Question Can't get into the BIOS

mac_angel

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Mar 12, 2008
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solved. See bottom of this post.

MSI Z790 Carbon
T-Force 2 x 16GB DDR5 6400
Core i7 12700K (temporary CPU)

I have another post on here where I was complaining about Intel support. I have a Core i9 13900K that I had to fight tooth and nail to get an RMA. Not that there was any issue with the boxed unit, me having to provide info or anything else, it was just the third party company that they have to look after their support and warranty is just incredibly bad.
I believe the 13900K fell victim to the motherboard overpower issue. I was able to get it to run somewhat stable, but setting an over voltage of 0.04v, no overclock.
I finally got the RMA, and I sent back my 13900K today. I had it in my system (the motherboard and RAM are just a week old) up until the weekend when I put the 12700K in. It's a custom loop, so I had to drain it, move everything around, etc. I booted up this afternoon and I wanted to get into the BIOS to make some changes since it's a different CPU, but it won't let me. If I use the delete key, I get stuck at A6 debug code (I've tried many, many times now). A6 is SCSI detect, but I'm only running m.2 drives, no IDE. If I try to use Shift while restarting, or the BIOS option from the System setting, when it restarts, the debug code gets stuck at 26, which is nothing.
I can get into Windows no problem (as I said, restarting using Shift, or the BIOS option from System settings didn't work). I have tried resetting the BIOS from the button on the back panel, which did work because now my RAM is running at 4800.

Solved: Short answer, turns out it was a bad flash on the GPU. I got back the MSI RTX4090 Suprim from RMA. When I got it back, I never tried to get into the BIOS, so I can't say it was working, but I doubt it. I could get into the BIOS if I pulled the GPU and used the onboard graphics. Even in the BIOS, I tried turning on GoToBIOS, where you hold down the power button for 4 seconds, it takes you to the BIOS. Same thing, A6 post code, nothing on the screen with the RTX4090 installed (even trying to have a display plugged into the iGPU). Strange thing, A6 is shown when you actually do get into the BIOS. So I'm thinking, it was always getting into the BIOS, but nothing was being displayed.
I tried both BIOS's on the RTX4090, same thing
I used NVFlash64 and flashed another ROM onto the RTX4090, and no more problems. Gets into the BIOS fine, runs fine, etc. Still shows A6 when in the BIOS, but it's displaying now.
 
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I hate to ask or say this but pull the lithium battery off the MB and wait a minute....it would be helpful to know the make / model of the MB. Pulling the battery should reset everything to default forcing you to enter BIOS on bootup
 
I hate to ask or say this but pull the lithium battery off the MB and wait a minute....it would be helpful to know the make / model of the MB. Pulling the battery should reset everything to default forcing you to enter BIOS on bootup
I said it in the first line. MSI Z790 Carbon. MPG was the only thing I missed, but there's only one version of it.
I also said that I've reset the BIOS, and know it's been reset because the RAM is back at 4800, slow timings and all.
 
@mac_angel

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

What specific process or procedure is being used to reset?

This motherboard?

https://download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/mb/MPGZ790CARBONWIFI.pdf

First: verify that I found the applicable User Guide.

Second: review the User Guide and double check all that has been done.

Third: Per physically numbered Page 29, ensure that the first memory module was inserted into DIMMA2.
 
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@mac_angel

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

What specific process or procedure is being used to reset?

This motherboard?

https://download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/mb/MPGZ790CARBONWIFI.pdf

First: verify that I found the applicable User Guide.

Second: review the User Guide and double check all that has been done.

Third: Per physically numbered Page 29, ensure that the first memory module was inserted into DIMMA2.
yes, that's the motherboard. I have that pdf printed off and as I said in my first post, I reset the BIOS by pressing the RESET BIOS button on the back of the motherboard.
I've taken the RAM out and put it back in numerous times. I just got finished taking the CPU out, using the zoom feature on my cell phone, looked at all the pins in the motherboard, all around the CPU socket, all the slots for the RAM, and the back of the CPU itself. All is clean. The RAM is fully snapped in. I even tried booting with a single stick in. Normally, with a lot of motherboards I've worked with in the past, it will give a pop up saying the RAM configuration has changed and offer me to continue to boot, or go into the BIOS. That didn't happen this time, though I can't say it's ever happened with this motherboard, I've only had it a couple of weeks. I can list off a lot of other recent motherboards that it has happened with, including MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk wifi DDR4.

As I have also said, it runs fine. I'm writing these posts from the computer. It was running fine with the 13900K, but since I rebuilt the loop and put in the 12700K, I can't get into the BIOS. Intel's XTU also runs fine. But any time I try to get into the BIOS, if I use the delete button on start up, I get error A6. If I try to get to the BIOS from the OS and restarting, it gets stuck at 26, which means nothing - there's no error code for that or anything, but it freezes there none the less.
 
The problem being that you are unable to get into BIOS on the subject system - correct?

Nothing on the display screen (after first powering on) listing some specific key press (F2, F10, F12, DEL, etc.) necessary to enter BIOS - correct?

And no prompts for a password after pressing the applicable BIOS key?

Full system hardware specs and OS?

Take some photographs as applicable and post the photographs here via imgur (www.imgur.com).

Regarding:

"I can list off a lot of other recent motherboards that it has happened with, including MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk wifi DDR4."

Please do.
 
right. I can't get into the BIOS. Pressing the Delete button just gives me the A6 error. If I don't press Delete, the system boots fine. Windows runs fine.
I tried restarting and holding down the Shift key. That resulted in 26. I tried going into Settings, System, Recovery, Advanced Startup. Same thing, post code 26.
No password for the BIOS, never set one, never have.
Windows 11 Pro Spectre (think another version of Tiny 11)

My System:
Was Core i9 13900K, that got sent back today, now it's a Core i7 12700K. Not overclocked because I can't get into the BIOS. AlphaCool waterblock
MSI MPG Z790 Carbon Wifi. Just a week and a bit old, same with the RAM
TeamGroup T-FORCE DELTA RGB 32GB (SK-Hynix M-Die)
C Drive is WD SN850 Black 1TB, then I have 3 other 1TB m.2 drives in the other slots
MSI RTX 4090 Suprim with Bykski waterblock
360 x 25mm RAD, 280 x 30mm RAD, 25mm x 400mm reservoir. 2 pumps.

Other motherboards that usually prompt for BIOS when changing the RAM. The Z790 Tomahawk that I still have. An Asus Z590-E Gaming WIFI that my son uses. It was mine before I handed it down to him. He'll get the Z790 Tomahawk and the 12700K once I get my Intel RMA back. Gigabyte X299 Aorus Master that I have for my Plex media server. Asus X299 Prime II that I was using before. MSI X99 SLI Plus that I was running a couple of years ago, before the X299 (my son was running the X299 before I gave him the Z590 and put the X299 into the server. MSI MPower X99.

I don't see how the OS would stop getting into the BIOS on start up. And the computer does restart fully before I get the error 26 on the motherboard debug code when trying to get the OS to get me to the BIOS. If you still want pictures, it'll have to wait until tomorrow. It's late here and I'm done for the day.
 
Instead of Del, try holding alt+rctrl+rshift and press F2. This opens hidden BIOS settings normally but in this case it may jiggle the normal BIOS into well, working normally.

If it doesn't help, post on MSI forum and describe the problem again, in as much detail as you can.
 
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