Solved ASUS Z170-A boot problems

[chaosrealm93]

guys,

disclaimer; i've posted about these problems separately in this forum before, thinking i could get better results by isolating and posting the problems separately. this is the grand summation of everything i tried and got

build
-----
i7 6700k
ASUS Z170-A
Kingston 2.8 16GB 2133mhz
Sandisk Ultra II 480 GB

problem: i cannot restart / get into windows

stuff i did:
0. first off, this is my second mobo. i had a prior Z170-A that had the same issues. thinking it was a bad mobo, i exchanged the board for a new one (this one i'm posting about now)

0.1 i disabled fast boot & secure boot, use AHCI (not SATA) and set the CSM settings in BIOS as recommended by "Megahertz07" in another thread. i'm not gonna post all that here, this is already long enough. (thank you for your wisdom and guidance btw). as for the hard drive being GPT or MBR, i don't know, its whatever windows formats it to be when you install, as i have not changed any settings

0.2 the SSD is plugged into the recommended SATA port marked "SATA_3" and is the only SATA device connected (yes, not even the DVD is connected, as is recommended by other forum members)

1. i created and installed win 7 + USB drivers using the ASUS tool on the website

2. *i also tried just installing win 7 via a legit DVD before (no USB drivers), thinking USB 3.0 drivers wouldn't be needed, but the same problems arose

3. the install goes well

4. i get into win 7 for the first time (name the comp, set password etc)

4.1 *ive installed win 7 in various flavors (with and without USB 3.0 drivers, via DVD and USB) multiple times already and maybe just maybe, its lacking SATA drivers so it cant restart properly, i do step 5

5. the system now has USB 3.0 drivers, so i plug my external USB 3.0 HDD to install LAN drivers, in order to install .NET Framework 4.6.2 because the intel AHCI/RAID and Rapid Storage Technology drivers require it before the AHCI/RAID drivers can be installed

6. i install the AHCI/RAID drivers and it requires a restart

7. *heres where the problems start*

8. i restart and the computer doesn't even show the ASUS logo/POST and i'm treated to a black screen that lasts forever. the longest i've timed it for was 15 minutes and thats when i lost patience and stopped counting

9. i pull the plug and "restart" it that way. upon restart, i get a prompt to use Windows Startup Repair or Start Normally, neither really works. windows startup repair either freezes and or tells me there is nothing wrong and start normally sometimes crashes

thats all i got.

*this is crazy, but maybe its not displaying through the DVI but VGA port instead? maybe thats why i'm not seeing anything? but everything up till now was shown through DVI...... maybe i'm going crazy x.x

**or is this a SSD/HDD issue. ive already tried replacing the board....

***call me crazy, but is this the intentional crippling of win 7 in order to force you onto win 10?

****ASUS just released a new SATA driver on the 15th, will *that* fix things?

sorry for being a pain in the *** and the long read, but please do help. i really don't want to see $1700 in parts go down like this ='(

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Just my small two cents worth chaos mate I think it should be that Windows will set up the GPT if not then it is just a matter of doing that yourself. I do that with Partition Wizard t is so easy.

But as for the thing not booting I would try a reinstall mate I know it is pain but looks like you may be better off just trying that again. Just out of interest what media are you using??

 

[chaosrealm93]

Just my small two cents worth chaos mate I think it should be that Windows will set up the GPT if not then it is just a matter of doing that yourself. I do that with Partition Wizard t is so easy.

But as for the thing not booting I would try a reinstall mate I know it is pain but looks like you may be better off just trying that again. Just out of interest what media are you using??

i just checked, the drive is formatted as GPT

this current install is done with the (win 7 + USB 3.0 drivers combo) via USB, made with the ASUS tool

 

[AddRAM]

If you install using the UEFI bios to a unallocated drive, you will end up with a GPT disk.

If you install in Legacy mode to a unallocated drive, you will end up with a MBR disk.

I always install in Legacy mode on a MBR drive, I see no advantages of UEFI, that`s just me.

2 things I noticed, your ssd should be plugged into sata port #1 not sata port #3

And you do not need a password, they do more harm then good, especially on a new install because you have to reboot so many times.

Just use the motherboard disc, install all the drivers on that disc, it`s not that old and you can check for newer drivers later.

Once that`s done install all the security updates and that`s it. Get back to us when that`s done.

 

[Megahertz07]

I've have being installing Win 7 as UEFI - GPT since 2011 without any problems. Just have to set BIOS properly.
I have a Z170 MB with 128G SSD and 1T HDD. Both them GPT and working very well.

As you said that every thing was going well till you installed the SATA/RAID drivers, I would say it is a SSD (Sandisk Ultra II) issue.

Do you have a HDD to try on in place of the SSD?

 

[chaosrealm93]

If you install using the UEFI bios to a unallocated drive, you will end up with a GPT disk.

If you install in Legacy mode to a unallocated drive, you will end up with a MBR disk.

I always install in Legacy mode on a MBR drive, I see no advantages of UEFI, that`s just me.

2 things I noticed, your ssd should be plugged into sata port #1 not sata port #3

And you do not need a password, they do more harm then good, especially on a new install because you have to reboot so many times.

Just use the motherboard disc, install all the drivers on that disc, it`s not that old and you can check for newer drivers later.

Once that`s done install all the security updates and that`s it. Get back to us when that`s done.

installing BIOS to a drive?...... am i reading that wrong or do you mean OS?

yes i know, but the manual says that SATA_1 and SATA_2 and the Sata Express ports are shared with the M.2 slot and the mobo has a little sticker that labels SATA_3 as the "OS Drive". i tried plugging it into SATA_1 and its the same story

i dont have a password

i'll try using the mobo disc

 

[chaosrealm93]

I've have being installing Win 7 as UEFI - GPT since 2011 without any problems. Just have to set BIOS properly.
I have a Z170 MB with 128G SSD and 1T HDD. Both them GPT and working very well.

