PC won't boot past first BIOS screen

[Senobris]

Greetings,

I have big problem with my ~3 year old PC which started a few days ago.

The problem:

When I turn on my computer I see the BIOS splash screen, and if I don't touch it, it will remain on this screen indefinitelly. I can get past this screen by pressing the tab key (to see the BIOS POST Message), or by hitting DEL to run Setup; however, I never get into the setup screen, it simply moves on to the BIOS POST Screen.

On the BIOS POST Message I can seethe usual messages such as
"Initializing USB Controllers .. Done."
"12280MB OK"

but no error messages signifying that anything is wrong.

I can hit <F8> which then says "Boot Selection Popup menu has been selected". Or <ALT> + <F2> which then triggers the message "ASUS EZ Flash 2 will be executed".

However, again, it never goes past the actual BIOS POST Message.

The keyboard keeps being responsive, I can enable / disable shift lock, etc.


What I've tried so far:

At first I thought the battery may cause this, I tried
- booting with a fresh battery (CR2032)
- booting without a battery, including leaving it without power overnight first
- clearing the BIOS with the reset pins on mobo, and then booting

I then tried to make sure any excess hardware wasn't the problem
- I only left keyboard and screen connected for all further tests
- booting without any harddrives / optical drives connected
- booting with only 1 stick of RAM (there's 6 slots which are all filled with identical RAM)
- booted with another graphics card
- booted with no graphics card, didn't really do much, I expected beeps, but motherboard didn't make a sound, it never does, is there a way to turn on the "error beeps" on motherboards?


I realize this has little to do with WIN7 as the kernel is (I think?) not even loaded yet at this point. But I've been told this forum has a lot of computer wizzards, including for hardware issues.

I guess my hope is that any of you have run in to a similar problem and have a magical fix for me, but if not I think my only option will be to buy a new mobo, and probably a new PC alltogether.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[TVeblen]

Hello Senobris. Welcome to the forum.

You have done everything I would do at first to test the system. So much for any easy fixes.

To be clear, you cannot get into the BIOS settings? The system will show the product splash screen, or be forced to start the startup routine, but stops at that point - correct?

What exactly is the last thing on the screen when it stops? Is it always the same thing?

 

[TVeblen]

It would be helpful to be able to hear the BIOS beep codes in a situation like this.

Unfortunately, motherboard manufacturers don't always install a speaker on the motherboard - leaving it up to the computer chassis manufacturers. And chassis manufacturers stopped installing speakers in their cases long ago. So we are stuck without a very important diagnostic tool.

You may need to borrow or buy a small piezo speaker that attaches to the motherboards speaker header so you can hear the beep codes. If we can't find a solution in other ways that may be necessary to see what is going on.

Any chance that board has LED BIOS code display?

 

[Senobris]

Hello TVeblen,

thanks for the welcome, and yes, that's correct, I can not get into the BIOS settings. I can only get as far as the BIOS POST Message (the one which shows the memory OK status amongst other things).

The keyboard remains responsive, and the POST Message does as well, because when I hit F8 for example, the text on the POST Message will change saying it will move on to the Boot menu; but I never actually get past it.

The last thing I see is indeed always the same, it's a bunch of text:


[American Megatrends Logo]
AMIBIOS (C) 2010 American Megatrends, Inc.
ASUS P6T SE ACPI BIOS Revision 0808
CPU : Intel (R) Core (TM) i7 CPU 930 @ 2.80Ghz
Speed : 2.80 Ghz

Press F8 for BBS POPUP
Press ALT + F2 to execute ASUS EZ Flash 2
DDR3-1066Mhz
Initilializing USB Controllers .. Done.
12280 Mb OK




(C) American Megatrends, Inc.
XX-XXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXX-TYLERSBURG-XXXXXXXX-XXXX



The last thing is a serial key, not sure how personal it is to my PC, hence the Xs,

I've also tried to use the ASUS EZ Flash functionality to try and update BIOS to 0908, but hitting ALT+F2 only changes the line in that screen, and then nothing.

 

[Senobris]

I actually have another PC I can salvage, I'll see if I can recover an onboard speaker.
I don't see any LED lights that could signify any problems on the mobo.

 

[TVeblen]

Please don't try and update or flash the BIOS in this condition! You could make things much worse!

 

[Senobris]

No luck on the speaker salvaging.

 

[TVeblen]

So to me it looks like it completes the memory check, then freezes.

The next thing that happens in the boot routine is finding the devices connected to the system. The last thing is finding drives and a boot device to hand off to.

Continue to try and find a speaker, but also try this:
Disconnect the mouse and keyboard and then try to start up.

 

[Senobris]

I'll check my old laptop for a speaker, meanwhile, booting with only the screen plugged in resulted in the same situation.

 

[TVeblen]

The setup should be: power supply, CPU & Fan, 1 stick of memory in slot A1, and video. Everything else disconnected.

 

[TVeblen]

You are looking for a speaker that looks like this one:
Desktop Pc Computer Mainboard Case Internal Speaker Connector Plug DT - Newegg.com

If you have one you can test like this:
New System Failure Diagnostic

Basic diagnostic procedure is to uninstall the entire build and start over. Some people do this out of the case by placing the motherboard on an anti-static surface. This eliminates the possibility that there is a short circuit between the motherboard and the case through the connection posts (stand-offs). A standoff in the wrong location or a sloppy job will cause a short.

