Asus Z87 Pro LGA 1150 Code AE Lessons Learned

[bunker6]

TLDR: Disc drive was DOA despite appearing fine in BIOS.

I just wanted to share an experience I had while working on a recent build (5/10/2014). Build components were as follows:

Asus Z87 PRO LGA 1150 Motherboard
Core i5 -4670k
Samsung 840 Evo 250GB SSD
Seagate Barracuda 3TB HD
Corsair H100i
EVGA Geforce GTX 770 Superclocked
Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD Drive
EVGA 650W Modular PSU
G. Skill Ripjaws X 8GB DDR3 2133
Corsaid 300R Case

The computer posted fine prior to installing the parts in the case. Everything showed up in the BIOS as expected. I installed the components in the case and completed my wiring and checked again to make sure I was still in good shape. The computer posted again without issue so I then tried to install Windows 8 via CD. I dropped the disc into the drive and selected the optical drive as the first boot option. I restarted, saw the ASUS splash screen and then received a black screen with a blinking cursor for 15 or so seconds before getting kicked into BIOS. This being my second build I was not sure where to begin looking to find out what was going on. Eventually I noticed the Q-code LED showing AE for a Legacy Boot Event. I had to do a little research to figure out what a Legacy Boot Event was but eventually I was able to narrow it down to the optical disc drive potentially being the culprit. I pulled the drive out, and connected it to my own PC and it showed up just fine device manager. I placed a disc in the drive and found that nothing happened. I figured it must have been an issue with drive motor because the disc popped out in the same position I placed it in. Why didn't I then proceed to install Windows via USB? I didn't have any USB sticks laying around the house and it was too late in the evening to run out and get one. The following day I grabbed a new drive from Microcenter, along with a USB stick. I slid the drive into the case, plugged it in, placed the Windows disc into the drive and successfully installed the OS. I was just relieved that it was the cheapest and most easily accessible component that caused the headache.

 

[coastie65]

TLDR: Disc drive was DOA despite appearing fine in BIOS.

I just wanted to share an experience I had while working on a recent build (5/10/2014). Build components were as follows:

Asus Z87 PRO LGA 1150 Motherboard
Core i5 -4670k
Samsung 840 Evo 250GB SSD
Seagate Barracuda 3TB HD
Corsair H100i
EVGA Geforce GTX 770 Superclocked
Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD Drive
EVGA 650W Modular PSU
G. Skill Ripjaws X 8GB DDR3 2133
Corsaid 300R Case

The computer posted fine prior to installing the parts in the case. Everything showed up in the BIOS as expected. I installed the components in the case and completed my wiring and checked again to make sure I was still in good shape. The computer posted again without issue so I then tried to install Windows 8 via CD. I dropped the disc into the drive and selected the optical drive as the first boot option. I restarted, saw the ASUS splash screen and then received a black screen with a blinking cursor for 15 or so seconds before getting kicked into BIOS. This being my second build I was not sure where to begin looking to find out what was going on. Eventually I noticed the Q-code LED showing AE for a Legacy Boot Event. I had to do a little research to figure out what a Legacy Boot Event was but eventually I was able to narrow it down to the optical disc drive potentially being the culprit. I pulled the drive out, and connected it to my own PC and it showed up just fine device manager. I placed a disc in the drive and found that nothing happened. I figured it must have been an issue with drive motor because the disc popped out in the same position I placed it in. Why didn't I then proceed to install Windows via USB? I didn't have any USB sticks laying around the house and it was too late in the evening to run out and get one. The following day I grabbed a new drive from Microcenter, along with a USB stick. I slid the drive into the case, plugged it in, placed the Windows disc into the drive and successfully installed the OS. I was just relieved that it was the cheapest and most easily accessible component that caused the headache.

I read that with some interest as I am using the same MOBO. Those Optical drives can be a real pain at times.

 

[Joaonabo]

I just bought a new desktop. Been saving for it for a couple of weeks and here are my specs:

Asus Z97 pro AC Wi fi
i7 4790k 4ghz
8gb Gskill Ripjaw 1600 mhz
MSI Geforce 760 mini ITX oc
Corsair CS 750
Samsung Evo 120gb SSD
1T HD
Asus optical drive.

So, the machine finally reaches its destination, my house. Unboxed it. And since it was already assembled, just plugged it in. Connected my Monitor and my USB keyboard. Every fan works. Every led works. Everything seems functional. I grab my Windows 7 ultimate 64bits DVD and place it in the Asus drive. PC boots, and automatically opens BIOS. So far so good, or so I thought. After configuring the boot priority to the DVD Drive and resetting the computer, I'm able to hear the CD spinning and trying to boot but, for some reason, it automatically kicks me out into BIOS again. This has happened too many times now. I was already pulling my hair out when I noticed the Q code my motherboard offers and it was standing for AE, has it was already mentioned in some previous posts. After some research, and reading some threads, I do realize that it might be my brand new DVD Drive malfunctioning since I've reseated the RAM, swapped the SATA cables, unplugged my USB keyboard and plugged a PS/2 keyboard. Should I give it a try with a pen drive? I mean, to boot and to install w7 with it? I'm kinda lost here. And supposedly the store which sold this machine did all the tests that were supposed to be made. My final question is, after I do try using the pen drive to boot and install w7, what should I do if it fails horribly? I'm gonna give it a try today.

 

[coastie65]

HI. OKay, make sure the Optical drive is plugged into a SATA 2 port ( 3Gbs ) and NOT SATA 3 ( 6 Gbs ). I don't think those things will work on that port.

 

[Joaonabo]

Haven't tried that out yet. But as I'm reading while surfin on the net, this is what i've come across "The SATA ports are arranged such that the SATA Express port is nearest the 24-pin ATX, followed by four chipset SATA 6 Gbps ports and two SATA 6 Gbps from the ASMedia controller. Given what we have seen from GIGABYTE and ASRock, I am a little perplexed as to why ASUS did not invest into the tiered/stacked SATA plastic housing and routed appropriately, as this would have saved some space for (perhaps) another SATA controller or something else (a USB port?). Beside the chipset SATA 6 Gbps ports is the M.2 x2 slot, which as mentioned above shares bandwidth with the SATAe ports such that only one can be used at a time." Which helps me conclude that there aren't any SATA 2 3gbs ports.

 

[coastie65]

Haven't tried that out yet. But as I'm reading while surfin on the net, this is what i've come across "The SATA ports are arranged such that the SATA Express port is nearest the 24-pin ATX, followed by four chipset SATA 6 Gbps ports and two SATA 6 Gbps from the ASMedia controller. Given what we have seen from GIGABYTE and ASRock, I am a little perplexed as to why ASUS did not invest into the tiered/stacked SATA plastic housing and routed appropriately, as this would have saved some space for (perhaps) another SATA controller or something else (a USB port?). Beside the chipset SATA 6 Gbps ports is the M.2 x2 slot, which as mentioned above shares bandwidth with the SATAe ports such that only one can be used at a time." Which helps me conclude that there aren't any SATA 2 3gbs ports.

I just dug out my user guide for that Motherboard. There are no SATA 3.0 ports on it. I took the cover off to see which port I had the optical drive plugged into. I am in the very bottom and the HDDs and SSD is at the top. AE is a Legacy Boot thing. You are trying to install the OS. If you are installing it to the SSD then unplug the DATA cable from the Hdd.