Question Did I kill my motherboard? Was working, failed Windows reinstall, now not.

[brimah87]

Hello all,

I feel a little guilty, I only come here when I have problems...and I'm back.

CPU: Phenom II x4
GPU: Integrated in Motherboard
Mobo: ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS
RAM: 2 x 4GB Mushkin Redline Enhanced DDR3
SSD: PNY 500GB

I had an old motherboard that died, so I got the ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS just to see if I could salvage my other parts that aren't compatible with my other build.

Step 1. I had no problem getting it set up, I installed Windows 11 via Rufus and USB, but the drivers weren't compatible. Maybe I could've got them to work, I saw a couple of work-arounds online, but I decided it would be easier to just install an earlier version of Windows.

Step 2. So I made a Windows 10 install USB on Rufus and tried to boot from that, but the BIOS wouldn't recognize it and just keep rebooting from the SSD (in Step 5 I thought I figured out why, but instead I think I broke it).

Step 3. I attached a USB CD/DVD drive with an old Windows 7 install CD and was able to get BIOS to boot from it, got almost all the way through the installation but it hung on "Completing Installation" for over 4 hours. I saw a solution but it required a PS/2 keyboard and I don't have one.

Step 4. I tried to see if my Windows 10 USB would magically work this time, but it kept rebooting like before and going to the SSD. The SSD had incomplete Windows 7 install, and gave me an error that I had to finish installation.

Step 5. I went back into BIOS and played around with the USB settings. I forget exactly what it was, but it wasn't the "Boot Order" menu, and I moved up or turned on the USB with Windows 10 on it, Save and Exit. Black screen (no signal to monitor).

Step 6. Power off and on again, black screen. Let sit for an hour, push power button, the fans start to spin for a few seconds but then stop and the PC won't power on. If I hold the power button down for a few seconds sometimes it will turn on and stay on, but still on black screen.

Step 7. Log into Tom's Hardware and ask for help.

 

[drea.drechsler]

First is to reset CMOS, then update BIOS to latest if it's not, then reset CMOS again. The CMOS resets are intended to make sure BIOS settings aren't messed up but you may need to point to the boot drive (USB if using a memory stick) to start the installation process. Leave any overclocking or custom memory profiles for after OS installation so they should all be left in optimal defaults after a CMOS reset.

Now try to install Windows 10. It shouldn't need any kind of tricks to get it to install even on older hardware so don't do it with RUFUS, just create the installation media and go for it.

Windows 11 will get weird to install and may get weirder to keep it running with future updates so I wouldn't suggest it.

 

[brimah87]

Ok so I have been scrolling random other posts and it made me realize that some of the modular cables from my new PSU might be mixed in with the cables from my old PSU. That's apparently a problem, but there aren't any markings that differentiate the cables, so how do I know which cable is from which PSU? They look identical to me. The posts I read don't seem to say, and my search for "how to identify PSU cables" and "mixed PSU cables" isn't returning any useful hits.

So how do I un-mix these cables?

 

[brimah87]

First is to reset CMOS, then update BIOS, then reset CMOS again. The CMOS resets are intended to make sure BIOS settings aren't messed up but you may need to point to the boot drive (USB if using a memory stick). Leave any overclocking or custom memory profiles for after OS installation so they should all be left in optimal defaults after a CMOS reset.

Now try to install Windows 10. It shouldn't need any kind of tricks to get it to install, even on older hardware, so don't do it with RUFUS, just create the installation media and go for it.

Hi thanks for the reply, I was thinking of doing a CMOS reset but I've never done that before so I came here first.

Also (like my 2nd post says) I might have mixed up modular PSU cables, which I didn't know was a problem. Any idea how to identify and un-mix these seemingly identical, un-marked and un-labeled cables?

 

[drea.drechsler]

....
Also (like my 2nd post says) I might have mixed up modular PSU cables, which I didn't know was a problem. Any idea how to identify and un-mix these seemingly identical, un-marked and un-labeled cables?

Yeah, mixing cables like that can definitely be a problem, although maybe not THIS problem. Un-mixing the cables may be a bit of an involved process. I can't help with that but if you start another thread and post the brands and models of the two PSU's someone with PSU experience could tell you if they're at least compatible. If they are not compatible it could be very serious and damage all your hardware and possibly even present a fire hazard.

 

[brimah87]

Again, thanks. Just to clarify, when you say

"...you may need to point to the boot drive...to start the installation process",

do you just mean that after the CMOS reset I may need to change up the boot order again to ensure boot from the installation media?

 

[drea.drechsler]

... I may need to change up the boot order again to ensure boot from the installation media?

Yes.

And BTW, be sure to update to the latest BIOS (then reset CMOS) for the board before installing Win10. It should provide for the best compatibility with the OS.

