Sudden A2 debug error

dwardusprime · Oct 21, 2014

Hi guys,

Earlier this year I built a computer, the parts list is here.

It was all working fine and I was enjoying my new games machine, right up until the other day when, after turning the computer off, I also turned the switch off at the wall as we were going away. Ever since then I've been getting an A2 error, and all I'm seeing is the boot screen. The keyboard is apparently on, but I don't seem to be able to do anything with it (clicking the function keys does nothing).

All of the fans are spinning and I've tried my best to check for any lose connections and cleared the CMOS. Any ideas? I can link to images if that's any help.

Thanks!

tomr4lph · Oct 21, 2014

I can't offer you a solution, but a quick google found that the error code a2 is IDE detect, hope this helps anyone to help this guy

Mighty_Miro_WD · Oct 21, 2014

Hi there.

The A2 or A6 display is either caused by POST scanning the Intel and ASMedia SATA chipsets, and may display differently depending upon the drivers you have installed for those chipsets. One function of the POST is to find any drives you have connected, it can't know ahead of time that nothing is connected to the SATA ports, it must check.

Do you have any drives connected to the ASMedia chipset, and is it enabled in the UEFI? What drivers are you using on the chipsets and did you try to update them with the latest ones?

dwardusprime · Oct 21, 2014

As far as I know I didn't try to update anything before it stopped working driver-wise and I don't seem to be able to get past the initial screen on start up (last pic below). I'm afraid you lost me a bit with
the UEFI stuff. Not sure if it'll help but here are a few pics of my set up.

http://postimg.org/image/jbll8l627/
http://postimg.org/image/9i4dvs3xr/
http://postimg.org/image/ibvacvqwf/
http://postimg.org/image/56fs6rx0v/
http://postimg.org/image/g3h3vjjsf/

Mighty_Miro_WD · Oct 21, 2014

OK, try to update your BIOS, but make sure that you've disconnected all drives you have - SSD, HDD and optical. The goal is to boot into the bios, so try booting with only one memory module installed. Then determine the correct BIOS for your computer. As your computer boots, press the correct key, which will be displayed on the initial boot screen, to access your BIOS. Your BIOS is determined by your motherboard manufacturer. The motherboard manufacturer will be listed on the first screen of the BIOS near the top of the screen. Typical BIOS entry keys include F2, Esc and Del.

Here's a link for a few methods how to update it:
http://www.wikihow.com/Reflash-BIOS

Let me know if this helped.

junkeymonkey · Oct 21, 2014

I wonder if he lost stand by power and the boards battery is dead and that reste the bios to default like if the drive was set to achi and is now reset back to ide it may cause this

dwardusprime · Oct 21, 2014

Sounds logical to me junkeymonkey, thanks! And to you, Mighty_Miro_WD - I'll try your suggestions as soon as I get home.

dwardusprime · Oct 21, 2014

OK I found this which is what I'm using, but no idea what I need to use. If I manage to flash OK and all being well, should I then just be able to plug the HDD etc back in and it'll show up/work hunky dory?

Thanks

junkeymonkey · Oct 21, 2014

according to that support page the chip you got needs bios 120 or above.. first release was 110 [look at the cpu support list for this info]

so if you run on that 110 bios with that 3570k chip it may cause it to fail so we need to know what bios is on your board as of now to see whats what on that

I would try the sata settings of your drive between achi and ide cause if set to one when windows is loaded it got to stay at that you cant change the setting from ahci to ide it will not boot to windows this is why still as of today all my drives are set up on ide

dwardusprime · Oct 21, 2014

OK thanks, looks like it is 2.90.

junkeymonkey · Oct 21, 2014

also be sure the sata cables from the drive to the board are right some times there not the best to fit and can wobble a bad connection and the main boot drive in in sata 1 port of the intel controller controlled ports and not the secondary sata controller [ASMedia] and then is set to first boot device in bios at its proper setting of either the ide or ahci [what ever you set that to when you loaded windows on the drive]

then after that I just don't know what to say on it

dwardusprime · Oct 21, 2014

Ah I don't know any more, feel like throwing it out of the window. I've tried IDE and I'm getting "reboot and select proper boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key".

junkeymonkey · Oct 21, 2014

ok put it back to ahci .. when you say ''and all I'm seeing is the boot screen''

is it like the windows logo?? or what??

dwardusprime · Oct 21, 2014

No the screen is just http://postimg.org/image/g3h3vjjsf/

junkeymonkey · Oct 21, 2014

I see but you can still enter the bios??? see I run asrock boards and I'm scratching my head

look this over and see if theres any help

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/313528-30-bios-splash-screen-hangs-startup

ko888 · Oct 21, 2014

If the SSD is your boot drive check in the BIOS configuration to make sure that it is still being recognized. If the SSD has failed it won't show up in the BIOS boot device listing.

dwardusprime · Oct 21, 2014

junkeymonkey - I can get into BIOS when I disconnect the sata stuff, HDD etc. I'll take a look at that post, thanks.

ko888 - I was able to check the boot devices in BIOS at one point and both the SSD and HDD were showing so looks like they're still in once piece.

junkeymonkey · Oct 21, 2014

I can get into BIOS when I disconnect the sata stuff, HDD etc. --

ok so now try to hook up just the ssd and see then just the platter drive and see if it hangs with one or the other or just with both hooked up at the same time also leave the optical drive unhooked

junkeymonkey · Oct 21, 2014

looking at these first few reviews here at egg I wonder about that ssd

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227967

ko888 · Oct 21, 2014

junkeymonkey :

Yep. That specific model was known to have a high failure rate. Other seller sites have also reported high return rates (i.e. > 10%) due to early failure.

junkeymonkey · Oct 21, 2014

i'll now bet his board is fine but now needs a new boot drive to reload windows like the vary first time and it may all be fine that drive is done and cant do nothing but hang

ko888 · Oct 21, 2014

If the SSD is still within its 3 year warranty the OP can try to initiate an RMA with Toshiba who now owns all of OCZ's SSD products and handles their warranty issues.

If the RMA is successful it will most likely be replaced with a currently available equivalent model.

dwardusprime · Oct 22, 2014

Hi junkeymunkey, what do you mean by hang?

I've tried a couple of things -

If I just plug in the SSD with all AHCI settings it goes straight to the Asrock start-up screen I posted.

If I unplug everything (SSD & HDD) and in BIOS I change everything to IDE, switch the machine off and on, I can get into the BIOS and the SSD/OCZ-Vertex shows up, but then if I save and exit BIOS I get the 'reboot and select proper boot device error"

Not sure if that proves anything?

Thanks

ko888 · Oct 22, 2014

dwardusprime :

That's proof that the boot device (i.e. SSD) has failed. It won't boot in either AHCI or Legacy IDE mode.

dwardusprime · Oct 22, 2014

Dammit, I'm assuming there's no way to salvage any of the data from it? I'm pretty sure my SSD was my secondary drive, so not C:/.
Should I be able to boot up in the meantime while I get a replacement?

It sort of puts me off that something like this can fail with (I'm assuming) switching the thing off :\.

Thanks

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