PC boots to bios splash screen but USB ports not working

[Sankari]

4GB ram installed (one stick) and a GTX 750 for testing purposes. No drives installed. PC boots to the bios splash screen, but I can't enter bios because keyboard doesn't work.

Took out the CMOS battery for a while, but no joy. I've tried three different keyboards (one wireless, two wired) one of which is a Microsoft Comfort that works on everything else.

When I plug the keyboard in, its lights flash once, suggesting that power is getting through. But after that, nothing. So maybe it is a communication error rather than power, but whatever the case, it's not talking.

Any suggestions? Should I try a PS/2 connection instead?

 

[EsaT]

So no "Keyboard not found. Press any key to continue." error?
Unless you've checked that battery has clearly full voltage try changing it.

And what parts that PC has, including PSU.
My crystal ball isn't working...

 

[Sankari]

So no "Keyboard not found. Press any key to continue." error?

Not even getting that. If I leave it on the bios splash screen, it eventually reboots, even if I have a bootable hard drive installed.

Unless you've checked that battery has clearly full voltage try changing it.

New battery makes no difference.

And what parts that PC has, including PSU.
My crystal ball isn't working...

Socket 1150 motherboard and cpu, 500W psu, AIO water cooler.

 

[ezekial]

I would just try PS/2 anyway to eliminate that as an issue. Or perhaps try connecting to one of the USB ports in the case?

 

[wookiee87]

which usb ports are you using?, if i plug my keyboard into a usb3.1 port i get a post error and the system endlessly restarts until i switch over to a usb3 or a spare usb2 port, if the above doesn't work for you, as @ezekial said try a ps2 keyboard and see what happens

 

[Sankari]

I've tried all USB ports,same result. I'll see if I can dig a PS/2 keyboard out of the shed, and try that.

 

[wookiee87]

I've tried all USB ports,same result. I'll see if I can dig a PS/2 keyboard out of the shed, and try that.

if you find a ps2 keyboard and your able to enter the bios just check the usb's and make sure they are switched on, on the older 1150 motherboards there's usually a section somewhere that should have the option, modern boards don't usually have this as the pci lanes are plentiful so they can all run at the same time

 

[EsaT]

Not even getting that. If I leave it on the bios splash screen, it eventually reboots, even if I have a bootable hard drive installed.


Socket 1150 motherboard and cpu, 500W psu, AIO water cooler.

Memory problems/problem in settings has been known to cause not booting and eventual reboot on Ryzen PCs.


And that's no real information.
Except that you have there type of cooler which isn't good in lasting very long times and it might have reached its destination and CPU is overheating as result.

 

[Sankari]

Found a working PS/2 keyboard in the shed, tried it but no joy. PC boots to splash screen and hangs there, no response from keyboard.

Incompatible memory, perhaps?

Memory problems/problem in settings has been known to cause not booting and eventual reboot on Ryzen PCs.

And that's no real information.Except that you have there type of cooler which isn't good in lasting very long times and it might have reached its destination and CPU is overheating as result.

Gigabyte Z68X-UD3-B3 motherboard, i5 3570 cpu, one stick of 4GB G.Skill Ripjaws ram (F3-12800CL9D), GTX 750, bog standard mechanical hard drive.

The AIO cooler works fine, it was tested in another rig.

 

[wookiee87]

looks like its a issue with the Gigabyte Z68X-UD3-B3 board you have, a setting called "quick boot" messes up the bios to a degree it wont work, taking out the cmos battery will do nothing nor removing ram or cpu and re-installing them, i found a post online and a potential fix, "remove your gpu and install it in another pci-e slot on the board" it should trick your system into thinking new hardware detected and post with a "hardware change" hopefully go in the bios and under boot disable "quick boot" and see if the pc behaves normally

hope this helps

 

[Sankari]

Thanks for the tip, tried that but no joy. I'm running out of possibilities.

* ram?
* mobo?
* psu?

I have used the ram in other PCs without issue. It could be incompatible with the board, but I think that's unlikely.

 

[Quartz]

4GB ram installed (one stick) and a GTX 750 for testing purposes. No drives installed. PC boots to the bios splash screen, but I can't enter bios because keyboard doesn't work.

Is the keyboard plugged into a USB 3 port? Try plugging it in to a USB 2 port. Have you tried a second USB keyboard?

 

[Sankari]

Is the keyboard plugged into a USB 3 port? Try plugging it in to a USB 2 port. Have you tried a second USB keyboard?

I've tried three different keyboards, and all available USB ports, including 2.0. I'm concerned by the fact that the PC won't boot even when a bootable drive is installed.

