Question Computer turns on, off, then on again and straight to BIOS prompt

[Lorenz]

Hi, All.

Not sure if this is the correct thread as I am unsure if the problem is due to my motherboard, PSU, or something else.

First off, here are the specifications of my build (purchased and assembled in Sept. 2018):

CPU: Intel Core i5 8600K (overclocked using onboard application AI Suite III or EZ Flash, not sure which one);
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Red LED;
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix Z370 G Gaming Wi-Fi (AC);
RAM: G. Skill TridentZ DDR4 3200 16gb (2x8);
PSU: Seasonic Focus+ Platinum 850px;
SSD: Adata 240gb Adata XPG SX8200;
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 64mb 3tb; and
GPU: EVGA FTW3 GTX 1080 ti.

Around Sept. 09, 2020, Windows 10 updated itself upon shutting down the computer. When I turned on the computer the following day, it immediately shut off, then after 1-2 seconds, turned on again, and was stuck on the image below:



I updated the BIOS, downloaded another Windows 10 update, Intel RAID controller, but the computer still repeats the cycle: upon turning on, immediately shuts down, then 1-2 seconds before turning on again.

Would this be a motherboard problem? I am thinking, the PSU shouldn't be the issue, as Seasonic is a decent brand (though I may be wrong). Or, is the issue caused by the Windows 10 update, and reformatting may resolve the problem?

I also noticed that the frequency of my RAM as indicated in the image is at 2133, though I know I have 3200 RAM.

Worst case, do I need to replace my computer already (as opting for repair might not be feasible at the moment due to the quarantine/pandemic situation)? Or, is it okay to leave my computer as it is (on, off, on again) if it will not cause further hardware problems?

Just for added information, my computer is plugged into an Automatic Voltage Regulator (2000 volts, I believe).

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Steltek]

Okay, you've officially got me confused. Please verify that I am understanding correctly by verifying that what follows is what happened:

Windows does an update, shuts down, and the computer hangs at the screen image you posted the next time you restarted.

You then updated the motherboard BIOS, and Windows booted up again. You then got a driver update for Intel RAID controller in Windows, the system restarted, and now the system is powering on and turning off and you further cannot now get back into the BIOS?

Is this what is happening?

Also, please verify whether you have tried to reset the CMOS memory by shorting the jumper and, if so, whether you returned the jumper to its default position afterwards (it has to be back in the default position or the system won't boot). If you have not done this and decide to try to do it, make sure the power is turned off when you reset the CMOS memory or it can damage the motherboard - if you can't stop the system from turning off and on, simply unplug the power cord, clear CMOS, then plug it back in).

Also, if the system is just powering on and off and you can't get back into the BIOS, try to power off (unplug if necessary), open the case and unplug the SATA cables from all of your SATA drives. Then power the system back up and try to enter the BIOS (I'm presuming here that you are using an actual SATA SSD and not a NVMe boot drive). If you actually get in the BIOS, post back to let us know and don't change anything else (the BIOS update may have changed some important settings which need to be changed back).

 

[Lorenz]

Okay, you've officially got me confused. Please verify that I am understanding correctly by verifying that what follows is what happened:

Windows does an update, shuts down, and the computer hangs at the screen image you posted.

You then updated the BIOS, and Windows booted up again. You then got a driver update (for Intel RAID controller), and system is now powering on and off and you cannot now get back into the BIOS?

Is this what is happening?

Also, please verify whether you have reset the CMOS memory by shorting the jumper and, if so, whether you returned the jumper to its default position afterwards (it has to be back in the default position or the system won't boot). If you have not done this and decide to try to do it, make sure the power is turned off when you reset the CMOS or it can damage the motherboard - if you can't stop the system from turning off and on, simply unplug the power cord).

If the system is just restarting and you can't get back into the BIOS, try to power off, then unplug the SATA cables from all of your SATA drives, then power the system back up and try to enter the BIOS (I'm presuming here that you are using an actual SATA SSD and not a NVMe boot drive). If you actually get in the BIOS, post back to let us know.

Hi, Steltek.

Apologies for the confusion.

Okay, to clarify:

My computer installed a Windows 10 update before shutting down around a week ago.

After shutting down, I did not do anything on my computer’s hardware.

The following day, when I turned on the computer, it turned on (motherboard and other parts lit up) but immediately turned off again. After maybe around 1-2 seconds, the computer turned itself back on (no action from me), and proceeded to the image in my original post.

I can proceed to the BIOS (by pressing F1), and after closing BIOS, the computer will proceed to Windows and operate normally.

When I shut down the computer again after the first time it happened, and then turned it on again after maybe a few hours, same thing happened: after turning on, the computer immediately shuts down, then turns itself on after 1-2 seconds and proceeds to the image in original post. After going through BIOS, computer will proceed to Windows, no issues.

I then tried updating the BIOS to see if this would fix the foregoing issue, but it didn’t help. I then downloaded other updates for the motherboard (Intel RAID controller, I think), but problem still persisted. I checked for Windows 10 updates despite updating recently, and found there was an available update, so I downloaded and installed that.

Despite the foregoing updates, my computer still exhibited the same behavior: after turning it on, it will immediately shut down, then turn on after 1-2 seconds before going to the image posted.

I am afraid I do not know what a CMOS is, so I don’t think I fiddled with that. I did not touch or remove any hardware since I purchased the computer in 2018.

I hope this clarifies the issue. I will try removing and reconnecting the SATA cables and let you know if it worked. Thanks for this advice!

 

[Steltek]

Removing the SATA cables was only intended if you could not get back into the BIOS. You can get there, so it isn't really necessary to do that in your case.

