Solved ASUS Z170-A, red LED near southbridge on and crashing on boot

This is a new build and I have windows 7 freshly installed. There are 3 main issues im having

1. computer would get stuck and display a black screen after showing the ASUS logo and the red "Boot Device" LED below the southbridge would stay lit (normally the LED sequence would be CPU LED > RAM LED > PCIe LED > SB LED > then turn off and enter boot)
2. computer would crash while trying to boot into win 7 and come back with a request to go into windows startup repair. using startup repair would also crash the machine
3. the computer wouldn't recognize USB devices. i know win 7 doesn't have native support for USB 3, but the problem exists even when i plug it into the 2 USB 2.0 ports
4. i cannot flash the BIOS anymore, any version i try to load comes back with the message "selected file is not a proper BIOS"

i searched online and found CSM (compatability support module) could be the problem, but i've tried all 3 modes (auto, enabled, disabled) and yielded similar results

i also tried reinstalling win 7 on the same SSD, thinking it might be a bad install, but the problems continue

is there any way to flash an older BIOS onto the board?

parts:
6700k
ASUS Z170-A
Kingston 2x8 16GB 2133mhz

*the BIOS is updated to the latest version

please help =(

Hello chaos mate I don't know about going back a BIOS version but have you got the RAM sticks in the first to use slots? as some boards use 2&4 for the first two instead of the usual 1&3.

Now I don't know what you have setup in the BIOS as my Asus board in the Ivy Bridge had to have certain settings to run properly or whether you have the drivers for those USB ports installed correctly by that I mean from the Asus site not some other source.

So could you let us know if you have set anything in the BIOS yet??

first off, thank you for the reply!! i was desperate for some sort of response from anyone

yup, this is one of those boards, it uses the 2&4 DIMMS as defaults

i dont have anything set in the BIOS. i read on the web that the board's CSM (compatability support module) could be the problem, so i toggled the settings between the 3 available, but they all yielded pretty much the same results (crashing/failing to boot) or hanging and displaying the "Boot Device" LED, which according to the manual, means theres something wrong in that general section

i dont have any USB drivers installed yet, because i cant get far enough into windows to install them LOL

i know win 7 doesnt support USB 3 natively and so far ive been using the 2 USB 2.0 ports to do everything, but funny enough, even those ports wont pick up my external hard drive (thats where the drivers are). the drive is USB 3.0, but the drive is backwards compatible (right?)

i could try resetting the BIOS again and see if thats any different, but i highly doubt it (as ive done it before). also the BIOS isnt letting me update (or downgrade) it. im currently at the most recent ver, but any version i load, it says the "file isnt a proper BIOS". i upgraded my BIOS right after i unboxed it, and i think it might have just bricked it...

Ok mate if you have bricked the BIOS / board then you will not be able to get to the BIOS unless I am terribly mistaken. Now my Asus boards use F2 to get into the BIOS while powering up you just tap that key. Now you should end up seeing a screen something like in my pic it might not be exactly the same but very much like it. In there the Advanced settings are for overclocking setting the boot order the ACHI secure boot or not etc etc
There are lots of settings and they do take a bit of getting used to.

Your drivers are here Access Denied now how you get them updated is going to be a problem if the USB's are not working because I usually load them onto a stick and then run them from it - particularly the LAN and WLAN so that you can get onto the net.

Now you say you cannot get a proper BIOS so just where did you get the BIOS from?? it should have been from the link above - anywhere else is not an option - for me at least.

Anyway let us know if you do have the BIOS come up please.
.

To install Win 7 on a Z170:
On BIOS
- Set OS to other
- Disable fast boot
- Disable secure boot
- On CSM set boot to UEFI

To have USB support you have to add the drivers to the Win 7 installation disk. To do so, Asus provide a program to do it.
I fond a way to do it: Create a Windows 7 USB flash installation with new drives for new MB's

Hi,
Yep as far as I've noticed cms would only need to be enabled
Other setting except for uefi should be as Mega... has stated
Using uefi when os type is supposed to be other os seems to me to be a conflict ?

Did you use the asus tool to create the media
Access Denied

Was the hdd or ssd formatted as gpt or normal mbr ?
Hard Drive - GPT or MBR

If the led light is on look through your mother board manual for the error possibilities it applies too.
Flashing bios well that is in it's self a risky thing to do
I've never done that personally a tad too chicken

But MS has released some pretty weird updates that do not apply to any version except Ultimate and enterprise that did effect pro and home premium for a feature we can not even use.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3133977

Access Denied

ICIT2LOL said:

Ok mate if you have bricked the BIOS / board then you will not be able to get to the BIOS unless I am terribly mistaken. Now my Asus boards use F2 to get into the BIOS while powering up you just tap that key. Now you should end up seeing a screen something like in my pic it might not be exactly the same but very much like it. In there the Advanced settings are for overclocking setting the boot order the ACHI secure boot or not etc etc
There are lots of settings and they do take a bit of getting used to.

