BIOS not showing with Windows 8.1

[Dumica]

Hello guys!
I have a little problem that bothers me.

I have a ECS A55F2-M3 v1.0 and I have a problem with Windows 8.1 (Not Win 8), the problem is that on booting, the bios screen is not showing, nor the POST screen, so I can't enter the BIOS.

There is a black screen for like 5 sec, and then I get the W8 boot logo.

I updated my bios to the newest version, but that didn't help.

I'm now using Win7 x64, but I have a copy of Win 8 and Win 8.1 too, so it's not a problem.

Any suggestions?

[Tea1337]

Just use windows 8, I had that motherboard and it DOES NOT like windows 8.1, but it's fine with 8 for some reason. I couldn't get it to post or anything either. Best thing to do is just use either 8 or 7.

[Altecice]

Just use windows 8, I had that motherboard and it DOES NOT like windows 8.1, but it's fine with 8 for some reason. I couldn't get it to post or anything either. Best thing to do is just use either 8 or 7.

 

IMO that's a silly suggestion. Windows 8 will be dropped from support in under 2 years. Still leaving the OP with the same issue then.

 

To get into the BIOS, open Settings, then select General. Under Advanced Startup, click on Restart Now. This will restart your computer into the boot menu. From there select BIOS.

[Tea1337]

IMO that's a silly suggestion. Windows 8 will be dropped from support in under 2 years. Still leaving the OP with the same issue then.

 

To get into the BIOS, open Settings, then select General. Under Advanced Startup, click on Restart Now. This will restart your computer into the boot menu. From there select BIOS.

Support for windows 8 will end in 2018, so 4 years.

[Dumica]

Just use windows 8, I had that motherboard and it DOES NOT like windows 8.1, but it's fine with 8 for some reason. I couldn't get it to post or anything either. Best thing to do is just use either 8 or 7.

I like Windows 8, but I want that flex for the apps, I want more than 2 apps at the same screen, and that is why I like W8.1 very much.

(I installed w7 just because I didn't have w8 disc at that time. )

 

 

IMO that's a silly suggestion. Windows 8 will be dropped from support in under 2 years. Still leaving the OP with the same issue then.

 

To get into the BIOS, open Settings, then select General. Under Advanced Startup, click on Restart Now. This will restart your computer into the boot menu. From there select BIOS.

Thanks for that, I will try that and tell you the result!

[Altecice]

Support for windows 8 will end in 2018, so 4 years.

Windows 8 is being dropped out of support in less than two years

its 8.1 thats staying till 2018

[GoodBytes]

Windows 8 fully support UEFI. Your motherboard supports fully UEFI as well.

UEFI is a new BIOS setup technology that is significantly more advance than the old BIOS setup. In brief, it can simply go to every hardware at the same time and say "What are you?", and gets a response (supported hardware needed.. which you do have, exept the GPU, hence the long black screen part when you start the system). And that once it has all that information, it start the boot sequence and relay all that info to Windows.

Back with the BIOS days, the BIOS could not communicate with your hardware. It had to go to each hardware and start a scanning process, one by one. Once done, it starts the bot process. Now, Windows needs to repeat the entire process again, as the BIOS is not giving it to Windows (or any OS). That is why the fancier computer the slower it boot, and why OEMs computer, which are always basics in deisgn, boots always faster than our high-end custom build system. So now, it's no longer true.

So, if you had a UEFI ready GPU (you can update the firmware to make the graphic card GOP ready, which essentially means UEFI ready. But if you do that, you can't revert back, and the graphic card will no longer work on a tradition BIOS system anymore). So far only Intel intergarted graphic solution support both. GPU manufactor should opt to a dual chip for firmware with a jumper or switch, but they are not. Not yet at least. So it's manual firmware upgrade for now.

[TymmVonD]

@Dumica

My son's boot does that too. It's because the monitor doesn't display until right as the boot logo disappears. You have to spam F2 or Del as soon as the monitor goes black after a restart.

[GoodBytes]

Oh I forgot to mention. In order to get to the UEFI setup screen (aka: BIOS): when you restart your computer in Windows 8. before hitting the start button, hold the Shift key.