After you flashed the BIOS, did you follow the proper procedure to reset the BIOS to optimized defaults? If you did not, you need to do so. Then, you need to reset your memory XMP profile to 3200. You also need to make sure your boot mode settings are reset to match what they were before you flashed the BIOS (probably to UEFI mode, or Legacy mode - not RAID mode unless you are running a RAID array that you didn't previously mention).

 

[UsandThem]

The BIOS will do what you describe if it detects a hardware issue when initializing. It can also do this if a BIOS setting is causing issues, and it will reboot and load the default values (like overclocking RAM or the CPU).

You might want to test a few of the components to see if there are any issues there. First would be the memory, and the second would be the hard drive(s). This can be done with a few simple programs/utilities. You also want to disable the automatic overclocking while you are trying to figure out what is wrong, and run the CPU at its default settings.

RAM:
https://www.memtest86.com/

SSD:
https://crystalmark.info/en/software/crystaldiskinfo/

Edit:

Also another thing to note for when you build any more PCs in the future, those auto-overclock utilities are not a good thing to use/run. They typically throw a ton of unnecessary voltage at the CPU, and it would be something you don't want to do for something long-term. That tends to cause the CPU to run hot, and could cause CPU degradation. If you want to overclock your CPU, do so by manually changing the settings (e.g. voltage, CPU multiplier, etc.)

 

[Steltek]

Because the system installed RAID drivers, I'd suspect that flashing the BIOS may have reset the SATA port to RAID mode in the UEFI setup not to AHCI like it should be.

Also, in addition to @UsandThem's suggestion, check the following LED for indications of errors while the system is booting up:

 

[Lorenz]

Hi, @Steltek and @UsandThem .

First off, thanks for the replies and advice.

I was unable to load optimized defaults after I updated (is this same as flash?) the BIOS. I did so yesterday after reading the advice, and reset memory to 3200. However, problem still persisted, and when I checked the BIOS settings after the problem cycle, the memory reverted back to 2133 without any action on my part.

Is boot mode settings (to change RAID back to UEFI or Legacy; note: I am not running a RAID setup, not to my knowledge, at least) also found in BIOS settings? Forgive me, I have little to no knowledge in handling hardware and hardware settings. I tried changing the PCH storage settings from Intel Optane... something, to AHCI. However, Windows does not load and an error "Inaccessible Boot Device" appears. Not sure if this is relevant.

I tried memtest86, as suggested above, and my computer's memory passed the four test cycles (took about three hours to complete) with no errors. I took a photo of the results and can post here if this is needed.

I also ran crystaldiskinfo, and both my SSD and HDD appeared "good".

Thank you @UsandThem for the advice against using auto overclock utilities. I will definitely avoid using these programs in case I change computers in the future.

As for the onboard LEDs, I noticed these colors after the problem cycle (i.e., turn on computer, automatic and immediate shutdown, and auto turn on after 1-2 seconds): red LED, then orange LED, white LED, then finally green or yellow-green LED and stayed on this light upon landing on the screen as shown in the attached photo in my original post. Not sure if these are the right LED lights at which I should be looking. After exiting BIOS, no LED stays lit up and proceeds to Windows normally.

Final note, not sure again if this is relevant, I noticed that after shutting down my computer, but maintaining my Auto-Voltage Regulator turned on (since my computer is plugged into the AVR), when I turn on the computer again even after 10-15 minutes, it turns on normally, no issues.

However, when I shut down the computer AND turn off the AVR, I notice that there is an LED on the motherboard (I think the ROG logo) which stays on for around 10-15 seconds. After this LED light turns off, and I turn on the AVR and computer again, the problem returns (i.e., turn on, immediately turns off, then on again after 1-2 seconds). My brother pointed out that it may be a battery (?) problem. Though, like me, we are both ignorant as to hardware issues and may not be relied upon for advice.

I am already considering reformatting my whole system, if this may help.

Again, thanks for all the advice and assistance on this issue!

 

[UsandThem]

However, when I shut down the computer AND turn off the AVR, I notice that there is an LED on the motherboard (I think the ROG logo) which stays on for around 10-15 seconds. After this LED light turns off, and I turn on the AVR and computer again, the problem returns (i.e., turn on, immediately turns off, then on again after 1-2 seconds). My brother pointed out that it may be a battery (?) problem. Though, like me, we are both ignorant as to hardware issues and may not be relied upon for advice.

It sounds like the motherboard loses the BIOS settings, and acts like it's booting up for the first time.

Since motherboard batteries are pretty inexpensive, I would definitely replace it and see if that is the cause of your boot issues.

 

[VirtualLarry]

You could try replacing the CMOS battery, it should be a CR2032 lithium 3V coin cell battery, in a holder on the mobo. You can get them at drug stores.

Although, if your board was purchased in 2018, it's unlikely that it needs one so soon, usually they last at least five, and sometimes seven or more years. But sometimes mobo makers use old battery stock, or the board sits in the warehouse in conditions that make the battery age, so you need to replace them sooner.

But I agree with @UsandThem 's assessment, it sounds like a BIOS/UEFI setting is incorrect, and blocking initial boot.

 

[Lorenz]

Thanks for the quick advice, @UsandThem and @VirtualLarry !

I guess my brother may have been on to something.

I will try purchasing a new CMOS battery, recheck the BIOS settings, and see if these will resolve the issue.

Thanks again!

 

[Lorenz]

Hi, All.

My new motherboard battery arrived today. After replacing the old one, the problem still appeared when I turned on my computer. Upon arriving at BIOS setup, I again loaded optimized defaults and shut down my computer. After turning it on again, it now works fine. I guess I just had to do an initial boot and load defaults with the new battery. I hope this problem will no longer come back (until the battery runs out again).

Anyway, thank you again for all the assistance, @Steltek, @UsandThem, and @VirtualLarry!