Having strange start up issues

[Shisimona]

This issue started about 2-3 weeks ago. It's something I have never encountered before but maybe someone here has.

When I first happened, I restarted my PC, and it restarted. But no post was showing up. But my LED debug was counting down from 60 to 45. Once it hit 45 and stayed on 45 for maybe 10 secs, it would shut down. Pressed the power switch, it did it again. Powered off. I'm thinking WTF is going on. Reset CMOS. Same thing again.

 

So I started unplugging all the unnecessary components. Still the same thing again. By this time, I'm frustrated as heck. As I never seen this before.

I plug everything back in, reset CMOS. Still the same issue.

Now, I start removing necessary components. I start with the ram. I have 2 stick of ram in slot 2 and 4. I remove the stick from slot 4. And behold, it starts up. 

I restart my PC again to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Started up again. So now i'm thinking, is my slot 4 dead, memory channel dead on the CPU or is my ram stick dead. So I shut down again, I remove the RAM stick that was in slot 2 to slot 4. PC started fine. So the RAM Stick 1 worked in slot 2 and 4. So next I tried Stick 2 that was originally in Slot 4. I put Stick 2 in slot 2. PC booted fine. Shut down. Put Stick 2 back in slot 4 and PC booted fine. So both sticks work in both slots 2 and 4. I shut down again. 

I put Stick 1 back in slot 2 and now I have both sticks installed. PC booted just fine. WTF. It didn't boot when I had both installed before. Windows does recognize both sticks. Along with the BIOS.

So I decided to restart my PC again. Wouldn't post again. Once it hit 45 on the LED debug, it shut down. I removed Stick 2 from Slot 4. PC booted just fine. Shut down. Installed Stick 2 again. PC booted just fine.

This time I shut down my PC instead of restarting. Wouldn't post again. Removed that same stick. Booted fine. Shut down. Put that stick back in. PC booted again.

Also each time it would post, it could come up with system has changed CPU or memory press F1 for setup or F2 to load defaults and load into Windows.

If I pressed F1, I would take me to the BIOS and I would just exit and I wouldn't change anything. I would exit the BIOS and would get a no post. Didn't matter if I had 1 or 2 sticks of ram installed. As long as I never went into the BIOS, it would post and boot just fine. But If I restarted or shut down my PC from Windows, I would have to remove Stick 2 so I can get it to post and booted into Windows. Then shut down again, to install Stick 2 once again and press F2 to load defaults and boot into Windows.

I have never seen anything like this. It's been running fine for the past 2 years. Then this started happening outta no where. I also tried flashing the BIOS but whenever I click on M-Flash, it exits the BIOS and nothing shows up. I do have that BIOS Flashback feature but I heard it can be hit or miss.

PC Specs:
MSI MEG Ace Max X570S
Ryzen 9 5900X
Noctua NH-D15
G.Skill Trident Z Neo DRR4 3200MHz 2x16GB CL14
Samsung 980 Pro 500GB Windows Drive
Samsung 970 Evo 2TB Game Drive
Crucial MX500 1TB Steam Drive
Seagate Green 5400 RPM 2TB Storage Drive
Asrock 6800XT Phantom Gaming
Seasonic Prime Platinum 1300 Watts
Windows 10 Home

[191x7]

21 minutes ago, Shisimona said:

This issue started about 2-3 weeks ago. It's something I have never encountered before but maybe someone here has.

When I first happened, I restarted my PC, and it restarted. But no post was showing up. But my LED debug was counting down from 60 to 45. Once it hit 45 and stayed on 45 for maybe 10 secs, it would shut down. Pressed the power switch, it did it again. Powered off. I'm thinking WTF is going on. Reset CMOS. Same thing again.

 

So I started unplugging all the unnecessary components. Still the same thing again. By this time, I'm frustrated as heck. As I never seen this before.

I plug everything back in, reset CMOS. Still the same issue.

Now, I start removing necessary components. I start with the ram. I have 2 stick of ram in slot 2 and 4. I remove the stick from slot 4. And behold, it starts up. 

I restart my PC again to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Started up again. So now i'm thinking, is my slot 4 dead, memory channel dead on the CPU or is my ram stick dead. So I shut down again, I remove the RAM stick that was in slot 2 to slot 4. PC started fine. So the RAM Stick 1 worked in slot 2 and 4. So next I tried Stick 2 that was originally in Slot 4. I put Stick 2 in slot 2. PC booted fine. Shut down. Put Stick 2 back in slot 4 and PC booted fine. So both sticks work in both slots 2 and 4. I shut down again. 

I put Stick 1 back in slot 2 and now I have both sticks installed. PC booted just fine. WTF. It didn't boot when I had both installed before. Windows does recognize both sticks. Along with the BIOS.

So I decided to restart my PC again. Wouldn't post again. Once it hit 45 on the LED debug, it shut down. I removed Stick 2 from Slot 4. PC booted just fine. Shut down. Installed Stick 2 again. PC booted just fine.

This time I shut down my PC instead of restarting. Wouldn't post again. Removed that same stick. Booted fine. Shut down. Put that stick back in. PC booted again.

Also each time it would post, it could come up with system has changed CPU or memory press F1 for setup or F2 to load defaults and load into Windows.