So in other words: Do Win+I to get the setting panel anywhere you are in Windows, click on the power button, then press and hold the Shift Key, and click on "Restart". Keep holding shift until you see a blue menu. On that menu, you'll have the option to go the UEFI (BIOS) setup screen, where you can configure your system.

The rapidity of the whole process is why this was implemented. That is also why Windows 8 doesn't have F8 to get to Safe Mode. It's too fast to do it. So after 3 fails startup, this is where Windows will display the Safe Mode screen.

[Dumica]

Windows 8 fully support UEFI. Your motherboard supports fully UEFI as well.

UEFI is a new BIOS setup technology that is significantly more advance than the old BIOS setup. In brief, it can simply go to every hardware at the same time and say "What are you?", and gets a response (supported hardware needed.. which you do have, exept the GPU, hence the long black screen part when you start the system). And that once it has all that information, it start the boot sequence and relay all that info to Windows.

Back with the BIOS days, the BIOS could not communicate with your hardware. It had to go to each hardware and start a scanning process, one by one. Once done, it starts the bot process. Now, Windows needs to repeat the entire process again, as the BIOS is not giving it to Windows (or any OS). That is why the fancier computer the slower it boot, and why OEMs computer, which are always basics in deisgn, boots always faster than our high-end custom build system. So now, it's no longer true.

So, if you had a UEFI ready GPU (you can update the firmware to make the graphic card GOP ready, which essentially means UEFI ready. But if you do that, you can't revert back, and the graphic card will no longer work on a tradition BIOS system anymore). So far only Intel intergarted graphic solution support both. GPU manufactor should opt to a dual chip for firmware with a jumper or switch, but they are not. Not yet at least. So it's manual firmware upgrade for now.

I know that Windows 8 supports Win8, my mbo supports it too, but the problem is (like you said) that my gpu doesn't support UEFI. I have a GTX470 SOC.

Well, I just installed Windows 8.1 on my pc, and lol, everything is working fine. Idk how....

 

 

@Dumica

My son's boot does that too. It's because the monitor doesn't display until right as the boot logo disappears. You have to spam F2 or Del as soon as the monitor goes black after a restart.

I spammed that the first time, but no help.

 

Oh I forgot to mention. In order to get to the UEFI setup screen (aka: BIOS): when you restart your computer in Windows 8. before hitting the start button, hold the Shift key.

So in other words: Do Win+I to get the setting panel anywhere you are in Windows, click on the button, then press and hold the Shift Key, and click on "Restart". Keep holding shift until you see a blue menu. On that menu, you'll have the option to go the UEFI (BIOS) setup screen, where you can configure your system.

The rapidity of the whole process is why this was implemented. That is also why Windows 8 doesn't have F8 to get to Safe Mode. It's too fast to do it. So after 3 fails startup, this is where Windows will display the Safe Mode screen.

Thanks for that info! I'll try that if I get some problems again.

[beebskadoo]

Disable secure boot and enable legacy boot.

[GoodBytes]

I know that Windows 8 supports Win8, my mbo supports it too, but the problem is (like you said) that my gpu doesn't support UEFI. I have a GTX470 SOC.

Well, I just installed Windows 8.1 on my pc, and lol, everything is working fine. Idk how....

UEFI is nice to support 'legacy' GPUs. Where it acts like if you have a normal BIOS. Where you have a moment of black screen as the GPU is being detected. Once that is done, the screen turns on, and then starts detecting the rest of your hardware.

Depending on your graphic card manufacture, you may be able to update the vBIOS or also called firmware, to be UEFI ready (it's actually called GOP (Graphics Output Protocol) ready, as this is what UEFI uses ask what the hardware is). But like I said, if you do this, the graphic card will not function on a system with an old BIOS. So, if you plan to give it away or sale it, it might be a problem to the user side. You can't undo the upgrade.

The reason why I said that some manufacture offer the upgrade firmware while others not, depends on the firmware chip used. Some are using non upgradable firmware chips (you can only write once on them), or doesn't have enough memory to support the new firmware. So you have to check EVGA, MSI, or whatever the manufacture of your card is, to see if you can upgrade it. That is, of course, if you care. It will provide 0 benefits beside a slightly faster boot up, and in no way will improve any gaming performance. SO up to you to see if it's worth the trouble or not.