GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

[rattman]

I just built a computer with the GA-EP45DS4P board. When I try to boot the computer up I see a red Led (ACPI 4/5) light up. After I press the power button I get an attempt to boot - at about 2 seconds the the cpu fan starts and then the board immediately shuts down and reboots over and over.

I have read many people having this problem: Example thread identical to mine : GA-EP45-DQ6(rev. 1.0) reboot loop
and
Please help me diagnose my EP45-ds3l Memory problems (getting worse)


I tried 1 memory stick but still no luck.
Memory = Gskill - F2-8500CL5D DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 2.0-2.1v
535 watt power supply
Radeon 4850 1 gig
1 sata hard drive
1 dvd rom
I have read it could be a bios issue but how do you flash it if its never worked?
I am very close to that 30 day window,
Tim Knight

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Re: GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

I just built a computer with the GA-EP45DS4P board. When I try to boot the computer up I see a red Led (ACPI 4/5) light up. After I press the power button I get an attempt to boot - at about 2 seconds the the cpu fan starts and then the board immediately shuts down and reboots over and over.

I have read many people having this problem: Example thread identical to mine : GA-EP45-DQ6(rev. 1.0) reboot loop
and
Please help me diagnose my EP45-ds3l Memory problems (getting worse)


I tried 1 memory stick but still no luck.
Memory = Gskill - F2-8500CL5D DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 2.0-2.1v
535 watt power supply
Radeon 4850 1 gig
1 sata hard drive
1 dvd rom
I have read it could be a bios issue but how do you flash it if its never worked?
I am very close to that 30 day window,
Tim Knight

Have you reset CMOS?

[rattman]

Re: GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

Do I just take the battery out for 1 minute? Forgive me for asking this question but what can actually happen to the CMOS that can cause the motherboard to not work? If this board was configured with different memory before I tried to use it would that cause the CMOS to be corrupted? Does a previous computer part write back to the CMOS?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Tim Knight

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Re: GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

Do I just take the battery out for 1 minute? Forgive me for asking this question but what can actually happen to the CMOS that can cause the motherboard to not work? If this board was configured with different memory before I tried to use it would that cause the CMOS to be corrupted? Does a previous computer part write back to the CMOS?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Tim Knight

Rattman,

Sry for the long reply but... its necessary... I'm new at this forum... your questions make me think you need a lot of info. And basics especially!;) I apologize if I misread your post, and if so, maybe somebody else can learn something from this all. ;)

You asked a lot and that's a good sign. :)

Do I just take the battery out for 1 minute?

You can... that's one way of doing it... but use your MOBO Manual and also consider what it says.

I always say:

"Manual! Manual! Manual! dude."

And using both the printed and the PDF version is most advisable when you troubleshoot a MOBO. Because with the printed version, you can for example, read while your in your BIOS screen and configuring it. Whereas with the PDF version you can perform tasks such as "word searching" to quickly find things, or "copy and paste" text, or even print out pertinent stuff and stick it to your forehead so you don't forget! lol I do all the time. ;)

So, get the PDF of your "GA-EP45-DS4P" MOBO Manual from here:

http://america.giga-byte.com/FileList/Manual/motherboard_manual_ga-ep45-ds4(p)_e.pdf

And read Page 34 where it says:

"CLR_CMOS (Clearing CMOS Jumper)".

Read everything.

Especially the part about turning off and unplugging your computer.

But its simple enough and no-worries. Although you will need a jumper- most ppl get one off an older IDE Hard Drive if they don't have a jumper handy. But what I do is the old slotted screwdriver trick. All it requires is a small slotted screwdriver- you just touch the two pins that are pointed out on Page 34.

Carefully! Carefully! Carefully! dude

It's like playing the old board game, "Operation"! lol

(You can start a new or old computer with the trick by touching the "PWR" pins with a screwdriver. "Grand Theft Computer!!!" lol But it mostly helps you when diagnosing if somebody's front panel weren't properly configured or gone bad or never properly configured in the first place.)

[...what can actually happen to the CMOS that can cause the motherboard to not work?]

