Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with AMD processors => Topic started by: Cyclocius on July 29, 2010, 02:32:19 pm
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Hello everyone
I recently, about 2 months ago, built my first computer, everything was going well, but twice the computer would start up, display the Motherboard screen and give me the option to enter BIOS before going straight to a black screen, with a capital N and a small green square in the centre of teh screen.
Rebooting fixed the issue, but today the issue has returned and after 15 reboots the issue remains the same. I cannot press F12 to enter the boot options to enter safe mode, last working configuration etc for some reason.
I'm using a Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD3P motherboard and an AMD processor, but I can't find the box for that so it's name shall remain unknown until I find it.
Thanks in advance!
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Hi,
If you are not running the latest BIOS you might want to try updating it. You can download the latest version from here: http://www.giga-byte.co.uk/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3107&dl=1#dl in the early days of my GA-790XTA-UD4 I had similar problems and a BIOS update cured it.
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You just beat me absic, I was going to ask what graphics card he was using?
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That can also be a problem but with a lack of info the best bet is BIOS.
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You just beat me absic, I was going to ask what graphics card he was using?
I'm running an ATI Radeon 3850X2.
And I did think to update the BIOS, but I wasn't sure how, I'll try it now using the Q-flash doohickey.
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I would have guessed nVidia as it sounded like their logo was trying to be shown on screen.
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I would have guessed nVidia as it sounded like their logo was trying to be shown on screen.
It isn't, the text is in ASCII, like this: (http://www.microsoft.com/library/media/1033/windowsxp/images/using/setup/support/68224pick-safe-mode.gif).
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Interesting, I will be ready to hear what happens when youn have done the BIOS update.
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That may have to wait, I've ripped the latest BIOS update for my motherboard to a CD, yet Q flash is only accepting update mediums from a floppy drive, which I've not got, I'm typing from my Mums laptop and have been the entire duration.
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Do you not have access to a USB stick?
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I do yes, I didn't think to try, I just did but the file didn't show up, I have it saved as an exe, yet in the BIOS there is nothing?
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I know that you understand mostly what to do but here is a step by step list of actions to take. The exe.file is for the windows @BIOS I think.
The first thing to do is go to the Gigabyte wesite and find the "Support and Downloads" section(http://www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/support-downloads.aspx).
Select your motherboard and revision number which can be found printed on the bottom left corner of the motherboard. Click on the BIOS tab. This will take you to the BIOS versions download page.The newest BIOS versions are at the top of the page. Click on your region under the Download Here section heading. A box will then pop up asking what you want to do with this file. Click on "save" and note where you are saving it to.
Take a USB pendrive and make sure it is formatted with a FAT32 file system. Unzip the file that you downloaded to the Boot sector of this drive and insert the pendrive into a USB port.
Re-boot.
Press the"End" key as it is POSTing and you will be taken into the BIOS flashing utility "Q-Flash". From there just follow the prompts and DO NOT TURN OFF THE POWER under any circumstances. It will look for the pendrive with the file on it and use that to update the BIOS.
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The file format is the issue, how can I format my USB stick to a FAT32?
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Put the pendrive into the USB port and then select it by right clicking on it's icon in my computer. You will then get a dialogue box come up select "Format" from that and it will give you another box make sure you select "FAT32" and "start".
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I can only choose from NTFS and exFAT?
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What OS are you running on that machine?
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This laptop is running Windows 7 home premium 64 bit, as is my PC.
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If you look in my computer at the pendrive what format is it in now?
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NTFS.
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OK try this. Go to Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Computer Management/Storage/Disk Management/ and select your pendrive from there and try and format it as FAT32
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Nope, still NTFS or exFAT. :-[
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Is the box marked "quick format" ticked if so untick it first and then try and select FAT32
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Formatting it now.
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Great! Only a small thing but when you can't see it sometimes it is nearly impossible. ;)
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If this works I will love you forever.
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Ah! They all say that!
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My USB stick is formatted to FAT32 yet it still doesn't show up in Q-flash, I've tried every USB port to no avail. :'(
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You must insert the stick before booting for the BIOS to pick it up.
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You must insert the stick before booting for the BIOS to pick it up.
I tried, nothing, just a floppy disk in a non-existent floppy drive.
