Sandy Bridge boot problems - please help! - General-Homebuilt

Experiencing some weirdness with my Sandy Bridge build - see my sig for specs.

Initial boot to BIOS successful, reinstalled Win 7 Pro 64 on the Intel X-25V with other drives disconnected, mobo is in AHCI mode. Took out the Win 7 disk, went to reboot after installing Win 7, and everything has slowed down, and Windows won't boot, it will only go to BIOS. Now the DVD drive, which is new, has stopped responding and won't read discs or eject. The activity light goes on when you press the eject button but nothing happens.

Any ideas? Immensely frustrated! Thanks in advance for any help.

Bump.

Anyone? Should I post in a different forum?

That IS a good one... Are you still configured with only the SSD and optical drive connected to your SATA 3 ports? You are NOT using the gray or navy blue ones (SATA6), correct?

Your board has...
SATA 3Gb/s - 4 ports
SATA 6Gb/s - 2 xSATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (gray) by P67
- 2 xSATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (navy blue) by Marvell 9120

Reply to sadams04

Ahhhhh! Actually, I was using SATA 6Gb for the SSD, and the optical drive is connected to SATA 3Gb. I thought the SATA 6GB would be backwards compatible, but I'll try switching the SSD over and see if it makes any difference.

Thanks! Stopping by MicroCenter this evening to swap out the optical drive. Awfully coincidental for it to crash, but I would think that the eject button would at least open and close the tray.

It is supposed to work and be backwards compatible, but try it in a few different configurations and see where you stand. Keep it simple...

Reply to sadams04

Tagged. I have almost the same build on it's way (2600K). Let us know how you get on!

As an update, I replaced the optical drive, and the new one will at least open and close, but the system won't boot from either the SSD or the Windows disk and eventually hangs after the post screen. I tried plugging the SSD into a different SATA port, using 3Gb instead of 6Gb, and only the SSD and optical drive are connected. No matter what boot order I have or what's plugged in, I get the same result - BIOS screen followed by a dark screen with a cursor. Oddly, whatever drives I have plugged in I can see in BIOS, they just don't seem to do anything.

Again, any ideas will be much appreciated!

Update: after moving the SATA cables around to different ports, now it doesn't recognize any drives. Also, from the beginning when I do a cold boot it starts up for 3 seconds, powers down for 3 seconds, and then restarts.

Message edited by src1425 on 01-12-2011 at 03:57:26 AM

hmmmmm - maybe it's be mobo mate? Seems to be the common factor.

Message quoted 2 times

chadclifton wrote :

hmmmmm - maybe it's be mobo mate? Seems to be the common factor.

Could be. I can always box it up and exchange it at Micro Center. Is yours up and running?

Still bloody waiting mate. I currently live in Canada, so the speed of delivery from NewEgg would push the patience of a Saint! I'm hoping to be ready to build by the weekend (I bet the Wife can't wait lol).

Currently I have the Case, and have installed the SSD, 2 x HDD and the PSU.....I'm like a kid at Christmas, good thing is thought it's given me chance to play about with the cable management.

Cleared CMOS to no avail. Still have the cold boot problem (which has been reported by others on the ASUS forums) and still can't see any drives. Exchanged a couple of emails with ASUS tech support, and they promptly recommended that I call their tech support line. That will have to wait until Friday night, and if that doesn't help I'll box it up and take it back to MicroCenter. Don't know whether I'll exchange it or look at a different board. Unfortunately, MicroCenter's selection isn't that good at the moment.

I get my kit today mate, so I will let you know how I get on!

Just installed windows, attempting reboot now

Windows ok after reboot. (10 secods to boot in). Just installing MOBo drivers now and will connect the other HDD's.

2 of the HDD's were found, the 3rd hasn't been yet. Not sure why

FIXED: It helps if you plug in all the SATA cables....who knew!

Message edited by chadclifton on 01-14-2011 at 02:18:30 AM

Just to confirm src1425, did you install all the motherboard drivers?

chadclifton wrote :

hmmmmm - maybe it's be mobo mate? Seems to be the common factor.

