Gigabyte Z97X UD5H rev 1.1 constantly restarts and won't boot up to the BIOS

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Sterlin22

Junior Member
Nov 21, 2012
11
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I've had my system as is for a while now, and it has worked fine up until I decided to go ahead and, for once in my computer's life, give CPU overclocking a shot. I had turbo-mode set up, and accessing the BIOS via the restart and spamming "Delete" button wasn't working (I tried multiple times), so I went ahead and downloaded and installed some utilities from the website below.

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4950#utility

First, I installed the Appcenter, then Intel Extreme Tuning Utility. I played around with the latter a bit, and made some CPU core clock changes, though this didn't reflect in Task Manager. I noticed that under the description for Intel Extreme Tuning Utility it stated to ensure that the BIOS was updated. I then installed the @Bios utility, and this is where all hell broke lose. I launched it through the Appcenter utility, and noticed an "update from file" option, and selected what I believed to be the appropriate file (I downloaded and extracted the F10 file from the link below).

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4950#bios

Once I tried doing this, I noticed my computer began to stutter by tremendous amounts. The computer restarted, and it said "BIOS is Corrupted" or something similar, and then it began to "Update the Bios." The process finished and then it restarted and my problems had just begun.

The issue:

Whenever I turn on my computer now it goes through two cycles. First it displays Debug LED BIOS code 8 (while powering on, fans from GPU / CPU's cooler / other fans spin just fine), while also showing the CLR_CMOS bottom-right corner LED, and then it eventually turns off and reboots.

Upon the next reboot, it goes through the boot up / post process, with the CLR_CMOS bottom-right corner LED enabled again, and the Debug LED Bios code goes through all sorts of iterations of letters and numbers, where it then gets to a6. Around here, the monitor shows the cursor and a black background, but that's it, the keyboard and monitor light-up as usual. After hitting a6, it toggles the "CLR_CMOS" led and lights up an adjacent "CLR_CMOS" led to the left of it, and then the Debug LED goes to "d6" while on the same clock-cycle turns off that "CLR_CMOS" led and lights up the initial one (to the right of it) again, and then after 2 seconds it turns off and restarts. The d6 code in the manual says "No Console Output Devices are found."

Things I've tried:

1) Taking out the GPU entirely, and plugging both an HDMI and a DVI-D (separate occasions) into the motherboard's associated I/O slots.

2) With the GPU still out, took out one of the RAM sticks, left the other one inside. Trying out different RAM slots and different iterations of this.

3) Unplugged basically everything from within the desktop, and replugged everything back in (SSD, HDD, PSU connector, GPU, and many other cables leading into the Motherboard).

4) Pressing the CMOS_SW and RST_SW buttons.

5) Prayed to the PC gods.

Any suggestions?

The specs:

Gigabyte Z97X UD5H
i7-4790k
Corsair H100i Liquid Cooler for CPU
16GB (2x8GB) Kingston 1866 Mhz
EVGA GTX 970
250GB Samsung 850 Evo
1TB 7200 RPM HDD (plugged in, but unused)
Corsair GS 700 Watt PSU
Coolermaster Storm Enforcer Case
Several Fans
Windows 10 64 Bit
 
Last edited:
redzo

redzo

Senior member
Nov 21, 2007
547
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There's a bios switch(BIOS_SW) near the reset buttons. Check page 22! You could try to force the MB to boot the B(backup) BIOS, this assuming that you've screwed your main(M) BIOS and that the MB is in trouble / does not boot the backup BIOS properly.

If you've managed to corrupt your backup BIOS image also, I think you're screwed. Though, based on your story, the B bios should be fine.
 
S

Sterlin22

Junior Member
Nov 21, 2012
11
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0
redzo said:
There's a bios switch(BIOS_SW) near the reset buttons. Check page 22! You could try to force the MB to boot the B(backup) BIOS, this assuming that you've screwed your main(M) BIOS and that the MB is in trouble / does not boot the backup BIOS properly.

If you've managed to corrupt your backup BIOS image also, I think you're screwed. Though, based on your story, the B bios should be fine.
Click to expand...

Thank you I will try this!

I can't do this though until 6 or 7 hours from now as I'm at work.
 
Last edited:
S

Sterlin22

Junior Member
Nov 21, 2012
11
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0
redzo said:
There's a bios switch(BIOS_SW) near the reset buttons. Check page 22! You could try to force the MB to boot the B(backup) BIOS, this assuming that you've screwed your main(M) BIOS and that the MB is in trouble / does not boot the backup BIOS properly.

If you've managed to corrupt your backup BIOS image also, I think you're screwed. Though, based on your story, the B bios should be fine.
Click to expand...

Also, I apologize for double posting, but...

Once I flip the switch, and force it to use the backup BIOS, what do I do from there?

I'm not supposed to leave that switch flipped, right? Otherwise it would just keep running the backup bios everytime I restart.
 
AnonymouseUser

AnonymouseUser

Diamond Member
May 14, 2003
9,943
107
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Yep. So with the backup BIOS working you can now flash the correct BIOS and switch back afterwards.
 
redzo

redzo

Senior member
Nov 21, 2007
547
5
81
Sterlin22 said:
Aw man, so that's where everything went wrong then huh?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Not exactly. Both rev 1.0 and rev 1.1 files seem identical(for F10). It appears that it's the same BIOS file for both revs. Things got messed up somewhere else.

