Monitor wont display after updates failed

[igetexcited]

Ok so I built a new PC (will list parts below). Last night it updated a whole bunch, I decided to play a game of League, all was fine. This morning it was updating some more. I unplugging the VGI cable during this to see the other port underneath to see if I could get my other monitor plugged in. While doing this (pc is still doing updates), I hear it blue screen. So I turn it off/on, now my monitor isn’t being detected. I feel like it has to do with whatever update made it crash.

MB - MSI Z97 max power ac
Video card – MSI Geforce GTX 970
CPU – Intel I7 4790k
Ram – G.skill ripjaws x series 16GB
Power supply – EVGA 850
OS – Windows 7

To troubleshoot, I have already done the following…
-Power cycled
-Unplugged the ram, re plugged
-Hooked the monitor up to my old pc, still works fine
-Tried hooking my tv up to the pc via hdmi, didn’t work
-Moved the video card to a different slot on the MB

I am really at a loss. I feel like it has to be the updates, but I can’t roll back if I can’t get a picture on a screen. Please help!

 

[popatim]

Have you tried the integrated Graphics yet?

 

[igetexcited]

Have you tried the integrated Graphics yet?

This MB doesn.t have an onboard VGA, which is why I tried the HDMI but that didn't work either. http://us.msi.com/product/mb/Z97-MPOWER-MAX-AC.html#hero-specification

I just tried removing the cmos battery and still nothing. I see a lot of people are having this same issue and it seems to relate to nvidia drivers maybe. I just don't know how to roll back if I can't get a picture anywhere.

 

[imrazor]

Looked up the manual for that motherboard, and it's supposed to have an HDMI and DisplayPort connectors for onboard video. I'd take a second look at the back of your PC and try connecting one of the onboard ports.

 

[igetexcited]

Looked up the manual for that motherboard, and it's supposed to have an HDMI and DisplayPort connectors for onboard video. I'd take a second look at the back of your PC and try connecting one of the onboard ports.

Sorry for the confusion. I tried the HDMI to my TV (monitor doesn't take hdmi). The other port is a display port, I don't think I have an adapter to get my monitor to fit that plug.

 

[imrazor]

Just to be clear, are you talking about the HDMI on your motherboard (not your video card)? If you can't at least see the BIOS screen with onboard video when powering up, something is amiss. It would be very strange for a botched Windows update to brick your motherboard.

Have you tried completely removing the video card, then trying to boot with onboard video? Do you at least get an MSI splash screen?

 

[igetexcited]

Just to be clear, are you talking about the HDMI on your motherboard (not your video card)? If you can't at least see the BIOS screen with onboard video when powering up, something is amiss. It would be very strange for a botched Windows update to brick your motherboard.

Have you tried completely removing the video card, then trying to boot with onboard video? Do you at least get an MSI splash screen?

Correct, the HDMI on the MB. I did have the HDMI on the MB going to my tv though, because I don't have an adapter.
Also, no MSI splash screen. You can see everything in the PC is on and lit up. I am going to have to find an adapter to try the onboard display port.

 

[imrazor]

In that case, I doubt the DisplayPort will work either. Can you tell from your monitor's power light if it's at least getting a signal? It's usually amber if it's on, but there's no signal. Can you see a flashing cursor in the upper left hand corner of the screen?

 

[igetexcited]

In that case, I doubt the DisplayPort will work either. Can you tell from your monitor's power light if it's at least getting a signal? It's usually amber if it's on, but there's no signal. Can you see a flashing cursor in the upper left hand corner of the screen?

It's getting power. The amber light is on by the power switch. I also plugged it into my old rig and it worked perfectly.

 

[imrazor]

In that case, I doubt the DisplayPort will work either. Can you tell from your monitor's power light if it's at least getting a signal? It's usually amber if it's on, but there's no signal. Can you see a flashing cursor in the upper left hand corner of the screen?

It's getting power. The amber light is on by the power switch. I also plugged it into my old rig and it worked perfectly.

It's beginning to sound like a motherboard failure. The fact that there is no video at all from the motherboard from either an onboard or PCIe graphics card is not a good sign. The blue screen might have been caused by some component on the mobo failing.

Usually if a system cannot display any BIOS info at all it will at least give an audible, beeping error code. Do you hear anything from the system shortly after you boot it up?

EDIT: Usually there's a jumper on your motherboard to reset your CMOS. Have you tried clearing/resetting your CMOS?

