Question MSI Z97 Gaming 5 Motherboard: Is JBAT1 Blue LED Error Fixable?

Mar 27, 2020
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TL;DR:

Computer has issue. I did the fix that the manual says will fix this problem. That fix in fact does not work. Help



THE ISSUE:

I was in the middle of using my computer a few days ago (playing games) when the computer suddenly turned off as if power had been cut (electricity was still on). This problem has never happened before and my computer has been running smoothly for years, so this is an odd occurrence. Upon trying to start up, the system VERY briefly turns on (fans start spinning for a fraction of a second) before turning back off again. If I hold the power long enough, the led next to the motherboard battery titled JBAT1 lights up as shown.

View: https://youtu.be/uB2Sdy0FqsI


The manual can be found on the MSI website here. Now, on page 1-27 of the English section states that this LED indicates that I need to 'Clear CMOS Jumper" (whatever that means). So, I tried multiple times to reset the CMOS jumper according to their directions. I used not only one of those cap connector things that the manual says to use but also a flathead screwdriver as some others recommended online. I tried to reset it about 10 times to no avail. For each reset I left the pins connected for a minimum of 5 seconds, a couple times I tried to reset it for up to 30 seconds. I tried to reset it with both the battery present and removed.



Other fixes I have tried:

Removing ram sticks to check integrity of ram (as suggested in another forum), both sticks of ram are not the source of the issue.

Replacing the power supply. The issue persists no matter what power supply/cables i use.

I have tried replacing the circular motherboard battery with 3 different batteries, same result with all 3.

I'm hoping that the motherboard itself isn't the source of the issue, because it's still operational enough to communicate an error LED.



PLEASE somebody smarter than me help find a solution to this. Not being able to play games while quarantined is driving me insane. If you need any additional information just ask.