Gigabyte X58-USB3: Weird problem

[Razzy76]

Hello,  I have purchased this motherboard last week and I have it up and going with previous install of Windows 7 with no issue.  Yesterday I just decided to do a clean wipe of Windows.  This is one weird problem (well not really a big problem since in Windows its stable as it can be) and I can duplicate every time as I did 4 out of 4 times in row.  The POST seems to freeze after rebooting from finishing installation portion and before booting to the create user portion of setup.    It is indeed strange as it is completely stable other than that,  I can reboot endlessly and power on (well at least it never did so far).  The image below is the frozen POST screen I took with my cell camera.

EDIT Heh well I shouldve thought of clear bios and try install windows and see what happens.. this time it went ok so something with my BIOS settings... so I will track it down..  Sorry for the waste of web space/electrons/etc.

[Fatman]

If you have anymore issues you could try updating your bios....If you do update use Qflash to do it not @bios....

[Dark Mantis]

Yes I think it is most likely a setting in the BIOS that is left over from before that is causing the hiccup. You could always do a clear of the CMOS and load the Optimised BIOS Defaults if it persists.

[Razzy76]

Thanks for the reply guys. 

I have narrowed it down to Smart Fan Control........ very weird.   If I disable it,  POST would freeze after reboot of completing installation of Windows 7.   If I enable,  it's fine.  I even swapped back and forth...  Guess I will leave it enabled even tho I don't have the CPU fan plugged into the motherboard (I do have the splitter hooked up so CPU RPM would be working).

I guess it's a bug or something?   The BIOS is at its latest - there's a newer BETA Bios but not gonna flash it.   That was a LONG ass testing I did last night... Installing W7 over and over again just sucked.. LOL.

Thanks.

[Dark Mantis]

I am suprised that the clear CMOS didn't cure it once it was disabled in the BIOS. These FREE programs can be a real pain in the a*** and I really don't know why people even use them.

[Razzy76]

Maybe I should short the Clear CMOS pins?   I did take the battery out for 10 mins at one point...

And what free programs?

[Dark Mantis]

Maybe I should short the Clear CMOS pins?   I did take the battery out for 10 mins at one point...

And what free programs?

Disable the SmartFan program before clearing the CMOS like before. You can try shorting the jumper pins a s well as removing the battery but I wouldn't have thought it would make a difference.

All the free programs included  with the motherboard and I include SmartFan in those too.

[Razzy76]

Maybe I should short the Clear CMOS pins?   I did take the battery out for 10 mins at one point...

And what free programs?

Disable the SmartFan program before clearing the CMOS like before. You can try shorting the jumper pins a s well as removing the battery but I wouldn't have thought it would make a difference.

All the free programs included  with the motherboard and I include SmartFan in those too.

Ok thanks... and yes you are right - bunch of useless features on this motherboard I wouldn't care about.  I'd probably be happier if those software weren't there either.

[Razzy76]

Hi,

I made a mistake on my testing last night - I guess I was distracted.   It wasn't the Fan Control. It was the SATA mode settings.  If I set it to AHCI, it would do that during setup - Wild guess  but it could be because setup was detecting and installing devices and did something to HD controller or something?  I don't know LOL.   If I have the controller set to IDE, I won't run into this frozen POST issue.   If I have it set to AHCI, I will run into it.  I have tried  a different hard drive and dvdrw to same result.   Other than that, after I unplug PC and restart it to complete setup,  PC seems very stable.   Just got done installing all updates and drivers, and software.  No issues.   BIOS bug possibly?

[Dark Mantis]

I am not suprised it failed to boot when you had changed the SATA mode from IDE to AHCI. It isn't as simple as that it is a totally different way of configuration. Anyway you realised your mistake there so no harm done.

So what exactly is the state of play now?

[Razzy76]

I am not suprised it failed to boot when you had changed the SATA mode from IDE to AHCI. It isn't as simple as that it is a totally different way of configuration. Anyway you realised your mistake there so no harm done.

So what exactly is the state of play now?

I don't think you're getting my problem.   I am very aware changing from IDE to AHCI or vice versa will result in 7B unbootable blue screen.   The problem I am having is,  if I have the SATA controller to AHCI and I install windows 7,  and the SECOND reboot right after "Completing Setup"  BEFORE the create user/computername/timezone portion of Setup.  The BIOS POST FREEZES like there's something wrong with the motherboard and I HAVE to turn my PC off and restart it to finish my Windows 7 setup and it goes through the POST like normally.  I am NOT changing the SATA Controller mode in middle of setup or whatever.  After that,  I can reboot many many times and not run into a frozen POST.  If I leave the SATA Controller in "IDE" mode, I will never run into the POST freezing problem during Windows 7 installation.   It seems to me there's a bug in the BIOS concerning with SATA/IDE controller (board is missing Legacy IDE port) .. I don't know.    If you still don't get what I mean,  let me know and I'll try to explain it in different way.  Look at the screenshot in OP - that's the frozen BIOS screen that just sit there doing nothing until I turn off computer.

[Dark Mantis]

It is possible that it is a BIOS bug but if that is the case I am suprised that no one else has complained of it on the forum.

[Razzy76]

It is possible that it is a BIOS bug but if that is the case I am suprised that no one else has complained of it on the forum.

Me too,  although this mobo is fairly new... how many people would change from IDE to AHCI before installing 7?  There's a way to change from IDE to AHCI in current 7 installation just by going to regedit and change something in MSAHCI service.

[Dark Mantis]

I don't agree. You need to do a fresh install of the OS when you do a big upgrade like a motherboard and most people understand the new technology on their new boards even if it is only a basic understanding. So many users will want to get the most out of their hardware and so will enable AHCI before they even install Windows.

There is a way to hack the registry to enable a post install to work also but it wouldn't be appropriate in this case of a new installation.

[Razzy76]

I don't agree. You need to do a fresh install of the OS when you do a big upgrade like a motherboard and most people understand the new technology on their new boards even if it is only a basic understanding. So many users will want to get the most out of their hardware and so will enable AHCI before they even install Windows.

There is a way to hack the registry to enable a post install to work also but it wouldn't be appropriate in this case of a new installation.

Any user who DID change SATA to AHCI sees the frozen POST, then restart his PC and it never happens again (you have to install 7 to have a frozen POST) and this user didn't think of it or thought its something else and "fixed" it or forget as long the PC is completely stable.. etc etc.  It is not a serious bug that prevents me not run Windows at all.  And also this other user seems to run his HD in IDE mode?

http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,3578.0.html