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It seems to me you don't have enough power to start the video card anymore. If your power supply was close to the minimum required and/or you use adapters for the 6-pin and 8-pin PCI-Express connectors, the power supply may be inadequate. Running the power supply at maximum output for extended periods of time can shorten its life. I don't see any reason to update the BIOS in order to run a HD 3850x2.
HD 3850x2
Power Requirements:
Minimum 550 watt power supply both a 6-pin and 8-pin PCI-Express connection
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It might not show up as a USB drive. Don't worry about that as long as you can find it. Try again.
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It seems to me you don't have enough power to start the video card anymore. If your power supply was close to the minimum required and/or you use adapters for the 6-pin and 8-pin PCI-Express connectors, the power supply may be inadequate. Running the power supply at maximum output for extended periods of time can shorten its life. I don't see any reason to update the BIOS in order to run a HD 3850x2.
HD 3850x2
Power Requirements:
Minimum 550 watt power supply both a 6-pin and 8-pin PCI-Express connection
I have a 600w PSU, wouldn't I know if my PSU had cut out via a more physical means? Like smoke or burning or something.
And Mantis, there's only the Floppy Disk listed and that's empty.
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Check the USB files on the other computer first to make sure they are all there. It is often picked up as either a floppy or hard disk drive.
Your PSU should be enough for what you are running but if it is old it could have degraded and be giving out less power.
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My PSU arrived on March 1st, I don't see how it could have degraded so much in 5 months...
And the files are all on the USB, it's still an exe, but my USB stick is formatted as FAT32.
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What make is your PSU just to clear this up?
I will check out the file download and see if you have got the right file. Back soon.
Yes I have just checked and it is an .exe file. Right in that case you wont be able to use it on the Q-Flash program.
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I'm using an OCZ 600W Stealth Xtreme.
Man I love computer names, makes us all seem so mature ::)
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Your PSU should be perfectly powerful enough.
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That was my belief.
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I have just been taking a look at the BIOS update files and I believe that I was right at first and the .exe file is for the @bios utility not Q-Flash so it weill not work with that. This is probably why you cannot see it on the drive.
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So your recommendation would be...? I don't want to have to reformat again :-\
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I am just readinhg up on it because it says some boards do not come with the Q-Flash utility. So I must now see if yours is one of those boards.
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My board has Q-flash on it, it's in the manual and I can access it, but it refuses to show my USB stick.
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Yes that's what I can confirm. However it isn't usually an .exe file that is for download. They are usually for the @bios windows update tool for the bios and it can be very dangerous to use. My dilemma is that I can't find the expected file for the Q-Flash update and I don't want to use the Windows based program. If you want to check up on page 64 of your manual it explains.
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All this talk about the BIOS is scary. It's always downloaded an exe though, I didn't click or change any settings while downloading,
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No I know that I even tried downloading it myself to see.
OK good news all sorted. I jhust checked with my board and it has an .exe file for update also.
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Right take the pen drive to the other computer and double click on the .exe file. A dialogue box will open asking where you want to extract it to so tell it the boot sector of your pendrive and do the business. Then you will be able to see the file from the Q-Flash utility on the main computer.
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Sorry, Boot sector? Is that a partition or what?
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The primary section of the drive ie not in any folder just on the drive itself. Do you understand?
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I ran it and extracted it to G:, the USB stick, tried it but it still didn't show up.
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Ok it should have. Lets go over it. Tell me what files are on the boot sector of the USB drive.
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The exe, FLASHSPI and M79XUD3P.F7a, it's an F7a file, the latter 2 have been added after running the exe.
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right you should have another one called "autoexec". It may just be that you can't see it because it's hidden.
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I guess it's hidden then, nothing else here.
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Well we will assume it 's there hopefully! Put the USB drive in the computer and then boot and press "end" to enter the Q-Flash utility.
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I entered Q-flash, went to update and the USB stick wasn't there, only Floppy.
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Yes that is probably the usb pendrive. I did explain that it probably would show up as a floppy or hard drive. The file should be inside it.
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It isn't, I checked to be sure.
I left it for a bit, pressing enter on Floppy A, waited a bit and it said the drive was not detected, I assume that means there is no floppy drive and that it's not my USB drive.