Your drivers are here Access Denied now how you get them updated is going to be a problem if the USB's are not working because I usually load them onto a stick and then run them from it - particularly the LAN and WLAN so that you can get onto the net.

Now you say you cannot get a proper BIOS so just where did you get the BIOS from?? it should have been from the link above - anywhere else is not an option - for me at least.

Anyway let us know if you do have the BIOS come up please.
.

Click to expand...

the BIOS comes up, but i cant upgrade or downgrade it. every version i load on my USB stick, including the current version will come back with "the selected file is not a proper BIOS!" when i try to flash it

i got the BIOS off the ASUS support website for the board (your link)

Megahertz07 said:

To install Win 7 on a Z170:
On BIOS
- Set OS to other
- Disable fast boot
- Disable secure boot
- On CSM set boot to UEFI

To have USB support you have to add the drivers to the Win 7 installation disk. To do so, Asus provide a program to do it.
I fond a way to do it: Create a Windows 7 USB flash installation with new drives for new MB's

Click to expand...

win 7 is already installed on the SSD, i used a legit disc and a DVD drive. i know win 7 doesnt support USB 3.0 natively. you would only need the USB drivers preloaded if you plan to use USB to install win 7 right?

i disabled fast boot but i cant disable secure boot. it only gives me an option to change the OS type (windows UEFI mode OR other OS). it has been on "other OS" the whole time

for CSM, here are the current settings (in bold)
Launch CSM.......................................(Auto, Enabled, Disabled)
Boot Device Control.............................(UEFI and Legacy OPROM, Legacy OPROM only, UEFI Only)
Boot from Network Devices...................(Ignore, Legacy Only)
Boot from Storage Devices....................(Ignore, Legacy Only, UEFI Driver first)
Boot from PCIe/PCI Expansion Devices....(Legacy Only, UEFI driver first)

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
Yep as far as I've noticed cms would only need to be enabled
Other setting except for uefi should be as Mega... has stated
Using uefi when os type is supposed to be other os seems to me to be a conflict ?

Did you use the asus tool to create the media
Access Denied

Was the hdd or ssd formatted as gpt or normal mbr ?
Hard Drive - GPT or MBR

If the led light is on look through your mother board manual for the error possibilities it applies too.
Flashing bios well that is in it's self a risky thing to do
I've never done that personally a tad too chicken

But MS has released some pretty weird updates that do not apply to any version except Ultimate and enterprise that did effect pro and home premium for a feature we can not even use.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3133977

Access Denied

Click to expand...

the OS type for secure boot was always set as "Other OS"

umm..... but everyone else said to disabled CSM

no, i didnt use the asus tool, i used a legit win 7 disc and a DVD drive

the SSD was formatted using the win 7 installer

the manual doesnt provide much info on why hte LED is on, is just says te LED will turn off when hte problem is solved

Ok mate do as megahertz and TZ have said to set in the BIOS any drivers mate you need to get from the Asus site because unless I am reading it wrong you are relying on Windows to install the drivers.
If you have access to another machine then download those drivers to a stick and just try installing from it it might just be that the ports may work doing it like that anyway that is what I would try.

Now the hard drive is that listed as GPT disk or a plain MBR one??

chaosrealm93 said:

win 7 is already installed on the SSD, i used a legit disc and a DVD drive. i know win 7 doesnt support USB 3.0 natively. you would only need the USB drivers preloaded if you plan to use USB to install win 7 right?

i disabled fast boot but i cant disable secure boot. it only gives me an option to change the OS type (windows UEFI mode OR other OS). it has been on "other OS" the whole time

for CSM, here are the current settings (in bold)
Launch CSM.......................................(Auto, Enabled, Disabled)
Boot Device Control.............................(UEFI and Legacy OPROM, Legacy OPROM only, UEFI Only)
Boot from Network Devices...................(Ignore, Legacy Only)
Boot from Storage Devices....................(Ignore, Legacy Only, UEFI Driver first)
Boot from PCIe/PCI Expansion Devices....(Legacy Only, UEFI driver first)

Click to expand...

USB - The USB 2.0 are from the Z170, and in my case, they also needed the drivers to work. Suppose you install Win 7 with the DVD without the USB drives using only the keyboard. When you finish the installation, you wont have mouse. Put the Asus disk and, with the keyboard, navigate to the disk and install all drives.