As you said that every thing was going well till you installed the SATA/RAID drivers, I would say it is a SSD (Sandisk Ultra II) issue.

Do you have a HDD to try on in place of the SSD?

no actually i had the same problems when i DIDNT install the SATA drivers. at first i only had win 7 installed using DVD without USB drivers. then the problem came up and i installed little bits at a time, hoping that would fix it

 

[chaosrealm93]

If you install using the UEFI bios to a unallocated drive, you will end up with a GPT disk.

If you install in Legacy mode to a unallocated drive, you will end up with a MBR disk.

I always install in Legacy mode on a MBR drive, I see no advantages of UEFI, that`s just me.

2 things I noticed, your ssd should be plugged into sata port #1 not sata port #3

And you do not need a password, they do more harm then good, especially on a new install because you have to reboot so many times.

Just use the motherboard disc, install all the drivers on that disc, it`s not that old and you can check for newer drivers later.

Once that`s done install all the security updates and that`s it. Get back to us when that`s done.

i just tried installing all the drivers on the mobo disc and it still wouldn't restart properly

 

[matfx]

I have installed Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit on my Asus H110m-D without any problem.

The only problem i'm facing is the driver for multimedia card reader driver. I have search all kind of drivers available on the net, finally the realtek site one solved my problem. If i don't install the mmc driver the pc won't restart properly. Windows 8.1/10 comes with the driver by default but not Windows 7, which is a bit strange.

I think there must be some missing driver on your mobo which prevent the pc restart properly.

 

[chaosrealm93]

thats odd to hear

but i already installed all the drivers and it STILL wont restart properly....

 

[Megahertz07]

- Check your BIOS settings
- Boot from the installation disk - Repair - CMD: Type chkdsk c: /r

 

[AddRAM]

Seems like your problem starts at step 6 , as you`ve metioned. So do not install those drivers, windows already has them.

 

[chaosrealm93]

- Check your BIOS settings
- Boot from the installation disk - Repair - CMD: Type chkdsk c: /r

Mehahertz07 no need anymore

Seems like your problem starts at step 6 , as you`ve metioned. So do not install those drivers, windows already has them.

AddRAM yes and no. honestly windows shouldnt need SATA drivers to do a basic boot. the standard is generic


thank you both (and everyone else) for sticking with me till the bitter end. after spending 3 hrs on the phone with the ASUS tech support, we've finally nailed it down to bad BIOS files.

the latest version (2202) that appears as the "latest" download bricks something and makes it so you can only shutdown, not restart. according to the A+ certified tech (Allan), upon restart "the BIOS fails to hand over controls to the OS and therefore cannot load properly and the southbridge light remains on indicating this". Allan was a real sport and a pleasure to talk to and stuck with me to the end, running counter to official company policy of keeping the calls as short as possible.

the actual latest BIOS version, not listed officially (3007) fixes this. even the BIOS that came from the factory (1902) has this problem. this almost led me to suspect i had *another* broken board.... however common sense and a little judgement got me through, the likelihood of two new boards being "broken" in the same way is quite low

 

[ICIT2LOL]

the actual latest BIOS version, not listed officially (3007) fixes this. even the BIOS that came from the factory (1902) has this problem.

Doesn't surprise me really as I have found that any software or BIOS that is shipped with the boards beit Asus or Gigabyte etc are always out of date. Now my biggest beef is that the LAN and WLAN drivers are never or get installed and in that case and I guess I am lucky because I can - load the drivers on a stick from the brands site and install them from it.

Now as for the MBR v GPT I don't have a problem with either and in fact from an article I read the other day What’s the Difference Between GPT and MBR When Partitioning a Drive? the GPT is preferable to have a drive in. The only difference that I can see is the GPT has more partitions on it.

 

[Barman58]

I'm an advocate of printing the manufacturing date, (and preferably a First Build date for the device), on the outer (visible to the prospective purchaser), packaging on all Tech, similar to the Best before/ Use By dates on perishable goods.

This would give the buyer an idea of what era of OS it was built in, what functionality is to be expected, how likely drivers and support options are obtainable). I know you can find a lot out using a smartphone, (if you can get a signal), whilst at the store but with Motherboard or other internal components where they can have a Build lifetime of several years just the bios changes can make a big difference.

The issue with network drivers is always going to be an issue as it's not normally a good idea to build a house from the top down you need the foundations first and these type of drivers are the foundations of any OS install.

Things are better now than they were With each new OS having a better range of network support OOB.

I would always advise anyone who builds or installs their own hardware or OS software to invest in an Ethernet cable suitable to reach from their work area to the main router port, this allows a good chance that you can be online from initial boot and update drivers for the essentials before you get to the inevitable "this is a new toy lets play" stage.

As a pro I always carry various cables with me, I also carry a smartphone which I can connect to the new system via USB and use to obtain drivers either directly or indirectly

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yep Nigel the network drivers seem to me have to be a prerequisite for any system and why they are not built into a board for example - don't ask me how but just lets pretend they were - how much easier our lives would be. I like your idea of the smart phone too had not given that a thought to be honest - brilliant!!

But as I said before I always (now) get those drivers even before I take delivery of a board or machine because for example my main laptop an Asus G750JM required the BIOS to be updated before the drivers for 7 could be downloaded let alone installed so I had to depend a lot on my other gear. However this depends I suppose on what access one has to a working machine eh?