Question Why does this GigaByte A320M-S2H not show a POST screen, but boots from Hiren's Boot USB?

[DigitalDweeb]

Hi Peeps,

I've looked at this:
https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...-even-after-cmos-reset.3728985/#post-22484727

and this:

Computer does not POST (no beep), No Video, Tried everything!

Hi, before I start, here are my computer specs: Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD3R CPU: Intel i5-750 RAM: OCZ PC3-12800 Obsidian 4GB Dual Channel Kit PSU: OCZ 500 Watt Video Card: GIGABYTE GV-R455D3-512I OS: Windows 7 64-bit I built this system about 1.5 years ago and it hasn't had any...

forums.tomshardware.com

but I am still scratching my head.

Hardware:
Motherboard: GigaByte A320M-S2H
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1400 quad core 3.2GHz 3.4GHz 8MB YD1400BBM4KAE AM4
Memory: 32GB, 2 sticks of G.Skill DDR4-3200
Main Drive: 500GB Western Digital Blue M2

Boots fine into Hiren/Windows. Can access Internet, etc.
Formatted the M2 500GB as NTFS. (No O/S yet.)

No POST screen or bootup beeps.

Does anyone know a fix for this, so I can see the POST screen
and get this thing working normally?

Thanks for any pointers that you may have.

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Your specs are incomplete, what is the make and model of your PSU(and it's age) and the make and model of the PSU?

Where did you source the installer for your OS? Might want to try and recreate your bootable USB installer for Windows 11 and populate one of the rear USB ports on the motherboard.

so I can see the POST screen
Have you tried clearing the CMOS?

 

[TerryLaze]

No POST screen or bootup beeps.

Does it beep when booting into hirens? If it doesn't it might not have a beeper at all.
Go into the bios and check for a setting called initialize (pci) first, or primary display like in the pic, or something similar.
The POST will only be shown on the display that is set as first, whatever you have connected your display to is not set as the first device which means that it will only get activated once windows is already loaded (or any OS/app that will activate the secondary display)

 

[DigitalDweeb]

Thanks for your replies, @TerryLaze and @Lutfij.

It's been a while since I've had a chance to dink around with this
"new" computer.

I guess I wasn't clear last time, but I can't even get to the BIOS to
to set which drive it's supposed to boot from.

Last time I mentioned that if I plug in my Hiren's Boot USB, it will
boot and it looks like the hardware is all working fine except for
showing a POST screen or allowing me to get into the BIOS.

I tried a bunch of other Boot-USB distros, but none worked until
I got NomadBSD to work. In fact, it let me format and install
NomadBSD onto the main drive (500GB Western Digital Blue M2).

It will boot from NomadBSD on the main drive now too. But I still can't
see the POST screen or get into the CMOS/BIOS.

I was using my trusty old VGA test monitor for all this. I was thinking
that perhaps the motherboard was preferring the DVI video port as
a default. So, I bought a DVI cable and hooked it up to my
test monitor. The picture is a little clearer, but still no POST or
BIOS/CMOS.

I've looked, but still haven't found a program that might be run after
the system is booted in order to access the BIOS/CMOS via the operating
system. I know I can get Hiren's/WindowsPE or NomadBSD to work.
Any ideas of a program that will work with Windows or BSD?

And just to be perfectly clear, I am using an old, reliable PCI video
card that has both VGA and DVI outputs.

I tried the DVI port on the motherboard, but got nothing at all on
the monitor.

Also, as suggested, I cleared out the CMOS by removing the battery,
then shorting the 2 battery terminals for a few seconds, then reinstalling
the battery.

Any other ideas?