What direct or learned knowledge to you have of this being so common? I have heard the normal 1-2% mobo failure rate.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to Eagle Eye_54

I have the asus deluxe with the 2600K and the only problem I have is when I first turn on the PC. It seems to forget it likes DDR3 1600 memory and resets the timings. Probably a BIOS bug. I don't have any issues with my drives but I'm using a normal HDD.

Did you flash your BIOS to the latest version? I had to flash mine just to use the 2 sticks of DDR3 I had. Mine had version 0503 and updated it to 1053 or w/e the latest was at the time.

Sorry not BIOS but EUFI - its not a BIOS anymore I guess ...

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by xxsk8er101xx on 01-15-2011 at 02:36:41 AM

Reply to xxsk8er101xx

xxsk8er101xx wrote :

I have the asus deluxe with the 2600K and the only problem I have is when I first turn on the PC. It seems to forget it likes DDR3 1600 memory and resets the timings. Probably a BIOS bug. I don't have any issues with my drives but I'm using a normal HDD.

Did you flash your BIOS to the latest version? I had to flash mine just to use the 2 sticks of DDR3 I had. Mine had version 0503 and updated it to 1053 or w/e the latest was at the time.

Sorry not BIOS but EUFI - its not a BIOS anymore I guess ...

Why not set the RAM speed in your BIOS? That should help the reset. What RAM are you running? Make, amount and speed. RAM seems to be the issue with the SB stuff.

My BIOS is #402 as I recall and I have not re-flashed yet. I am waiting for the bugs to surface first. I have not had any issues needing the update as yet.

Reply to Eagle Eye_54

Eagle Eye_54 wrote :

What direct or learned knowledge to you have of this being so common? I have heard the normal 1-2% mobo failure rate.

I said that the MOBO was the common factor, not that MOBO failures are common.

Sorry, I don't agree. From all I have read and heard, I'd say "user error" is the common cause of failures.

Reply to Eagle Eye_54

lol nevermind.

@sk8er101 - I think I'm having the same issues with the RAM reseting on reboot. I set it via the BIOS. I Used the turbo utility in Windows to "fast". That seems to hold.

from what I've been reading, the p8p67 series boards have the problem with ram fairly often. unplugging the computer and resetting cmos before updating your settings manually seems to work more often than not. this is only with the system failing the memory check and dropping your settings, I don't know what could be causing the other problems, but i might suggest looking in the socket for bent pins. you can't slide the CPU around til it fits like the old ZIF socket CPUs.

Carefully remove the cpu and see if any pins are bent, if they are, I can almost guarantee you that's the source of the problem. If so, take it back to micro center and say it's defective, they should swap it out. just be more careful next time.

if no pins are bent, the board may indeed be faulty. Try reseating everything and see what happens. One loose connection can also be problematic. Sorry you're having so much trouble and I hope it works out. I've got a P8P67 pro and a 2600k on the way too, so you can imagine I'm gritting my teeth right now.

Reply to niloklives

Ok, so my issues aren't quiet over, I think it is issues with the RAM speed. If the PC is off, when I turn it on the case lights will come on, then it will turn off again. A second later it will turn back on but won't boot, on the MOBO there is a read light in the top right hand corner by the RAM which doesn't turn off. I unplug the PC from the mains, plug it back in and it boots ok.

And new that message in English:

If the PC is totally turned off, when I boot it up the case and MOBO lights will come on, then it will turn off again.

A second later it will turn back on but won't boot (no display), on the MOBO there is a red light in the top right hand corner by the RAM which doesn't turn off (Other red lights on the MOBO turn on and off, almost like it's checking different things).

I unplug the PC from the mains, plug it back in and it boots ok.

When I first built the machine, it slowed my RAM down to 1333Mhz. I had to change it back to 1600Mhz in the BIOS. It didn't stay that way so I tried a ASUS default "speed boost" from within Windows. I choose "Fast" rather than "Extreme" and it seems to stay that way now according to the BIOS spped settings.

But even now, if the PC is turned off and back on again (like this morning when it had been turned off all night) then it wont boot first time. I have to unplug and plug it back in again.

BTW, what DRAM Frequency should it read in CPU-Z under the memory tab, currently for me it is 824.3Mhz.

Message edited by chadclifton on 01-15-2011 at 04:48:47 PM

Sandy Bridge boot problems - please help!

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