OS type Windows UEFI = Secure boot, so if OS type = Other, secure boot is disabled.

for CSM, here are the current settings (in bold)
Launch CSM.......................................(Auto, Enabled, Disabled)
Boot Device Control.............................(UEFI and Legacy OPROM, Legacy OPROM only, UEFI Only)
Boot from Network Devices...................(Ignore, Legacy Only)
Boot from Storage Devices....................(Ignore, Legacy Only, UEFI Driver first)
Boot from PCIe/PCI Expansion Devices....(Legacy Only, UEFI driver first)

Boot from the Win 7 installation disk ON UEFI MODE (important).
Go to Install - advanced - delete all partitions - Create new - Win 7 will create 3 partitions
- 100 M Fat 32 - UEFI
- 120 M RAW - MSR
- a large NTFS
Install on the large NTFS

Hi,
Now that I think about it @Solarstarshines had so much fun he had to go with a AsRock board
My SkyLake 6700k Journey

Megahertz07 said:

chaosrealm93 said:

win 7 is already installed on the SSD, i used a legit disc and a DVD drive. i know win 7 doesnt support USB 3.0 natively. you would only need the USB drivers preloaded if you plan to use USB to install win 7 right?

i disabled fast boot but i cant disable secure boot. it only gives me an option to change the OS type (windows UEFI mode OR other OS). it has been on "other OS" the whole time

for CSM, here are the current settings (in bold)
Launch CSM.......................................(Auto, Enabled, Disabled)
Boot Device Control.............................(UEFI and Legacy OPROM, Legacy OPROM only, UEFI Only)
Boot from Network Devices...................(Ignore, Legacy Only)
Boot from Storage Devices....................(Ignore, Legacy Only, UEFI Driver first)
Boot from PCIe/PCI Expansion Devices....(Legacy Only, UEFI driver first)

Click to expand...

USB - The USB 2.0 are from the Z170, and in my case, they also needed the drivers to work. Suppose you install Win 7 with the DVD without the USB drives using only the keyboard. When you finish the installation, you wont have mouse. Put the Asus disk and, with the keyboard, navigate to the disk and install all drives.

OS type Windows UEFI = Secure boot, so if OS type = Other, secure boot is disabled.

for CSM, here are the current settings (in bold)
Launch CSM.......................................(Auto, Enabled, Disabled)
Boot Device Control.............................(UEFI and Legacy OPROM, Legacy OPROM only, UEFI Only)
Boot from Network Devices...................(Ignore, Legacy Only)
Boot from Storage Devices....................(Ignore, Legacy Only, UEFI Driver first)
Boot from PCIe/PCI Expansion Devices....(Legacy Only, UEFI driver first)

Boot from the Win 7 installation disk ON UEFI MODE (important).
Go to Install - advanced - delete all partitions - Create new - Win 7 will create 3 partitions
- 100 M Fat 32 - UEFI
- 120 M RAW - MSR
- a large NTFS
Install on the large NTFS

Click to expand...

but i had both mouse and keyboard when i could still get into win 7..... THATS the confusing thing, its only when i try to plug in my external USB 3.0 HDD into the USB 2.0 ports to install the drivers that it wouldnt recognize the drive

i just tried those settings btw and still couldnt get in. i already reinstalled win 7 once and i deleted all other partitions until only the "next" button appeared on bottom of the dialog box

If you pluged in the external USB 3.0 HDD into the USB 2.0 ports to install the drivers and it didn't recognize the drive, it's because you didn't have the USB driver.
Did you open the Device Manager to see if all drivers were installed?
Put the Asus disk that came with the MB and install all drivers.

but you dont need drivers to use USB 2.0.......

isnt it common knowledge not to use to outdated drivers that comes on the disk?

The USB2.0 are from the Z170 chipset and you need the driver.
Put the Asus disk that came with the MB and install all drivers.
Then open the Device Manager to see if all drivers were installed.
Then you can update all drivers you downloaded.

ok, just tried to reinstall win 7 yet again, this time with the ASUS tool that preloads the USB drivers. but upon reboot, the same thing happens, it goes into a black screen and stays there......

Hi,
Are you using a wireless keyboard and mouse or something ??

Have you ever made it into setup with I believe F1 or F2 ?

Now mate in my experience the software that comes with the board is more than likely to be outdated when you buy the board always best to go to the Asus site for the board and get them - the latest. Access Denied

Now if the machine is not able to boot or work properly at all what I do is access the site on another machine and download the drivers onto a stick that way if you can get it to boot then you can at least install from the USB - if the KB and mouse are working in a port then utilise one of them - double adaptor for both those devices.

In all honesty I have USB ports on my machines and truly I cannot say that they are any quicker than the 2.0 USB ones. Plus if you can access the drives albeit they are 2.0 ones it is better than nothing at all.

I stand to be corrected on anything I have suggested of course.

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
Are you using a wireless keyboard and mouse or something ??

Have you ever made it into setup with I believe F1 or F2 ?

Click to expand...

nope, wired USB mouse and keyboard and yes, i can make it into setup/BIOS with F2