It's just like the manual says:

"Use this jumper to clear the CMOS values (e.g. date information and BIOS configurations) and reset the CMOS values to factory defaults." [Page 34 - CLR_CMOS (Clearing CMOS Jumper)]

Edit: (Sry I misread you question.) Countless things can happen intentionally that would cause the MOBO not to function properly. But unintentionally? I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe ESD... countless things... It's not important now but very interesting to research and I recommend doing so later.

If this board was configured with different memory before I tried to use it would that cause the CMOS to be corrupted?

"Corrupted" may not be the correct terminology. But it is possibly a good characterization. Maybe an even better characterizations "an unhappy camper". lol

Does a previous computer part write back to the CMOS?

No. The part is gone. (Transcendentally? Maybe.lol As long as it was not shredded.lol)

A Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor is somewhat synonymous or considered interchangable with BIOS. And what it does and its function are not important now but very interesting to research and I recommend doing so later.

Get back to me and describe brifly what you tried, and the results.

GL Rattman

PS

Understand ESD:

YouTube - Electrostatic Discharge

Most ppl just touch their case a few times and avoid shuffling their feet. But like he says there's times to absolutely use a strap and other times that its not so terribly pertinent.

[rattman]

Re: GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

Thnx Bee_Dee_3_Dee,
I took the battery out last night and will try it again when I get off work. I will let you know what happens. Thanks again.

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Re: GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

Thnx Bee_Dee_3_Dee,
I took the battery out last night and will try it again when I get off work. I will let you know what happens. Thanks again.

np :)

And when you first start it up: Go straight into BIOS. Load Optimal Defaults. Set the clock. Select boot order. Check the oil pressure. ;)

GL :)

[rattman]

Re: GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

I took the battery out and left it out over night. I took the motherboard out of the case and only left the 24 pin and cpu fan power cords attached. I got the same red light ACPI4/5 on when power cord is plugged in and power supply is on. When I press the MB power button it starts to boot the cpu fan spins 1 time and it shuts down. Repeats every 3 seconds.

I guess I need to get a different power supply or take cpu out and test again. I wonder if all the people who also had this problem simply returned the boards and I got one of those?

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Re: GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

I took the battery out and left it out over night. I took the motherboard out of the case and only left the 24 pin and cpu fan power cords attached. I got the same red light ACPI4/5 on when power cord is plugged in and power supply is on. When I press the MB power button it starts to boot the cpu fan spins 1 time and it shuts down. Repeats every 3 seconds.

I guess I need to get a different power supply or take cpu out and test again. I wonder if all the people who also had this problem simply returned the boards and I got one of those?

And the "8-pin ATX 12V power connector"?

Is it plugged in too?

[rattman]

Re: GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

Yes I also attached two 4 pin power supplies ( wired together on same rail) to the board next to the cpu.

[rattman]

Re: GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

Ok - I took CPU out. The red light was on until I pressed the MB power button and then the red light went out. I put cpu back in and and this is now what happens:
1. Power on power supply and red ACPI4/5.
2. Press MB power button and ACPI4/5 turns off and ACPI 0 turns green and sys fan turns blue and phase light Leds light up.
3. DimmLed turns blue
4. CPU fan comes on for 3 seconds. Everything turns off and ACPI4/5 turns red.
I used a 300 watt supply next but it does not have the additional power supply for 24 pins. This supply turns the red ACPI45 off but no cpu fan comes on. I had to use the 550 watt power cord for the 8 pin power connector.
What should I see with CPU out?
Thanks for any help,
Tim Knight

[rattman]

Re: GA-EP45DS4P ACPI led s4/5 red. Board reboots every 3 sec

I got a known working power supply and did this:
Took out cpu but left cpu heatsink fan plugged in. The boards leds turned green and the sys fan was blue but the cpu fan did not spin. Board just sits idle as if all is ok.

Plugged in cpu and fan and system boots and cpu fan spins for about 3 seconds then board reboots and red led ACPI4/5.

Is it the board or the cpu ( brand new from Newegg)?