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The file will be called M79XUD3P.F7a It must be there somewhere ???
I really don't know why it isn't showing up. I must be missing something here but what?
Can you refresh the screen or check for any other drive?
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That file is on the USB stick, but it's not showing up when I enter Q-flash, the USB stick that is.
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I do understand. I just can't think why.
The USB port you have it in is not a remote port is it? It is one directly on the computer?
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Directly in the computer, I tried both frontal ports and all the ones on the back.
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That was quick as you had to shut down each time before rebooting. You did put the pendrive in the port before booting up didn't you?
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Yup, plug in, check it's secure, check the light on the stick is on, boot.
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The point I was making is that in 2 minutes you had checked six ports and shut down each time in between and moved the usb sick and then rebooted and checked the Q-Flash utility for the drive! :-\ I just don't think it is physically possible.
Anyway I need my beauty sleep so I am off the bed now but if you would like to continue this tomorrow just log back on and I will be here.
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Each restart was with a different USB socket, I'll try them all now, but thanks for your help, I'll be back tomorrow ;)
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OK see you then
;D
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This morning I thought I would take the opportunity to check the BIOS update file's integrity and so I have downloaded it and extracted it and all the files are there as expected. I even checked with the F6 BIOS update as the F7a is still a Beta version but there was no problem there either. From that I deduced that the problem must be to do with your computer. For some reason it is not actually recognising the USB pendrive. So I think we will have to go back to basics here especially as it is your first computer build. ;)
We will clear the CMOS and load BIOS optimised defaults if possible.
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Okey dokes, that's all done from the BIOS menu right? Shall I go and do it now?
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Sorry my bad.I misread your post! :-[ Go to the FAQ section here: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,2286.0.html and follow the instructions. Do as I suggested and let's hope today is a little more profitable ;)
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Righty ho, loaded optimised defaults and cleared the CMOS. Shall I plug the USB stick in in?
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No, please read my last post it will explain.
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Oh dear. Steps 2 and 3 look hard, 2 secs.
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Okay, I went with step 2, held the screw driver in place for 5 seconds, plugged back in, power on, loaded optimised defaults, saved and exited. Now what?
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Well done. Next are you sure that you plugged in the front USB ports to the motherboard? If you are you can insert the USB pendrive with the update file on it and try to do the same as yesterday eg press"end" as it's booting.
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Gotcha, will report back.
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Still nothing, just Floppy A which si empty and if I press Enter on it it says the disk could not be found.
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Have you been using these USB ports before?
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I use the USB ports for my keyboard and mouse yes.
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I am talking about the particular USB ports that you are using for the pendrive?
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Yes, I used one for my mouse and they wire for it was too short to reach round the back of the desk, bought new mouse.
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Ok. Sorry for the delay I was just discussing it with a collegue. He will post some pictures for you to see but he can't do it for another hour and a half.
So if it's all the same to you we will leave it until then. Check back later please. ;)
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That's fine, I'm away this afternoon as well. Thanks for all your help!
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Right well after discussing your problem with absic he sorted out some photos of the screenshots for the BIOS update procedure. He also recommended not putting the files in the Boot Sector but in a folder on the drive. To be honest everyone has their own way of doing things and if you would find that way easier then that's fine with me. The pictures show this way. They are self explanatory so I wont add captions.
links for the QFlash Pics:
http://img251.imageshack.us/i/img0276wi.jpg/
http://img809.imageshack.us/i/img0277h.jpg/
http://img710.imageshack.us/i/img0279ds.jpg/
http://img831.imageshack.us/i/img0280y.jpg/
http://img842.imageshack.us/i/img0282r.jpg/
http://img248.imageshack.us/i/img0284mc.jpg/
http://img14.imageshack.us/i/img0285cd.jpg/
http://img819.imageshack.us/i/img0286z.jpg/
http://img693.imageshack.us/i/img0287xq.jpg/
http://img256.imageshack.us/i/img0288br.jpg/
http://img413.imageshack.us/i/img0289d.jpg/
http://img134.imageshack.us/i/img0290p.jpg/
Everything else is just as we tried.
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Just to add to what Dark Mantis has already said. If you are not using the Floppy Drive I would suggest that you disable it in BIOS that way it can't show up when you try and use the Qflash Utility.
