MSI B850 Gaming Plus Wifi Stuck In Boot Loop

[Rocky-Roader]

I'm having a problem with my new MSI B850 gaming plus wIFI motherboard, it has developed a problem where the bios is stuck in a loop and when I try to change the settings or restore them to the default settings - they don't save.

The first thing I did was change the boot order to boot my dvd first so that I could install windows 8.1, the settings saved fine and windows installed without a problem.

I activated windows and installed all the updates, everything was still fine.

(For those wondering why windows 8.1? because on my old pc I had windows 8.1 and did the free windows 10 upgrade, so assumed I would have to do the same again)

In windows 8.1 I then used the upgrade to windows 10 option, this downloaded and installed, worked fine, however on the activation page it said I don't have a windows licence on the pc.

I used the restore option to go back to windows 8.1 and that was still activated so at this point I realised I can no longer upgrade for free and I'm going to have to buy a windows 10 licence as my windows 8.1 was an oem version.

I decided to create a windows 10 usb stick, format the m.2 hard drive and do a clean windows 10 install, so there's no trace of windows 8.1 as it served no purpose.

After creating the windows 10 usb stick, I started the installation process through windows 8.1, deleted the partitions, formatted the drive and windows started to install.

Then when the first windows is restarting screen appeared, the pc restarted but went straight into the bios - rather than automatically continuing the installation.

I then remembered that it was still trying to boot from the dvd, so I changed the boot order to usb first - saved and reboot.

Pc restarts and goes straight into bios again, looked at the boot order and it was back to dvd first again, so i changed it to usb again and saved, rebooted, still the same.

Then I tried the load default values, checked that they had changed and then saved the settings, then hit save and reboot.

Pc rerstarts and goes straight into bios again - boot settings back to dvd first.

I have tried changing random settings just to see if they actually save - but each time it restarts the changes have not saved.


If I put my windows 8.1 dvd back in, it will start the installation process but on the first restart it goes back to the bios again, I've created a windows 10 dvd and the same thing happens with that.


Any ideas?

The only thing about my setup which I think could cause a problem is that my motherboard has 2 cpu power slots next to eachother but my psu only has 1 cpu power cable - although if it was that surely it wouldn't have saved the first change I made to the boot order?

 

[Tetras]

I'd advise that you don't use DVDs and only install from a USB stick, I'm not sure these systems are tested properly for that.

I don't normally have to bother with the boot priority anymore when building new systems, I find it just handles everything automatically.

Do you have CSM enabled?

Then I tried the load default values, checked that they had changed and then saved the settings, then hit save and reboot.

Pc rerstarts and goes straight into bios again - boot settings back to dvd first.

I have tried changing random settings just to see if they actually save - but each time it restarts the changes have not saved.

Is the battery good?

You're not putting/leaving the USB stick in the flash BIOS USB port, right?

Do you do/change anything else when in the BIOS?

(For those wondering why windows 8.1? because on my old pc I had windows 8.1 and did the free windows 10 upgrade, so assumed I would have to do the same again)

If a PC has been updated to Windows 10/11 previously, then normally the license is saved on Microsoft's servers (converted to a digital license) and it just reactivates automatically, but if you build a new system then unfortunately you can no longer use Windows 7/8.1 keys to activate Windows 10/11.

 

[Rocky-Roader]

Thanks for the info RE windows is it safe to buy windows keys online? or are they likely to get shut off after a while?

The bios is showing the right time so I would assume the battery is ok, i will order a spare to test with though to rule it out,

I used the front USB for the flash drive to install windows, I tried disabling the TPM but the changes wouldn't save either so the only saved change is the boot order,

Would removing the m2 and putting a normal hdd in to see anything changes be worth a shot?