 

[igetexcited]

In that case, I doubt the DisplayPort will work either. Can you tell from your monitor's power light if it's at least getting a signal? It's usually amber if it's on, but there's no signal. Can you see a flashing cursor in the upper left hand corner of the screen?

It's getting power. The amber light is on by the power switch. I also plugged it into my old rig and it worked perfectly.

It's beginning to sound like a motherboard failure. The fact that there is no video at all from the motherboard from either an onboard or PCIe graphics card is not a good sign. The blue screen might have been caused by some component on the mobo failing.

Usually if a system cannot display any BIOS info at all it will at least give an audible, beeping error code. Do you hear anything from the system shortly after you boot it up?

EDIT: Usually there's a jumper on your motherboard to reset your CMOS. Have you tried clearing/resetting your CMOS?

I reset the cmos via the button on the back and also removed the battery. No beeps, it seems like its on because everything on the inside is spinning and lit up.

 

[imrazor]

Just to be sure, after resetting CMOS, you left the video card out of the PC and tried booting with onboard video, right? If so, I'm out of ideas. I'd go ahead and get in touch with MSI support, or just RMA the motherboard.

 

[igetexcited]

Just to be sure, after resetting CMOS, you left the video card out of the PC and tried booting with onboard video, right? If so, I'm out of ideas. I'd go ahead and get in touch with MSI support, or just RMA the motherboard.

Okay. I didn't have the video card out when I booted with onboard, thanks for that clarification. I'll try that and let you know. Thanks for all the advice also.

 

[igetexcited]

Just to be sure, after resetting CMOS, you left the video card out of the PC and tried booting with onboard video, right? If so, I'm out of ideas. I'd go ahead and get in touch with MSI support, or just RMA the motherboard.

Tried it again with the video card removed, still nothing. I guess I'll be reaching out to MSI tomorrow.

 

[imrazor]

Definitely give it a try. If I've missed any possibilities, someone will probably chime in on this thread.

 

[igetexcited]

Updating this in case anyone else comes along with this issue. I called MSI, the first thing he asked me was if I noticed the MSI updater updating the bios (this must be a regular issue). I said I wasn't sure. So there's a little switch on the MB that allows you to set it to bios 2 settings, basically another bios settings. I did that, booted in safe mode, rolled back, and now I'm working fine.

Now my only question is doing I want to try to uncorrupt the other bios settings myself, deal with it and work off these and hope it doesn't happen again, or send it back because its brand new and shouldn't have gotten corrupt with MSI's own updates.

 

[imrazor]

I find it really strange that MSI would deliver BIOS updates via Windows Update. I would think that it would be a process that you initiate manually. Great news though that you have a "backup" BIOS that let you boot.

I'm surprised that MSI didn't tell you how to put a valid BIOS over the corrupted one. If you look through your motherboard manual, there should be some instructions there on the correct process. Or if all else fails, call MSI again and explain what you want.

BIOS updates *do* fail from time to time. What surprises me is that it was an automated, unattended update. I know Microsoft is moving in that direction, but it's weird that a hardware manufacturer would...

 

[igetexcited]

I find it really strange that MSI would deliver BIOS updates via Windows Update. I would think that it would be a process that you initiate manually. Great news though that you have a "backup" BIOS that let you boot.

I'm surprised that MSI didn't tell you how to put a valid BIOS over the corrupted one. If you look through your motherboard manual, there should be some instructions there on the correct process. Or if all else fails, call MSI again and explain what you want.

BIOS updates *do* fail from time to time. What surprises me is that it was an automated, unattended update. I know Microsoft is moving in that direction, but it's weird that a hardware manufacturer would...

I just want to be clear in case anyone else has this issue. It wasn't via windows updates. MSI built in an app, the MIS updater. When you turn on the pc it ask you if you'd like to check for updates (kind of like windows updates) does. Then you select which updates you'd like to apply and press install. Since its all new, I selected all without reading thinking it could use any update available. Lets just say, next time I'll be paying attention to the updates I select.. I also disabled the MSI updater because I don't trust it now. Sorry for the confusion here.

I will also try calling them back again to see if they can give me instructions on restoring the other bios settings. Thanks for sticking with me and staying tuned, this was all a mess.

 

[popatim]

It should be in the manual, basically you boot up on bios 2 and while its running you flip the switch back to 1 and then update the bios. I never use the windows tools (but have done this many times using a bootbale flash drive) so I dont know for sure if the windows method is still the same or not.

As for Software updating the bios, its IS actually part of the UEFI spec. Theres an area the vendors can even install and run programs from. This is how the Lenovo superfish adware crap worked...