Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

[NateZ]

Hi all, this is my first post and would really appreciate any help.
This is my first build since the days of 486's, probably about 20 years ago, so I am certain I made dumb (and careless) mistakes.

Just got all the parts today. Took a few tries to get OS installed, as I kept getting BSOD. After a few reboots got the OS installed, but computer would occasionally restart and I couldn't see why. As far as I could tell power was consistently on. Thought I would be smart and update the BIOS. Got the version 1.5 windows update from the ASRock site, and update was going OK until screen blanked out. It's still blank. And now the power button doesn't even work.
So, two questions:
1) Is there any way to salvage this Mobo? Or is my best bet to send back to Newegg?
2) Is there something else that might have been causing those spontaneous restarts?

Specs:
Mobo- ASRock Z75 Pro3
BIOS- 1.40 (tried to update to 1.50)
CPU- Pentium G630
RAM- GSkill Ripjaws DDR3 1600 2 x 4Gb
VGA- Radeon HD 6670 Gigabyte GV-R667D3-1GI
HD- OCZ Agility 3 60 Gb AGT3-25SAT3-60G

Any help is very much appreciated! Thx!

[synack]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

Hi all, this is my first post and would really appreciate any help.
This is my first build since the days of 486's, probably about 20 years ago, so I am certain I made dumb (and careless) mistakes.

Just got all the parts today. Took a few tries to get OS installed, as I kept getting BSOD. After a few reboots got the OS installed, but computer would occasionally restart and I couldn't see why. As far as I could tell power was consistently on. Thought I would be smart and update the BIOS. Got the version 1.5 windows update from the ASRock site, and update was going OK until screen blanked out. It's still blank. And now the power button doesn't even work.
So, two questions:
1) Is there any way to salvage this Mobo? Or is my best bet to send back to Newegg?
2) Is there something else that might have been causing those spontaneous restarts?

Specs:
Mobo- ASRock Z75 Pro3
BIOS- 1.40 (tried to update to 1.50)
CPU- Pentium G630
RAM- GSkill Ripjaws DDR3 1600 2 x 4Gb
VGA- Radeon HD 6670 Gigabyte GV-R667D3-1GI
HD- OCZ Agility 3 60 Gb AGT3-25SAT3-60G

Any help is very much appreciated! Thx!

Any chance the bios flash switched your primary video back over to onboard? try moving your monitor over to that.

If that doesnt help. simplify.
remove power first, remove the radeon and maybe the hard drive. clear the cmos. just keep enough connected to POST.
That motherboard is supposed to have "crashless" bios, that will resume a failed update. plug in a USB key with firmware and boot the system.

Syn

[parsec]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

To bad you didn't use the BIOS flashing feature run from the BIOS itself, I've found that to be very dependable.

Your SSD may be contributing to your BSODs, as it is not known for its great stability. Did you install all the drivers after you installed Windows?

As synack wrote, check the manual for the procedure for the crash free BIOS recovery. You must use one of the USB 2.0 ports, and only a USB 2.0 port, on the rear I/O panel for the USB flash drive with the BIOS file. You must remove all power from the board when trying to reset it, power supply off and unplugged from AC power. Clear the BIOS with the boards jumper, and even removing the boards battery.

If the BIOS was completely ruined, you can get a new BIOS chip through ASRock by contacting their customer service.

[NateZ]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

Thanks Syn and Parsec for your quick responses. Still haven't fixed the problem but have not yet tried to use the USB stick method you both mentioned.
Parsec - Disappointing about the SSD if it is the issue, but thanks for advising. Definitely tried to update drivers for SSD, but remember reading something about not being able to update for a system drive. Thanks also for advising regarding the CMOS chip through customer service.
Syn - I tried switching the monitor to the analog on-board D-Sub VGA port. The monitor recognizes that it is plugged into a port, but I just get a blank screen, as with the Radeon DVI port. I plugged my TV into the on-board HDMI port, and didn't even get the TV to see a signal, although that could very well just be the TV.
At this point I have unplugged everything from Mobo, including RAM and SSD, except: CPU and Chassis Fans, Mobo Power, CPU Power, and System Panel Header. The CPU fan, both chassis fans, and PSU fan are going, and the power led is on, but no other signs of life. I have tried clearing CMOS by moving the jumper on the cmos clear header (haven't moved battery yet, will try USB first). No luck.
Looking up how to do the USB Bios update now. I don't see instructions regarding same in the guide that came with the board. Incidentally, the rear panel USB ports don't seem to be providing power to the mouse and keyboard I have plugged into them; I hope that won't affect the USB firmware update.
Thanks again, and I appreciate any other thoughts while I work on this issue.
- Nate

[synack]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

Lol, I hope you meant you reseated the RAM. Nothing will work without it. All you need to power up is well, power... video (preferably just the onboard for now), CPU w/fan, memory and a keyboard.

Do you get ANY life when you power up? Do you get fans? Does that mobo have an internal speaker? I see a header for one in the far bottom corner. Happen to have an internal speaker laying around? Maybe you might get some beeps or blips or something.

[synack]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

Oh another question, Do you have any other RAM laying around that'll fit this board? I don't usually express brand preference, but I have special dislike for gskill memory. Been burnt 2 out of 2 times with crappy ripjaws. Both exhibiting random crashes and "funkyness" that was resolved by replacing them with other brand RAM. I ended up tossing them in the garbage lol...
I hope this doesn't anger the forum owners seeing as G.skill's tech support is on here.

[parsec]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

Yeah, gotta have RAM in there, use slots 2 and 4 with two DIMMs.