1. Pray it works and technically you should be able to use the pc as usual.
2. Try to re-flash the correct and working BIOS on the main chip.
 
S

Sterlin22

Junior Member
Nov 21, 2012
11
0
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AnonymouseUser said:
Yep. So with the backup BIOS working you can now flash the correct BIOS and switch back afterwards.
Click to expand...


Unfortunately I can't even try to flip the switch until I get back home from work, I'll let you guys know how it goes.

I'm fairly new to messing with the motherboard / BIOS, is flashing the correct BIOS simple to do?
 
AnonymouseUser

AnonymouseUser

Diamond Member
May 14, 2003
9,943
107
106
redzo said:
Not exactly. Both rev 1.0 and rev 1.1 files seem identical(for F10). It appears that it's the same BIOS file for both revs. Things got messed up somewhere else.

1. Pray it works and technically you should be able to use the pc as usual.
2. Try to re-flash the correct and working BIOS on the main chip.
Click to expand...

You're right. MD5Sums for both files are identical. Seems something else caused the corruption.

Code: 
C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.0>md5sums.exe Z97XUD5H.F10

MD5sums 1.2 freeware for Win9x/ME/NT/2000/XP+
Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Jem Berkes - http://www.pc-tools.net/
Type md5sums.exe -h for help

[Path] / filename                              MD5 sum
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.0\]
Z97XUD5H.F10                                   42e161c5b3ce4373306a712f79c4b19e

C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.0>

Code: 
C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.1>md5sums.exe Z97XUD5H.F10

MD5sums 1.2 freeware for Win9x/ME/NT/2000/XP+
Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Jem Berkes - http://www.pc-tools.net/
Type md5sums.exe -h for help

[Path] / filename                              MD5 sum
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.1\]
Z97XUD5H.F10                                   42e161c5b3ce4373306a712f79c4b19e

C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.1>

Sterlin22, you may want to disable antivirus or boot into safe mode to use the Windows flash program. If that still fails then a DOS flash is your best option.
 
S

Sterlin22

Junior Member
Nov 21, 2012
11
0
0
AnonymouseUser said:
You're right. MD5Sums for both files are identical. Seems something else caused the corruption.

Code: 
C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.0>md5sums.exe Z97XUD5H.F10

MD5sums 1.2 freeware for Win9x/ME/NT/2000/XP+
Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Jem Berkes - http://www.pc-tools.net/
Type md5sums.exe -h for help

[Path] / filename                              MD5 sum
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.0\]
Z97XUD5H.F10                                   42e161c5b3ce4373306a712f79c4b19e

C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.0>

Code: 
C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.1>md5sums.exe Z97XUD5H.F10

MD5sums 1.2 freeware for Win9x/ME/NT/2000/XP+
Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Jem Berkes - http://www.pc-tools.net/
Type md5sums.exe -h for help

[Path] / filename                              MD5 sum
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.1\]
Z97XUD5H.F10                                   42e161c5b3ce4373306a712f79c4b19e

C:\Users\AU\Desktop\mb_bios_ga-z97x-ud5h_f10_1.1>

Sterlin22, you may want to disable antivirus or boot into safe mode to use the Windows flash program. If that still fails then a DOS flash is your best option.
Click to expand...

Last time I tried I wasn't able to even load up the boot screen, I only got to see a cursor and a blank screen with all fans spinning and my peripherals lit up, and even then this only lasted for a few seconds before it auto-restarted and began the cycle. The first thing I'll do is try to use the backup BIOS, and if that works, I'll go into the BIOS and Flash the BIOS with a USB that I'll have the f10_1.1 extracted onto.

That's the perfect scenario, the only other thing I can try really is to pull out the battery and try to clear CMOS again.

Thank you all so much, you've all helped calm me down, that's for sure. I'm very eager to get back to troubleshooting.
 
Last edited:
AnonymouseUser

AnonymouseUser

Diamond Member
May 14, 2003
9,943
107
106
Sterlin22 said:
Last time I tried I wasn't able to even load up the boot screen, I only got to see a cursor and a blank screen with all fans spinning and my peripherals lit up, and even then this only lasted for a few seconds before it auto-restarted and began the cycle.
Click to expand...

When you switch to the backup BIOS you'll be able to boot back into Windows as usual, so you could try the Windows flash utility again. You could also just do the DOS flash as well.
 
S

Sterlin22

Junior Member
Nov 21, 2012
11
0
0
Going to the back up BIOS worked, it brought me straight to Windows.

I then turned it off and on, went into the BIOS, and then put the newest version of the 1.1 revision into a flash drive and used it to update the BIOS. It also saved over the backup BIOS as well during this process.

I then turned off the computer, flipped the switch, and we're back in business!!!

Thanks to everyone!
 
S

Sterlin22

Junior Member
Nov 21, 2012
11
0
0
I only had 30 minutes of sleep last night.

The thought of losing my baby was killer, especially so close to the release of the GTX 1080!
 
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