 

[brimah87]

Yes.

And BTW, be sure to update to the latest BIOS (then reset CMOS) for the board before installing Win10. It should provide for the best compatibility with the OS.

Hold on sorry, did you put that backwards? Don't I reset CMOS then update BIOS? Wouldn't updating BIOS then doing CMOS reset just undo the update?

 

[drea.drechsler]

Hold on sorry, did you put that backwards? Don't I reset CMOS then update BIOS? Wouldn't updating BIOS then doing CMOS reset just undo the update?

NO...resetting CMOS does not affect BIOS, only the SETTINGS the BIOS uses. You could reset CMOS-update-reset CMOS again, some people have suggested that too.

It's important to reset the SETTINGS after an update to make sure there are no improper settings left over that worked OK for the previous BIOS but won't for the new one.

 

[brimah87]

NO...resetting CMOS does not affect BIOS, only the SETTINGS the BIOS uses. You could reset CMOS-update-reset CMOS again, some people have suggested that too.

It's important to reset the SETTINGS after an update to make sure there are no improper settings left over that worked OK for the previous BIOS but won't for the new one.

I see, thank you. However I finally had some free time and I've been trying to tackle this problem, and that didn't do anything. I removed the battery for a couple of minutes, put it back in, and when I power on the system the fans start to spin and then stop. If I try over and over again I can get the system to stay on, but I get a black screen.

-Turns out I didn't mix up the PSU cables, so that shouldn't be the issue.
-I put a working GPU into the system (motherboard has onboard video) and still black screen when I manage to get it to stay on.
-I bought a new PSU, that doesn't help so I know it isn't a power supply issue (estimated wattage needed is only about 350, I have a 700 and 750).
-I put the SSD into another motherboard and was able to get Win10 to install.
-I put the CPU into another motherboard and it turns on no problem...however this motherboard is broken (I think, that's why I bought the one that I'm posting about now) and I can't get into BIOS, however it doesn't have the same issue of turning off after a split second. Although when the 1st motherboard (the one I'm posting about) does stay on for more than a split second, the problem is basically the same: black screen.

I haven't tried my backup RAM yet, but I feel like failing to install Windows 7 somehow bricked the motherboard, is that even possible?

 

[SkyNetRising]

I removed the battery for a couple of minutes, put it back in, and when I power on the system the fans start to spin and then stop.

That is not, how you reset BIOS.
Removing battery is not enough. There is still residual charge in PSU capacitors, that will prevent resetting BIOS settings.
You have also disconnect PC from power and discharge PSU capacitors by pressing power button.

Or reset BIOS normally by using CLEAR_CMOS jumper (CLRTC) on motherboard (user manual page 1-18).

After you reset BIOS, recreate windows 10 install media
with rufus using appropriate settings - MBR/BIOS-CSM/NTFS.

Your system is so old it doesn't support UEFI boot. Rufus settings UEFI/GPT will not work.

 

[brimah87]

NO...resetting CMOS does not affect BIOS, only the SETTINGS the BIOS uses. You could reset CMOS-update-reset CMOS again, some people have suggested that too.

It's important to reset the SETTINGS after an update to make sure there are no improper settings left over that worked OK for the previous BIOS but won't for the new one.

Unfortunately, that didn't work. I followed the instructions for resetting CMOS in my user manual, and the exact same thing is happening. Why would faulty BIOS settings be causing it to not power on consistently anyway? Any other ideas?

 

[brimah87]

That is not, how you reset BIOS.
Removing battery is not enough. There is still residual charge in PSU capacitors, that will prevent resetting BIOS settings.
You have also disconnect PC from power and discharge PSU capacitors by pressing power button.

Or reset BIOS normally by using CLEAR_CMOS jumper (CLRTC) on motherboard (user manual page 1-18).

After you reset BIOS, recreate windows 10 install media
with rufus using appropriate settings - MBR/BIOS-CSM/NTFS.

Your system is so old it doesn't support UEFI boot. Rufus settings UEFI/GPT will not work.

Thanks for the info, I followed the CMOS reset instructions in the manual, however no change in the problem. Do you have any suggestions how to fix this?

 

[brimah87]

Well I broke down and decided to open up the box on a ASRock 970M Pro3 motherboard I was going to return, I put the RAM SSD and CPU into that one, and it started up no problem. Something is definitely wrong with the M5A78L-M LX PLUS I have. It was listed as new on Amazon, but the more I look at it the more I can see that isn't true, maybe it only had a little life left in it and using it for the 2 days I did finally killed it. Also I put in the product number into the Asus website and it turns out I was sold a regular M5A78L-M LX, not the PLUS. I'm just gonna return it, too bad too the guy who sold it to me sounded nice on the phone.