If I pressed F1, I would take me to the BIOS and I would just exit and I wouldn't change anything. I would exit the BIOS and would get a no post. Didn't matter if I had 1 or 2 sticks of ram installed. As long as I never went into the BIOS, it would post and boot just fine. But If I restarted or shut down my PC from Windows, I would have to remove Stick 2 so I can get it to post and booted into Windows. Then shut down again, to install Stick 2 once again and press F2 to load defaults and boot into Windows.

I have never seen anything like this. It's been running fine for the past 2 years. Then this started happening outta no where. I also tried flashing the BIOS but whenever I click on M-Flash, it exits the BIOS and nothing shows up. I do have that BIOS Flashback feature but I heard it can be hit or miss.

PC Specs:
MSI MEG Ace Max X570S
Ryzen 9 5900X
Noctua NH-D15
G.Skill Trident Z Neo DRR4 3200MHz 2x16GB CL14
Samsung 980 Pro 500GB Windows Drive
Samsung 970 Evo 2TB Game Drive
Crucial MX500 1TB Steam Drive
Seagate Green 5400 RPM 2TB Storage Drive
Asrock 6800XT Phantom Gaming
Seasonic Prime Platinum 1300 Watts
Windows 10 Home

Check the CMOS battery voltage with a multimeter or battery tester.

Flash the latest Bios.

Test the RAM with Memtest86+ or Passmark Memtest86.

[Shisimona]

10 hours ago, 191x7 said:

Check the CMOS battery voltage with a multimeter or battery tester.

Flash the latest Bios.

Test the RAM with Memtest86+ or Passmark Memtest86.

I changed the CMOS battery, as I don't have a multimeter. Problem still happens. Pain in the ass to change the battery, as I have to take the motherboard out because there's a heatsink covering half of the battery.

But while I was installing my motherboard back in my case, I noticed I had a Dual Bios switch. I figured, lets try it. My debug gave me a 02 error. Stayed like that for about 5 mins, til I powered down the system. Switched back to the Bios 1. Posted but now I have a Windows Boot error. This is a new one.

I press F9 and it gives me 2 options. I click on Volume 4 and it boots into Windows.

[191x7]

3 hours ago, Shisimona said:

I changed the CMOS battery, as I don't have a multimeter. Problem still happens. Pain in the ass to change the battery, as I have to take the motherboard out because there's a heatsink covering half of the battery.

But while I was installing my motherboard back in my case, I noticed I had a Dual Bios switch. I figured, lets try it. My debug gave me a 02 error. Stayed like that for about 5 mins, til I powered down the system. Switched back to the Bios 1. Posted but now I have a Windows Boot error. This is a new one.

I press F9 and it gives me 2 options. I click on Volume 4 and it boots into Windows.

When flashing the bios, did you make sure the second bios was also flashed? I don't know how MSI does this, Gigabyte has an option in a tool. Maybe Msi Live update?

 

But if Windows says a device is missing that means either a Bios option has changed (like TPM from firmware to hardware) or the OS is corrupted (sfc /scannow might help).

[Shisimona]

44 minutes ago, 191x7 said:

When flashing the bios, did you make sure the second bios was also flashed? I don't know how MSI does this, Gigabyte has an option in a tool. Maybe Msi Live update?

 

But if Windows says a device is missing that means either a Bios option has changed (like TPM from firmware to hardware) or the OS is corrupted (sfc /scannow might help).

The BIOS was never flashed. Because every time I exit the BIOS, it doesn't load up the M-Flash and hangs. Even just exiting the BIOS and not changing anything everything will hang. Then it does it's countdown on the debug from 60 to 45 and shuts down. I haven't tried the BIOS Flash Back with the USB and button but I heard people saying it's a hit and miss.

I also tested my ram with OCCT and Memtest Windows Version. No errors. I also tried a different set of set ram. Same issue.

[191x7]

1 hour ago, Shisimona said:

The BIOS was never flashed. Because every time I exit the BIOS, it doesn't load up the M-Flash and hangs. Even just exiting the BIOS and not changing anything everything will hang. Then it does it's countdown on the debug from 60 to 45 and shuts down. I haven't tried the BIOS Flash Back with the USB and button but I heard people saying it's a hit and miss.

I also tested my ram with OCCT and Memtest Windows Version. No errors. I also tried a different set of set ram. Same issue.

Try updating the bios using MSI Live Update, from inside the Windows.

[Shisimona]

9 minutes ago, 191x7 said:

Try updating the bios using MSI Live Update, from inside the Windows.

I managed to get the BIOS flashed through the BIOS. But the problem is still happening.

 

But I think I might have found the problem.

Either it's my DP port on my GPU, DP cable or my monitor. I decided to hook my PC to my TV and everything works. 

 

I say this because when my debug was counting down, that was my CPU temp. And I'm thinking it was timing itself out on that Recovery screen and shutting down. And when I removed my ram stick, thats when it decided to show. 

 

With my PC connected to my TV via HDMI, I shut down, restarted, and with entering and exiting the BIOS with zero issues. So far. 

 

I'm currently reinstalling Windows on my Windows Drive. And so far, each time it has restarted during the install, there has been a post showing.