 

[wookiee87]

Thanks for the tip, tried that but no joy. I'm running out of possibilities.

* ram?
* mobo?
* psu?

I have used the ram in other PCs without issue. It could be incompatible with the board, but I think that's unlikely.

thats a good point are any of the components (ram) branded with a company name (eg hp, dell etc) I've heard of problems with ram not working outside of oem machines if that makes sense.

another thing to try is power cycle the pc but just after you switch it on power down and repeat a few times, it can force the motherboard to switch to the backup bios and allow you on, there's a process to re flash the main bios and afterwards restart and the 1st bios should take over (not sure if its done via dos or the built in bios tools), i read a post online the other day but cant remember the link

may be worth swapping the cpu if you have a different model on hand, just to see if the cpu is a dud, unlikely though but worth checking to eliminate it

 

[Quartz]

Are you getting any BIOS beep codes?

 

[LuckyBenski]

Have you tried it with nothing plugged in? I have a PC that periodically refuses to boot with my Razer Naga mouse plugged in. It can be fine for weeks then one day, nope.

That's an Asus H81m motherboard so similar generation.

 

[Sankari]

thats a good point are any of the components (ram) branded with a company name (eg hp, dell etc) I've heard of problems with ram not working outside of oem machines if that makes sense.

another thing to try is power cycle the pc but just after you switch it on power down and repeat a few times, it can force the motherboard to switch to the backup bios and allow you on, there's a process to re flash the main bios and afterwards restart and the 1st bios should take over (not sure if its done via dos or the built in bios tools), i read a post online the other day but cant remember the link

may be worth swapping the cpu if you have a different model on hand, just to see if the cpu is a dud, unlikely though but worth checking to eliminate it

RAM is regular G.Skill Ripjaws, no company branding. I've checked the ram and it's fine, and I'm very certain it's not the cpui, this leaves motherboard or psu. I really hope it's the psu!

Are you getting any BIOS beep codes?

Nope. Just freezing at splash screen, no response from keyboard, then the PC reboots after 10 seconds or so.

Have you tried it with nothing plugged in? I have a PC that periodically refuses to boot with my Razer Naga mouse plugged in. It can be fine for weeks then one day, nope.

Tried with nothing plugged in, but no joy.

 

[wookiee87]

RAM is regular G.Skill Ripjaws, no company branding. I've checked the ram and it's fine, and I'm very certain it's not the cpui, this leaves motherboard or psu. I really hope it's the psu!

it could be similar to a friend of mine, he built a new system but couldn't get the pc to post let alone boot, he gave it to me and i tested all of his stuff one by one until i got to the mobo, no matter what i did his mobo would keep power cycling (acting as if it was going to the bios but just before it would power cycle again. a fair few hours had passed and still no joy, taking the cmos, cpu out and trying new ram and gpu's the same thing would happen.

i gave up as 8 hours in i knew the motherboard was the culprit, looking online and there were multiple people online with the same problems, and the only solution was to attempt a bind flash of the bios, which i attempted and although the process was successful, switching back on and the board was still playing up which was a real letdown.

i contacted my friend and suggested he send back the board and get another from a different manufacturer, which he did and when the new board arrived hey presto the pc posted to the bios and better booted to windows with out fail.

long story short but at this point i'd say its your motherboard unfortunately that has given up the ghost, remove all the parts (cpu, ram, gpu) and dispose of the board and move on, if you need a z68 have a look on the second hand market, perhaps you'll find an alternative, but it could be tricky to find given how old the platform is, but you never know

 

[Sankari]

This board was sold to me second hand by a retailer, who tested it before sending. It has been sitting unused until now, so it should be OK.

I'd like to rule out PSU and CPU before blaming the board.

 

[wookiee87]

well you'll need to find a way to test the cpu and psu in a diffrent machine, if the second pc fires up no problem with the cpu and psu installed thats a good sign that the cpu is working as should, regarding the psu, if the second pc boots normally, head into the bios and go to the monitor section within, usually near the bottom of this page there will be a readout of the psu voltages 12v, 5v ,3.3v check they are within 10% and if they are well the psu should be good too.

EDIT

just looked now and the i5 3570 you have installed, that cpu was supported from bios version F8 onward's, by any chance did the person you bought from know which bios revision it has on the board.

if your motherboard has bios version F5 which looks to be first release then the above 3570 wont work straight away until bios F8 you need a second gen chip (i7 - 2600 or i5 - 2500) to boot then update the bios and the 3570 should be good to go