Dead motherboard, or something else?

[ChrisGlobe]

Built a PC for my girlfriend's brother a couple of months back (specs below) and today, after a Windows update, when it boots it shows a black screen with "Loading Windows" and reboots, goes to the "could not start windows...safe mode...last known good config...etc." screen but having tried every option, the same thing happens - it gets to a point and dies and reboots.

Tried installing Windows 10 from USB, "loading Windows..." screen and then it dies and reboots.

Tried a new, unused SSD, to install Windows 10 - same issue.

Tried the HDD from this build in my PC, it boots fine. Put it back in his PC and it still doesn't work.

Tried Hirens BootCD (well, USB) and can get in to XP, but can't get in to Linux, it just hangs.

Removed front USB, removed GPU, swapped RAM, reset BIOS, cleared CMOS by removing battery.

Anything else I can try? Or do I need to ring Scan tomorrow and RMA the motherboard?

• Gigabyte GA-H81M-H
• Pentium G3258 @ stock
• Cooler Master Typer TX3 Evo
• Corsair Value Select 4GB DDR3
• Gigabye 450W PSU (comes in bundle with case)
• Gigabye GZ-MA01 mATX case
• Western Digital Blue 1TB

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Tolemac]

I would try a full reinstall as the motherboard is working it sounds like a software conflict to me but I may be wrong there ^_^

 

[ChrisGlobe]

Tried Windows 10 as I don't have a copy of 7 to hand anymore, but that doesn't work, it just gets to a point in the "loading Windows! (i.e. before you get the GUI) and then reboots.

 

[cooperman]

possable it needs a bios update if its been siting on a shelf for a wile before being delivered.
What rev is it there are 4 revision's for it.

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4737#bios

 

[AlienALX]

Are you using UEFI? because I had this issue with my Alienware and one of my SSDs. So I had to switch to legacy mode.

 

[ChrisGlobe]

UEFI BIOS, not sure on the revision - I'll take a look tomorrow when I next see him.

Thing is, the PC has run perfectly find since it was built a couple of months ago. It was only yesterday when it died.

 

[You_What?]

Could well be a corrupted BIOS for some reason but given it was working until the Win10 update, sounds like a software conflict, have you deleted the partition you're re-installing the OS too? Well the one you'd had the original OS on?

Good luck.

 

[Asperatis]

Hmm sounds like the issue I had this week. I upgraded my rig to W10, it seemed pretty well but explorer was slow and laggy as hell. Then after a reboot it would go until that blue W10 login screen, go black, hang and reboot. It tried that a second time after the reboot only to crash again at the same point. After that it put me at the setup page saying 'overclocking failed, press f1 to continue'.
Thing is I wasn't OC'ing anything. I then just did a recovery fresh install on my boot ssd, that fixed both the crash issue and the laggy explorer.

I'd try a fresh install but to be sure flash your bios to its latest update too.

 

[ChrisGlobe]

Sorry guys, I don't think I've explained myself very well.

The system was working perfectly fine with Windows 7 on it, until it suddenly turned itself off. On reboot, it loads the black Windows 7 loading screen for a second or two, then reboots.

Having tried various things, I went to reinstall Windows 7 - it gets to "loading files" in the installer, then reboots. Same happens with Windows 10.

Tried both of the above on a new hard-drive, having totally removed the one that was in it, same problem.

Will give the BIOS a go this evening.

 

[ChrisGlobe]

Ok, it's a rev2.0 board, and the only BIOS is FA - "initial release" according to to the Gigabyte website, still worth flashing?

 

[ChrisGlobe]

...thought I might as well do it whilst I'm here; still no different, gets to the Windows loading screen and reboots. Try installing Windows 10, gets to the "loading files" screen and reboots.

RMA time?