A USB Stick will be shown as HDD (see this image: http://img14.imageshack.us/i/img0285cd.jpg/ ) and this can sometimes lead to confusion, especially if you are expecting USB Drive to appear.
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Erm, the USB stick still isn't showing up in Q-flash? This is so frustrating :(
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Hi What USB stick is it? and what size? Also check in your BIOS under Integrated Peripherals and make sure that Legacy USB Storage Function is enabled. page 47 in your manual: http://download.gigabyte.eu/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_ga-ma790x-ud3p_e.pdf
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I don't know it's make, but it holds 2GB.
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Ok check my previous post for more info.
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Oh WOW! I turned it on to check Integrated Peripherals and instead the computer actually booted up, I'm on the desktop now, is it easier to update the BIOS from there?
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No I definitely wouldn't advise it. The chances of something going wrong are much more. Right while you are on the desktop try looking at the USB pendrive and see what files are on it.
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The files are all in there.
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can you see the four files?
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I can see three?The installer, FLASHSPI and M79XUD3P.F7a.
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no autoexec file?
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Nope.
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OK. Wipe the drive clean and then download the .exe file the same as yesterday and then run the file on the pendrive. That should then give you four files in total.
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DM, sorry mate but there should only be 3 files in the folder.
Check my pic here: http://img842.imageshack.us/i/img0282r.jpg/ This shows the needed files.
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absic I was including the downloaded .exe file also.
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OK DM now I'm confused. Which exe are you referring to?
When you extract from the downloaded 7Zip there are only 3 files which are the ones shown in my picture. These are all you need when using Qflash.
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It does get confusing doesn't it? The download for his BIOS update is in the form of an .exe file. There is no option of a zip file. The files once extracted are the same as shown in your picture.
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Formatted and ran the installer again, still 3 files.
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Sorry to be a pain but can you list them?
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I can see three?The installer, FLASHSPI and M79XUD3P.F7a.
Them.
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I can only assume that your system is set to hide the system files by default and that is why the autoexec file isn't showing. We will just have to assume it is there.
By the way did you ever enable the setting in the BIOS that I asked you to?
Well you have the files newly installed on your pendrive so you can try and boot from it as before(but not before I say a prayer ;)) OK!
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Sorry for not replying, been busy the past few days, mum went into hospital for a knee replacement.
I got in this morning and it's happening again, the computer has stopped inexplicably working and is now inexplicably displaying the N and green square, I tried booting from my USB but it's still not showing up.q
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Hi again and I hope your mum's ok.
Refresh my memory to save me having to re-read all the past posts, can you get into the BIOS?
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Yes, I can press the DEL key, then I can press F8 to reach Q-flash, I cannot access the boot menu by pressing F12 as nothing happens.
The problem is that I cannot see my USB stick in Q-flash, there's a floppy drive A, but it's empty, nothing in there and I get an error trying to access it.
And thanks, my Mum's fine.
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Look for a setting for USB Storage Function in the BIOS it will probably be under the Integrated Peripherals tab. See if it is set to enabled if not make it so.
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There's no USB storage function setting, there's 1 for USB keyboard and mouse support and they're enabled already.
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There's also one undeneath them called Legacy USB storage detect(I did get the name slightly wrong) make sure it is enabled because your drive won't show up on boot without it.
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Everything with USB in the title is enabled, still nothing, though the computer did suddenly boot properly upon restarting and forgetting to press del.
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Can you confirm that this setting is enabled? Legacy USB storage detect
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Was this problem ever resolved as I have the exact same problem with a Gigabyte board which does have the latest BIOS.
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Hi and welcome.
Not that I have heard from the OP. The trouble is not everyone reports on how they get on and some just find a fix and dissappear.
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My setup:
2 Kingston ValueRAM KVR800D2N5K2/4G (totalling 8GB, all slots used)
Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD3P BIOS rev F5 (it came that way)
Cooler Master Real Power M520
Intel Postville X25-M SSDSA2MH080G2K5 80GB (connected to Gigabyte SATA, AHCI, using the Gigabyte drivers)
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition
Gigabyte GV-R477D5-512H-B
2 Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS, 1TB (chipset RAID 1)
Samsung Syncmaster T240
LG GH22NP20 Black
All this stuff is in a (big)tower chassis, 3x80mm fans spinning, running Windows 7 Professial 64 bit
In the little over two years time I have my system, I've seen the exact screen from the OP maybe 4 times.
