[SOLVED] System POSTed into safe mode (after replacing motherboard)

Sep 10, 2021
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I recently changed my motherboard due to my old one stopping working. I got it a few days ago and put everything I had on my old motherboard over to my new (CPU, GPU, RAM + 1x M.2 SSD + 1x SSD), I had windows on my old M.2 SSD fully set up but when I try to boot the PC with the new motherboard I only get the message: "System has POSTed into safe mode"

I can get into the UEFI but not further, first time I booted I tried changing the Intel Rapid Store to "ON" seeing as I used that on my old computer, but after getting this message I went in and reset all settings, which didn't help. I also tried booting with optimal settings.

I cannot post links here but it's a black screen with the message:
"The system has POSTed in safe mode. This may be due to the previous POST attempt failing because of system instability, or if the power button was held in to force the system off. If the system failed to POST after you made changes to UEFI settings, you may wish to revert to stable settings to prevent POST failure. Press F1 to Run SETUP"
 
Sep 10, 2021
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New motherboard + old OS + problems = fresh OS install.

Can you boot from a WIn 10 install USB?
Ok so that did seem to do the trick, I managed to boot and it started, but now my question is;

Am I able to use all of my old Windows settings, keep all my files, etc using the new installation of Windows from the USB

- OR -

Can I use the installation tool to "activate" or "locate" the old windows and just directly use that?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Ok so that did seem to do the trick, I managed to boot and it started, but now my question is;

Am I able to use all of my old Windows settings, keep all my files, etc using the new installation of Windows from the USB

- OR -

Can I use the installation tool to "activate" or "locate" the old windows and just directly use that?
  1. No. You'll be doing a full wipe and reinstall. This includes applications, drivers, etc.
  2. No.

Is there any critical personal files on that drive? They too would be wiped out in this process.
If there are, consider doing this fresh install on a whole different drive. You can access the old files (not OS or applications) later for retrieval.

But also, take this as a wake up to always have a known good backup. Your personal data should never be at the mercy of a single drive.
And for ANY major upgrade, hardware or software...backup before you start. Many things can go wrong,a s you see here.


 
Sep 10, 2021
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  1. No. You'll be doing a full wipe and reinstall. This includes applications, drivers, etc.
  2. No.
Is there any critical personal files on that drive? They too would be wiped out in this process.
If there are, consider doing this fresh install on a whole different drive. You can access the old files (not OS or applications) later for retrieval.

But also, take this as a wake up to always have a known good backup. Your personal data should never be at the mercy of a single drive.
And for ANY major upgrade, hardware or software...backup before you start. Many things can go wrong,a s you see here.


Apparently I just put the M.2 device in the wrong slot, as my CPU doesn't support PCIe 4.0 I swapped to a PCIe 3.0 so it turned on, when booting I still get the message "The system has POSTed in safe mode", with the additional "M_2_2 slot found, change settings in BIOS so that motherboard can detect it. So I did..

I managed to turn it on, and get into my old OS install on the disk, everything works fine, but when turning on and off, it still sometimes boots into the "The system has POSTed in safe mode". Will re-installing windows fix that? Seeing as I am now able to load the M.2 and get into the OS it seems like there is rather something wrong with the BIOS configuration or the hardware components themselves. I'd say every 1/3 time it boots into OS, 2/3 times it boots into "System has POSTed" screen.
 
Sep 10, 2021
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In the user manual, what does it say for "The system has POSTed in safe mode". ?

What are all the parts in this system? Make/model please.
  • ASUS ROG Strix Z590-F GAMING motherboard
  • Intel Core i9-10850K processor
  • 4 x HyperX Fury DDR4 2666MHz 8GB RAM
  • Kingston A2000 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD
  • GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GAMING X 8G LHR
 
Sep 10, 2021
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So an update; every time I restart (and boot up again), I get the POSTed message. I then enter the BIOS and select the M.2 drive I want to boot from (boot override) and it boots normally. I have tried a few times now and it happens EVERY time.
 
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Sep 10, 2021
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Update #2; The computer suddenly restarted by itself which is weird, the same thing happened where I had to go into the BIOS and select the boot override again which I did. Now when I have logged in, my windows toolbar keeps flashing (as if its loading in again and again), my background is missing and I can't click anything (as if windows is loading itself in repeatedly).

EDIT: Seems like a common problem, kinda like this but I'm unable to access anything:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...-taskbar/90cd8fe5-5270-4b8d-846c-15b517ffbb7a
 
Sep 10, 2021
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I did a fresh install of Windows, same thing keeps happening. Whenever I restart I get sent to the POSTed text, where I have to click F1 to enter the BIOS and boot override into my M.2.

EDIT: Every time I boot the motherboard is consistently showing an orange light, then for a moment blinks red, before it goes back to orange (this keeps happening until I enter the POSTed text page)
 
Sep 10, 2021
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So if you do the boot override, it eventually boots up into a new Windows install?
Same thing as before, boots up into the "POSTed" screen, I need to press F1 to go into BIOS and then select the drive I want to boot from, nothing changed. I only have one storage unit connected, which is the M.2, but I still have to go to the BIOS and manually override / click the drive I want to boot from, after which I do, it boots up into my fresh installed windows.
 
Sep 10, 2021
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Update;

Nothing really changed when installing the fresh copy of Windows. When I actually got into the OS now, the screen now longer froze or glitched out (the OS stuck in a boot-up loop) as described in an earlier reply, but I still get the message when initially booting up the computer (as with the CPU/VRAM lights, they seem to be stuck on a cycle of CPU light blinking red once, then the VRAM orange light staying on for the rest of the cycle, this cycle happens around 3-4 times before the PC boots up into the "POSTed" screen.
 
Sep 10, 2021
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Then this would seem to be a hardware problem.

memtest86, running your RAM sticks individually, in each slot.
Done with the memtest, or so I think?

I tested 3/4, with 0 cumulative errors. When I got to 90% passed and 20% on test on the fourth it stopped, and the State is marked as | D | D | D | D... etc .., the timer has stopped and it doesn't seem to be testing anything anymore.
 
Sep 10, 2021
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The only acceptable result from memtest is Zero faults.
Anything else, there is a problem.
It's just frozen on this, I did try to search what it meant and everything I found pointed to it NOT being an error, but yeah so this means I need to try to re-seat my RAM, or boot with only some sticks active?
(can't seem to post photos or links directly so..)
gyazo(dot)com
(slash)b0922a4373f25d1ad73771fbb34c947d
 
Sep 10, 2021
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To post a pic, upload it to imgur and post the link here.

For your RAM....test 1 stick at a time.
Then cycle that same stick through each slot and test again.
Repeat with the other sticks.
Ok so after thorough investigation I figured out the second ram slot on the MOTHERBOARD is the cause. I have somehow, after returning my previous completely bricked motherboard, managed to get yet ANOTHER mb where there's something wrong, gonna be hard to explain to the retailers.. Anyways, are there any reason why my second motherboard RAM slot might not be working properly? I have read alot about crossing wires, wires touching the backside of the mb, etc, and made very clean review of where all the cables are positioned, etc.

- Also just to note, this is my third build of my own, I have been a part of several builds where I have build for other people, and I am that not new to this, so yes I didn't get apple juice in the RAM slot.


EDIT;
Also just to be clear, the computer starts normally when using all other ram slots than 2, I did the thing where I moved around the different ram sticks, and tried different ram sticks in the second slot aswell. I am now 100% sure this is where the fault lies.