System won't boot unless CMOS is cleared first

[Mike486DX]

I picked up a used motherboard on ebay, it's an Asus P7H55-M/USB3. I'm currently using it with my old hard drive that had Win 7 installed already, I needed a new board because I killed the last one with a bad BIOS flash. Was surprised Windows worked with a new board, but when I can get it to boot, it's functional!

I have a problem, I don't know if it's a bad board or if I'm missing something obvious.

The Asus/AMI splash screen loads up, then...nothing happens. Unresponsive to keystrokes, can't enter BIOS, won't attempt boot from HDD. Reports the memory is fine, then just stays there.

However if I clear the CMOS, it will prompt me upon startup to either enter the BIOS or use presets. Both of these options work fine, I can enter the BIOS, change settings then save and exit, but then it gets stuck at the splash screen again. If I choose to use the BIOS presets, Windows will boot and all is dandy.

...until I restart or switch off the system, then the next time I power up, gets stuck on the splash again.

- CMOS battery is fine, bought a brand new one and it made no difference.

- Have tried the old tricks, one stick of RAM, no USB or peripherals attached, even tried with no HDD.

- Flashed an official BIOS update (with some trepidation) the flash worked fine, but the original problem persists.

PSU is nearly new, plenty powerful enough (780w) - and was working just fine with my old build a few weeks ago.

Can anybody shed some light on my problem?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Paul NZ]

You could have used crashfree BIOS if the old mobo was an ASUS as well

If you installed a hdd from an old system and put it in this one without doing a clean install you can and will have probs

 

[Mike486DX]

I expected that too, but it's working fine with the CMOS cleared...makes me think there's a BIOS setting I need to change.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Probably a defective board or corrupted BIOS.

 

[gofasterstripes]

Hey, Mike.

Hold your horses, dude. When you do a CMOS reset you force the machine to do a different sort of bootup routine to any other. It therefore may be a setting you can modify.

I have seen similar issues in the past, usually caused by low batteries or some glitch with the PSU.

Meanwhile, watch this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gl31EBZNNk
and hang on while I dig through the manual for you.

 

[gofasterstripes]

OK, first thoughts..

1 - Does it do it with the machine assembled on a desk, as opposed to the case?
2 - Can you try another PSU?
3 - What is the state of the green motherboard light before, during and after the issue?

 

[gofasterstripes]

Also - have you cleared the RTC RAM? Try this, also try it in combination with the reset.
- If there's any push-button switches, like reset or the CLRRTC, with the power off, toggle them a few times and ensure you release them on the last press by gently letting your finger slip off so they spring up quite hard.
- Remove your power and reset connections, they were giving you trouble before and you can access their function with a screwdriver/short

 

[gofasterstripes]

Do you have the CLRCMOS jumper in position 1-2 for normal operation? NOT open, but on 1-2 as opposed to 2-3 for clearing it.

Check your IDE Detect timeout value. [2.3.5 Storage Configuration]

OKAY there's also a million other settings that will need checking, like maybe the Auto function is messing up the settings for the RAM etc and you'll need to enter this by hand to get a stable boot. We'll cover this if necessary later.

One last one - you ARE loading fail-safe values after a CMOS reset, aren't you?

 

[Mike486DX]

Hey, Mike.

Hold your horses, dude. When you do a CMOS reset you force the machine to do a different sort of bootup routine to any other. It therefore may be a setting you can modify.

That's the most reassuring thing thus far, it will boot, but only if I reset CMOS - making me think its some kind of failsafe setting which is temporarily ironing out my error.

1 - Does it do it with the machine assembled on a desk, as opposed to the case?
2 - Can you try another PSU?
3 - What is the state of the green motherboard light before, during and after the issue?

1 - I'll try that next, going to strip it all out this afternoon.

2 - The only other one I have access to is my old 300w which is 4 years old, was working a few months ago but will certainly have degraded capacitors. Will give it a shot when I do the non-case build.

3 - Green mobo light constantly on throughout all outcomes.

Also - have you cleared the RTC RAM? Try this, also try it in combination with the reset.
- If there's any push-button switches, like reset or the CLRRTC, with the power off, toggle them a few times and ensure you release them on the last press by gently letting your finger slip off so they spring up quite hard.
- Remove your power and reset connections, they were giving you trouble before and you can access their function with a screwdriver/short

- Haven't tried to clear the RTC RAM. This is a process that is new to me, allow me to Google.

- There aren't any push button switches, only the clear BIOS jumper. I've not been using that though, just removing the battery, disconnecting the mains and letting the system attempt to power up by hitting the on switch, thus draining all the onboard capacitors and clearing the CMOS.

- Screwdriver short yields same as using the wired button.

Do you have the CLRCMOS jumper in position 1-2 for normal operation? NOT open, but on 1-2 as opposed to 2-3 for clearing it.

Check your IDE Detect timeout value. [2.3.5 Storage Configuration]

OKAY there's also a million other settings that will need checking, like maybe the Auto function is messing up the settings for the RAM etc and you'll need to enter this by hand to get a stable boot. We'll cover this if necessary later.

One last one - you ARE loading fail-safe values after a CMOS reset, aren't you?

CLRCMOS is on 1-2, I double checked this earlier, like I said I've been clearing CMOS with the battery. I know it works because it forgets the date every time I do it.

IDE Timeout was set to 35 seconds, I've tried the other settings (0, 10 and 20 secs) with no new results

I've posted some BIOS settings beneath, mostly the ones I don't understand that may or may not be relevant (i.e. IRQ settings as I've heard an IRQ conflict can do things like this)

As for the failsafe, that's not an option in my BIOS. I only have 'default' settings or customised, the default settings cause the same lack of boot after I exit the BIOS.

Thanks man, you're a prince!

 

[Mike486DX]

 

[gofasterstripes]

Leave the RAM alone for now.
Try these settings:
CPU Ratio:21
C1E - off
virtuaization - off
execute disable - off
speedstep - off
turbo - off
cstep - off
hda - off
realtek lan off
serial port off, parallel port off

if your hdd is plugged into a SATA as opposed to SATA_6G port, then try turning the Marvell controller off.

 

[Mike486DX]

Leave the RAM alone for now.
Try these settings:
CPU Ratio:21
C1E - off
virtuaization - off
execute disable - off
speedstep - off
turbo - off
cstep - off
hda - off
realtek lan off
serial port off, parallel port off

if your hdd is plugged into a SATA as opposed to SATA_6G port, then try turning the Marvell controller off.

By the beard of Dennis Ritchie, it appears to have worked!

BRB, going to restart a few times...

 

[Mike486DX]

Problem solved, as per your telephone advice I'll re-enable the individual groups and find the culprit - my money's on the Marvell controller as I am indeed using SATA and not SATA-6G.

 

[CaptnCanary]

Hi Mike. I know this was a while ago but I have a very similar problem on an Asus M4A79T mobo. Just to be clear, when you his 'save and exit' in the BIOS, did the power to the PC immediately cut out? And then when powering up you just get fast spinning fans and no post? And changing some BIOS settings before hitting save and exit resolved it? That's the problem I have after a BIOS flash that appeared to go fine.
Really appreciate if you can let me know.