Good idea about the speaker beep codes synack, there is a header for a speaker, and my ASRock board (really the BIOS) will produce beeps.

No power to the keyboard or mice is strange, again use the USB 2.0 ports, if the ports on the I/O panel are blue, they are USB 3.0 and won't be active during POST.

Since this is your first build in a while, just to check, what power supply are you using? Does it have the extra four or eight pin cable for CPU power, than connects to the mother board, as well as the 24 pin main cable? Gotta have at least a four pin cable for that extra power. Be SURE that the cable is NOT a video card power cable, it will likely fit but is NOT the same.

synack, curious about your G.SKILL memory, that's all that I've used for years until I started using the new Samsung. Never a problem, but doo-doo occurs.

[synack]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

synack, curious about your G.SKILL memory, that's all that I've used for years until I started using the new Samsung. Never a problem, but doo-doo occurs.

True, it might have been just bad luck.. twice.. lol...

[NateZ]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

Thanks again for your responses.
Shows how much I know... Thought maybe I could POST without ram. Had tried reseating earlier. As it did nothing, I took the RAM out completely. Put one DIMM back in and now the rear panel USB powers my mouse (as long as it is plugged in when I turn system on). No indication it is reading the USB stick or keyboard.
Only other sign of life is all fans on (psu, cpu, 2x chassis). This old machine I'm using right now probably has a PC speaker somewhere, but half the board is covered by the CPU heatsink and I don't want to mess with it being that its my only working machine. I tried plugging external speakers into the rear-panel audio ports and front panel port (after plugging front panel back into HD audio header) but haven't heard anything.
I don't have any other memory that would fit this board, but the Ripjaws seems a more likely culprit for the weird resets and BSODs I was getting that spurred me to update the BIOS...
- Nate

[synack]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

Hey, I don't want to incite hate against gskill lol... I was only relaying my experience with them. But trying dif memory is a good idea anyway, regardless of manufacturer if you are having these sorts of problems.
I don't think you can run a single dimm on that board, I could be wrong, but I believe you require 2. But it's interesting that you get *some* life with only 1 dimm in. if you had a speaker, you would probably get a "memory error" lol. see if you can't borrow a set of ram from someone for testing. i'd hate for you to need to go out and buy RAM to find out that wasn't it.

[profJim]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

You're getting good advice so far.
Keep in mind that modern motherboards will not post if you don't have the 8-pin EPS12V psu cable or the 4-pin ATX_12V psu cable connected to you motherboard. If you only have the 4-pin cable, check the motherboard user manual to be sure that it is connected to the correct half of the 8-pin socket.

Proceed with a minimal hardware boot, your goal is to be able to get into the bios with your monitor working.
Temporarily disconnect all attached drives and any hardware that isn't required for booting into the bios.

Your motherboard has a single PS/2 connector on the rear I/O panel. See if you can use an older PS/2 keyboard while booting.
I just checked and your psu has a 4+4 pin ATX_12V/EPS12V power cable setup so you want to connect both 4-pin cables into the 8-pin connector.
Even if your power supply is brand new, you might need to borrow another power supply to test with.

When I build a new system, I always place the motherboard on a cardboard box beside the computer case.
I don't install the motherboard into the computer case until the system is fully functional, the operating system is fully installed and updated and I've completed my initial stress testing.

Never put the motherboard's anti-static bag under the motherboard because the outer cover is electrically conductive.
Make sure that your cpu cooler is fully seated and that none of the corners partially seated.

[NateZ]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

Yeah, gotta have RAM in there, use slots 2 and 4 with two DIMMs.

Good idea about the speaker beep codes synack, there is a header for a speaker, and my ASRock board (really the BIOS) will produce beeps.

No power to the keyboard or mice is strange, again use the USB 2.0 ports, if the ports on the I/O panel are blue, they are USB 3.0 and won't be active during POST.

Since this is your first build in a while, just to check, what power supply are you using? Does it have the extra four or eight pin cable for CPU power, than connects to the mother board, as well as the 24 pin main cable? Gotta have at least a four pin cable for that extra power. Be SURE that the cable is NOT a video card power cable, it will likely fit but is NOT the same.

synack, curious about your G.SKILL memory, that's all that I've used for years until I started using the new Samsung. Never a problem, but doo-doo occurs.

DIMMS are back in A2 and B2 slots.
Really wishing I had a spare PC speaker.
I am only using USB 2.0 ports. Mouse has power now that I put the RAM back in, but that's really the only change I can see. Fans work without RAM. No status lights on the keyboard or USB stick.
PSU is an Earthwatts 380D. The 8 pin CPU cable is in the CPU slot on the mobo. The PCI power cable is not being used.
Thanks again for your help guys!

[profJim]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

You might have missed my post which got in ahead of you by seconds.
You can buy a case speaker at Radio Shack and possibly at BestBuy.

[NateZ]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

i'd hate for you to need to go out and buy RAM to find out that wasn't it.

Yeah that's not an option. Already dealing with my wife's "I told you this would happen"s.

[NateZ]

Re: Z75 Pro 3 Mobo BIOS Update fail - blank screen

Thanks for the tips Prof, and thanks again Syn and Parsec, you guys are awesome.
It's 3:15 and I'm about out of ideas to try now. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can borrow a couple DDR3 Dimms, and see if I can actually get ahold of somebody at Asrock customer service or tech support. I'll also be swinging by radioshack to pick up a cheap internal speaker to help diagnose. Will let y'all know what happens.
Thanks again!
Nate