going to sleep.

Its a 24 inch LG ips . I tried using the other hdmi port but it doesn't change anything. My Gpu has a display port but my monitor doesn't have Display Port, it has VGA and my GPU doesn't have VGA. It has DVI. How should I go about having send a different signal? Maybe use a display port to hdmi or dvi to vga?

Thanks

 

[andrewperk]

Update - I downloaded the newest drivers for my rx570 Gpu from amd and when installing it I chose the option to remove the old driver, it then did a restart and the computer doesn't even go into windows now. The computer runs, no led debug lights, the monitor just says no signal and goes into power saving mode. It was going right into windows before installing the new gpu drivers.

Also just in case this helps, this m.2 that contains my OS was from my old motherboard.

 

[Karadjgne]

Batting at ghosts using a baseball bat.

Start over.

Windows with old motherboard drivers and registry almost always has issues. None of the addresses match up, you'll have orphans and dead ends all over the place and more uncounted errors than you know about and haven't happened as of yet.

When removing gpu drivers, especially AMD, you can't rely on a clean getaway. The Uninstaller does not uninstall as such, it only removes windows access addresses. The files/folders and links/associations are still there in the background. The only way to ensure you get All of those gone is using DDU from guru3d.com (free) and run it through safe mode, so none of the driver files are as yet in use and can be deleted. Can't delete any file that's still being used by Windows.

Clean install of windows, clean install of motherboard chipset drivers, probable bios update needed for 3000 series cpu on B450 motherboard to update Agesa, clean install of gpu drivers.

It's only when the pc is healthy that issues can be diagnosed, as long as you are chasing ghosts of old installs you'll be going around in circles.

 

[andrewperk]

Batting at ghosts using a baseball bat.

Start over.

Windows with old motherboard drivers and registry almost always has issues. None of the addresses match up, you'll have orphans and dead ends all over the place and more uncounted errors than you know about and haven't happened as of yet.

When removing gpu drivers, especially AMD, you can't rely on a clean getaway. The Uninstaller does not uninstall as such, it only removes windows access addresses. The files/folders and links/associations are still there in the background. The only way to ensure you get All of those gone is using DDU from guru3d.com (free) and run it through safe mode, so none of the driver files are as yet in use and can be deleted. Can't delete any file that's still being used by Windows.

Clean install of windows, clean install of motherboard chipset drivers, probable bios update needed for 3000 series cpu on B450 motherboard to update Agesa, clean install of gpu drivers.

It's only when the pc is healthy that issues can be diagnosed, as long as you are chasing ghosts of old installs you'll be going around in circles.

Thank you, that all makes sense. However even removing the OS ssd and harddrive it doesnt display the bios to even start over. The cpu turns on, the cpu debug lights for a sec, the vga lights for a sec, the boot lights for a sec then all debug lights go off and it sits at a black screen and monitor says no signal and goes into power saver .

 

[Karadjgne]

Does your motherboard have a secondary pcie x16 slot? There's been issues with some cards not working right at times when using the cpu pcie lanes in the primary slot, but that gets bypassed by the secondary slot which uses motherboard chipset lanes. Once the gpu gets recognised, you can move it back, it's the initial install that bunks it.

Grasping at straws myself...

 

[andrewperk]

Does your motherboard have a secondary pcie x16 slot? There's been issues with some cards not working right at times when using the cpu pcie lanes in the primary slot, but that gets bypassed by the secondary slot which uses motherboard chipset lanes. Once the gpu gets recognised, you can move it back, it's the initial install that bunks it.

Grasping at straws myself...

It does not, it has something else below it but its a couple millimeters shorter and has pin holes around its edges.

What do you think my next steps should be? I'm so frustrated, im usually always able to figure things out. This makes no sense.

 

[Karadjgne]

And the keyboard is plugged into an active USB? Not a selective off port?

 

[andrewperk]

And the keyboard is plugged into an active USB? Not a selective off port?

I've tried it in all USB slots on my IO. Ive mainly been using the top 2 as my manual states to use for the keyboard and mouse, but I've tried all of them.

 

[Colif]

maybe try the cmos battery again
things in settings have changed since you last reset them, so maybe?

 

[andrewperk]

maybe try the cmos battery again
things in settings have changed since you last reset them, so maybe?

So I got a new USB stick and I was able to reflash the bios. It flashed and flickered for a good 6 mins then restarted on the motherboard and stopped flickering.

I tried to turn it back on and spam del and nothing happened. I reset the cmos and turned it back on and spammed del and now a debug light is on, its the Boot debug light, it stays on.

 

[andrewperk]

Also I noticed on startup it lights up CPU for like 5 seconds, then skips ram, lights up vga for 1 sec, then stays lit on Boot.

 

[Colif]

your motherboard model is following me around. I have 2 long running BSOD posts that have your motherboard, at least you don't have a 3600.

The gpu light near the CPU is meant to be on when no iGPU is detected. Your CPU doesn't have an iGPU so that's okay, you don't need to worry about that. You've also passed the other ez debug tests as the lights went off, except boot (which won't without an os to boot).Unplug the HDD and leave SSD plugged in (making sure power and data cables are connected) Plug windows install USB to a back-panel USB port and try booting. It should load the installer, you might need to press ESC or F11. Also connect monitor to gpu and use HDMI if possible for first boot (as video ports on Mobo only work if cpu has iGPU)

https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...uck-on-boot-debug-led-wont-show-bios.3096024/
dejavu

it seems the light on means its not finding an os to boot

 

[andrewperk]

your motherboard model is following me around. I have 2 long running BSOD posts that have your motherboard, at least you don't have a 3600.


https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...uck-on-boot-debug-led-wont-show-bios.3096024/
dejavu

it seems the light on means its not finding an os to boot

Ok i created a bootable windows USB stick. I unplugged the hdd and left the ssd plugged in. Dang, I was hopeful this one was going to work, but it did not. It doesn't boot to the USB windows drive. I spammed F11. I tried not spamming it, I plugged it in both the USB 2.0 ports and USB 3.2 ports. The computer turns on but it doesn't display anything, del and f11 dont make it go to bios nor boot menu.

 

[Colif]

wonder if a hard reset would make any difference.

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-do-a-atx-reset

it might be the mb is borked, and it explains the complete lack of bios screens. BIOS clearly worked before, now not so much. Might need to contact MSI and ask them what to do. https://www.msi.com/page/forum

 

[andrewperk]

wonder if a hard reset would make any difference.

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-do-a-atx-reset

it might be the mb is borked, and it explains the complete lack of bios screens. BIOS clearly worked before, now not so much. Might need to contact MSI and ask them what to do. https://www.msi.com/page/forum

Yeah that did not work either. Thank you very much for all of your help, I appreciate. I emailed msi this morning, hopefully I'll hear from them on Monday.

Thanks all, ill update the thread if I figure anything out.

 

[andrewperk]

Hello, updating the thread since I figured out the problem. It was a faulty motherboard, even though it was brand new. I took it back to microcenter and exchanged it. Problem solved.