The Test (power off, power cord unplugged):

• Disconnect everything externally connected except the mouse and keyboard (printers, USB devices, etc). If you are not using a wired mouse and keyboard see if you can borrow one. The wireless device is just another component you have to deal with.
• Disconnect the power and data cables from all the drives inside the computer (Hard drives, DVD/CD drives, etc).
• Remove all the cards installed in the expansion slots (PCI/PCI-e) including the video card. (Be careful handling them and place them on a non conductive surface while testing).
• Remove all the RAM sticks (same rules as above).

Now connect the power cord and turn the PC on.

• The motherboard should start beeping. You should get a beep code that tells you there is no memory. This is good, it means the processor is functioning and the motherboard is good so far.
• Now add one stick of memory in Slot A1 and power on. More beeping: "no video card" beep code. This is good.
• Then add the video card and connect it to the monitor. You should get no beeping and you should see the BIOS start screens, ending with the message that there is no boot device.
• If you get no video then switch the one memory stick installed for another one and test.
• If you do get video then start adding components back, one at a time, until the system fails to boot. The last component you added is then the problem component.

But what you may be looking at is a major motherboard failure.
If you are only running core components and have done the Clear CMOS procedure afterward and still no boot then you are either having a problem with one of those core components or some other component on the motherboard.

Have you tried each stick of RAM as the single stick?

 

[Senobris]

Still no luck with finding a speaker, I'll have to buy one, but that won't be for a few days.

I hadn't tried the exact same setup as you mentioned, but tried it now, and no luck.

Thanks for the help so far, I really appreciate it, but I think I'll have to let it go for now until I can get my hands on a speaker.

Edit: posted this just after you made yor post.

I haven't tested each stick individually yet, no, I'll try that now.
And once I get my hands on that speaker I'll make sure to follow the procedure you've written out.

I guess I could try, for now, to take everything out and start from scratch, see if that fixes any possible shorts.

 

[Senobris]

Each stick of RAM in A1 gave same result.

 

[Senobris]

Small update.

I've gotten my hands on a speaker.

Plugged it in and did the test as described above.

I got a tone for missing RAM (long, short x 2)
I got a tone for missing VGA (long, short x 3)
I got a tone for starting up with both above intact (single short beep)

So the checks work, but I still can't get passed the BIOS POST Message.

After that I tested the PSU on a second PC, which seemed to do fine, so I'm pretty sure the PSU isn't the problem, which pretty much just leaves the mobo as cause.

Thanks for the help, but I'm off shopping for a new PC.

 

[TVeblen]

You've exhausted all the possibilities and at least can rest assured you've left nothing on the table.

 

[Senobris]

Yup, thanks again for the help!
Should I mark this thread as solved? Or leave it like this?

 

[ShoTTaS]

Hi Senobris,

I have read the previous post, but didn't find this methods:

- Try another PSU.
- Make sure all connectors are tightly placed/connected.
- look for busted capacitors on the mobo.
- try power on the computer while HDD is disconnected.
- try booting with a CD or DVD.
- try taking out the CPU, check for bent pins. replace cpu paste.

 

[Senobris]

Hi Shottas,

thanks for your suggestions:

- I don't think the PSU is the problem as it worked fine with another old computer; I don't have another PSU available to test on the broken mobo though
- I have replaced the connectors when re-assembling the PC from scratch
- I haven't really seen any obvious damage on the mobo, is there anything I should look for specifically? I haven't seen any capacitors that were loose or anything like that
- I have run a setup with just mobo and cpu + 1 stick of ram + vga, with same result
- Tried booting from CD but the BIOS doesn't even get to reading drives
- The PC worked for ~3 years, and I've never touched the CPU, doesn't that reduce the odds of it being something like bent pins? I've also checked for CPU heat through those years, to make sure I wasn't getting in trouble with dust buildup, and I have never experienced my PC shutting down due to heat issues.

 

[TVeblen]

Yup, thanks again for the help!
Should I mark this thread as solved? Or leave it like this?

Well, we never got the motherboard working again, so that is not solved. But if you have satisfied your concern that there might be something that could be done then I guess it is.
If you leave the thread open you might get some more good ideas to try from other members. But you also might get redundant questions from people who only read the title and don't read the whole thread.

When you mark a thread as solved it makes it much more prominent when it comes up in a search engine - people will read solved stuff first. So in general it is best to mark a thread solved if there is a solution there to be found. But lots of folks mark them solved just to close it out.

 

[TVeblen]

One more thing:

You said you performed a Clear CMOS procedure (clearing the BIOS with the reset pins on mobo). I just want to check to see if you performed it the best way.
Below is the standard procedure. Note: CLRTC and Clear CMOS is the same thing:

• Note all your current BIOS settings (not applicable in your case)
  
• Shut down the computer > remove the power cord.
• Remove the 3v motherboard battery.
• Move the CLRTC jumper from pins 1-2 to 2-3.
• Touch a metal part of the case and Press and Hold the reset button for approx. 30 seconds or more to discharge all power from the board.
• Put the CLRTC jumper back on pins 1-2.
• Replace the 3v battery > replace the power cord > boot.
• Immediately go back into BIOS and reset all your preferred settings. If the CLRTC worked you will need to reset the date and time in BIOS.

If that does not work (or that is what you already did before) then try the procedure again, only this time don't put the jumper back on pins 1-2. Leave it off completely. Then try booting.