I also experience system freezes, at a much higher frequency. Maybe once or twice month.
These freezes almost always occur, right after boot, on the login screen. Sometimes I can move the mouse cursor, sometimes I can't.
When I reset the machine using the power button and check the Eventlogs, there is just nothing there.
About a week ago I turned off the write-delay on the SSD boot drive, but haven't had 'luck' with that yet.
I've been blaming Catalyst drivers for all of this crashing and freezing because AMD/ATI cards have had 2D/3D clocking issues.
Until I saw my machine boot up this afternoon, saw the normal POST messages and it displayed the black screen and N with a green block where the Gigabyte SATA ROM should display its startup message. This startup sequence is usually hidden by my TFT's boot time; I'll think I'll keep my CRT around for a while.
Having found this thread, I thought, FINALLY an answer, but alas no(t yet) ...
Rembering the green error message when the GPU doesnt have the PCI-X powerplug inserted, I thought: Isn't this a corrupted display of that message??
So I unplugged the computer, took the 4770 out, disconnected the powercable to the GPU. I checked the power connector on the card, all soldering looked OK.
I put the 4770 back in, reconnected the powercable to the GPU and reseated all my SATA cables. I put power back on, the first boot failed with same screen I opened my case for: A black screen with and N with a green block.
HUH, twice in a row? That's started me looking on Internet again. And then I came here.
What I'll try next (in that order):
- upgrade BIOS to F6
- exchange the SATA cable for my SSD
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Updating the BIOS to F6 bumped the AMD RAID BIOS from 3.0.1540.47 to 3.0.1540.59.
The Gigabyte SATA BIOS is still at 1.06.59
Suspecting the Gigabyte/JMicron adapter (BIOS) is the culprit, I also exchanged the SATA cable that came with the Intel drive with another new one.
Fingers crossed.
And then I saw this as well. I went browsing for a bit looking for a fix for the JMicron BIOS.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/263748-12-mysterious#t1843508 (http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/263748-12-mysterious#t1843508)
Apparently the board doesn't like keyboard input during boot..
Hmmm, think I now should suspect my favourite keyboard as well.... It's a 20 year old Olivetti M4 keyboard. ;D
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Just had another freeze at login, time to swap out the old PS/2 keyboard for a more modern one.
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Haven't touched the systemcase since october, other than the power button. I also de-installed AMD Overdrive (AODSetup3.2.3.0457.exe, used that only for temperature monitoring). No freezes since. I am still looking for a new keyboard, the physical connection on the PS/2 plug from the Olivetti isn't that great, unlike the keyboard attached to it. :)
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I have had this exact issue. The issue appears, then disappears, with little clue as to why.
The first time around, it stopped happening after I removed some extra RAM I had installed. (The RAM had been functioning just fine for a couple of weeks.)
The second time around, several months later, it stopped happening after I unplugged a USB WiFi adapter. (The USB WiFi adapter had been functioning just fine for most of the year.)
None of the factors on their own (BIOS, power adapter, keyboard, RAM, WiFi receiver stick) make any sense to me:
- If my BIOS has a problem, then my computer should not start up correctly. But my BIOS is up to date and 99.3% of the time the computer starts up fine.
- My power adapter is a 700w model, which is 200w higher than the recommended minimum for my Radeon 6850 graphics card.
- My keyboard has been plugged in without disrupting startup. Meanwhile, the few times my computer has done this freezing thing at startup, I wasn't pressing any of the keys.
- Taking out extra RAM the first time this happened seemed to precipitate a fix; but this time, taking out extra RAM made no difference.
- Starting up the computer has worked many times with my WiFi router plugged in.
It must be a combination of things.
The computer froze again a couple of nights ago. I noticed this time around that a Windows update completed itself when finally I got the computer to start up correctly. Perhaps that is one of the factors:
IF there is a Windows update pending completion and IF a peripheral device receives input during startup and IF there is a full moon and IF the computer is positioned more than 30 degrees away from Mecca, you will see a black screen, a capital, accented N (like the second N in the word for boy in Spanish), and a green block.