GA-Z87MX-D3H: Black Screen of Death / No boot.

[sndr]

Hi! I am in need of assistance and I am hoping for quick reply.

Problem description: I have a problem at boot with Black Screen of Death (BSoD) with a blinking cursor in the upper left corner.

None of "system-keys" (F1-F12, DELETE or TAB) on any of my two USB-keyboards (one cabled / one wireless), seems to be able to get me into the BIOS even when connected to the PS/2 port by an PS/2-to-USB adapter.

Strangely enough the Pause/Break key seem to be able to freeze the BSoD right before the blinking cursor appear (so keyboard commands are registered some time later during boot).

When did the problem occur: I had previously used the Fast Boot utility to set the BIOS to boot in Ultra Fast Boot-mode. After a week with no noticeable difference in boot time I was attempting to revert to BOOT option to standard boot using the Gigabyte App utility to enter BIOS config from Windows 7 (SP1). On reboot the computer then went into BSoD.

Attempted troubleshooting: I have tried resetting the BIOS by removing the battery (anywhere from 20 seconds to several hours) and shorting the CLR_CMOS jumper with screwdriver/jumper as described in the motherboard manual without any notable effect. I am still unable to enter the BIOS. I have also tried disconnecting all Hard Drives (two SSD-disks) without any effect.

I'm sure my keyboards is are getting power (as the backlight lights up and the pause/break key works).

Possible cause of the problem: My best guess is that the one of the Gigabyte App utilities, either @BIOS or Fast Boot utility or both, caused the problem initially by either messing up the BIOS config or less likely: the Master Boot Record (MBR).

Even though I have tried resetting the BIOS, I'm guessing the Ultra Fast Boot-option is still somehow preventing me from accessing the keyboard or that the BIOS has somehow become damaged.

Request: I would like your advice on how to proceed with the problem. It would be a good start to get into the BIOS / Windows 7 advanced boot options menu.

Note: I'm running a self-assembled fanless-system with no movable/audible parts, with the latest version of Windows 7 (SP1), hardware drivers, and BIOS (version F7) installed. More details of my setup can be provided as needed. I am a fairly experienced computer user, and should be able to follow advance troubleshoot advice, if needed.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,
Barring something unknown to us, it does sound like your board could be stuck in ultra fast boot mode.  But the fact that you cannot reset or clear CMOS using the jumper or a battery pull might mean some level of corruption exists.  Flashing cursor at initial POST can indicate failure of BIOS and/or boot block.  Hot flash is usually the best way to resolve. 

No switches for dual BIOS on your board, so try the following to force the system to load the back up BIOS.

http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=9462.0

Others here may have additional suggestions.

[sndr]

Thanks for a quick reply!

No switches for dual BIOS on your board, so try the following to force the system to load the back up BIOS.

http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=9462.0

Tried this solution, so far without any luck. Possible reasons why it did not work:
1. My PSU lacking a on/off switch. My PSU (http://www.streacom.com/products/nano150-psu/) does not have a power off/on button (!), so I had simulate a on/off button in the technique described above by disconnecting the powercable of the PSU from the cabinet. This might not be an adequate substitute?
2. Time of holding the powerbutton. How long should I press the powerbutton / have the powercable connected on boot after the PSU power off. I have tried to vary the time intervals a bit. Any suggestions?

Also, one other question: Do I need to press any key on boot, to force system to load BIOS backup? I hope not, as this would allow me to rule out any keyboard issues as a factor.   

[shadowsports]

I think disconnecting the power cord in place of using the switch is an acceptable substitution.  Getting it to happen might be tricky and take a few attempts.  Once power is removed, depressing and holding the power button for 30 sec is typically long enough to discharge any remaining power from the system.  There is no key press or combination required to get the back up BIOS to boot/recover.  However, once loaded, ALT+F12 is the command I've seen that copies the BIOS images between the chips. 

To clear the CMOS.  Ensure you disconnect power the the MB.  Leave the battery installed.  Press and hold your power button for 30 sec.  Release.  Now jump or short the pins.  2-5 sec is all you need.  If you want to take the extra step, remove the battery for a minute.  That should do it. 

[Tiger]

I think you are wasting your time trying to power the GA-Z87MX-D3H with a 150 watt power supply. The motherboard manual recommends using a 500 watt or greater power supply on page 23.

[sndr]

I think you are wasting your time trying to power the GA-Z87MX-D3H with a 150 watt power supply. The motherboard manual recommends using a 500 watt or greater power supply on page 23.

Power is not an issue. Worked fine for a long while before bios issues started due to the Gigabyte App utility. I run a very power conservative setup.

[dmdilks]

I help some and he did it this way and it work.

Here's what worked for mine:
1. Turn off machine.
2. Press and hold reset button.
3. Press power button while keeping reset button pressed for 10 secs then release.
4. Wait until the backup BIOS prompts and asks to install backup to main BIOS.
5. A window will pop-up stating that the main BIOS is corrupted and needs to reflash, I hit "install"
6. After installing the bios, it will ask to boot or reboot, then will ask to load default or optimized settings in the BIOS.
7. After that, I regained control over my system.

[Rickspark]

Hi all, my GA-Z87MX-D3H fitted with Intel Core i7 4770K and 16GB RAM has performed really well for the past 2 years but now it's performing erratically.  It's behaving pretty much like this post describes.

You can be sure it will work first thing each day but should you reboot or allow it to sleep while you take a break, you can be sure you'll get a blank screen with the processor and case fans running at speed and no sign of life when trying to use it.  All I get is a blank screen, no POST beeps and apparently not way of recovering the system back into life until you leave it for a few hours and try again.  Tried the hold the reset button while powering up above and that made no difference.

The system is fitted with a Zalman CNPS10X Optima Heatsink and Fan so I doubt the issue is heat related.

I've read quite a bit, tried all sorts of bare minimal installation, CMOS reset, etc, but nothing seems to work.

I'm out of ideas now so I'll be interested to read any further suggestions.

Thanks