Need help with motherboard

[Yosho]

I've already posted about this before, but I keep getting the same problem over and over again. I have an asus motherboard SLI 8AN32, and basically the problem from the very beginning was when I turn off my computer my motherboard's bios would randomly **** up, and the computer would turn on but the monitor wouldn't work or any other hardware.

I went to the computer shop and the first time they simply just, "fixed", it. Them motherboard is fine. It happens again, this time they tell me problem which was basically that sometimes when I turn off my computer the motherboard's bios doesn't save and then resets to default. The default setting on the motherboard is to overclock, and that is why the bios doesn't work.

He explained to me that if this happens you need to reset the bios by taking one ram chip out, turning on your computer, taking out another ram chip and turn on your computer. You hear a beep that means that bios has reset because the computer identifies there is no ram. So, about a week later my motherboard does the same thing and I do this method, everything is fine.

AGAIN, the motherboard screws up but this time the method doesn't work. I've littarly sat for hours just trying it over and over again, and it doesn't work yet it worked before. I give it to the store again and they fix it, but didn't tell me how.

I have the same problem now, and I am tired of going to that computer shop over and over again, I was hoping someone here could help me and tell me how I fix this without going there and paying them 40$ to fix it.

-I did about 30 diagnostics by now and there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with any other part of my computer. They can't even figure out why my motherboard is doing this.

I seriously never want to see asus again lol.

 

[Rob Williams]

He explained to me that if this happens you need to reset the bios by taking one ram chip out, turning on your computer, taking out another ram chip and turn on your computer. You hear a beep that means that bios has reset because the computer identifies there is no ram. So, about a week later my motherboard does the same thing and I do this method, everything is fine.

Unless that motherboard has a very unique way of doing things, that guy shouldn't be working at a computer shop. I've never heard of a BIOS reset that required such actions. You have two options, normally: 1) Remove the BIOS battery for a half-hour or 2) Move the CMOS jumper to the appropriate pins, turn on the PC for a minute, turn off again, then put the jumper back. This would all be documented in your manual.

I would try resetting the BIOS the "right" way and then see what happens.

 

[Yosho]

Hmm well I've reseted the bios a million times now, so its not working for me. However I did call Asus and when I gave them my ram which was Transcend, they told me they've never heard of that and its possible that its just not compatible with my board. It makes sense, cause I am guessing the tech shop just put another stick of ram in my motherboard and thats how they fixed it, so I am just going to try to replace ram with a more popular company.

 

[Yosho]

What bothers me the most is they say nothing appears to be wrong, yet they somehow fix it every time only for it to crash again a week later.

 

[GameMasterNick]

Yeah, sounds like incompatible RAM to me. Although that trick about the BIOS sounds more like someone who figured out the RAM was bad, but didn't realize what it was... so he made up a reasonably 'believable' response.

I usually stick to Crucial or PNY RAM (high end/low end) mainly because they've always worked for me in my Gigabyte mobos. (Had an Asus 'dragon' board once, but I'm just more familiar with Gigabyte). Most RAM manufacturers have a site where you can input your board and they will help you select a type of RAM to purchase (then you can purchase from them, or go shopping once you know what works).

 

[Yosho]

I figured it out...I don't know how it works but it just does. Basically, simply changing the jumpers to reset bios didn't work. But, if I took my ram out and then reset bios with jumpers it starts beeping and detects there is no ram. And my comp starts to work again.

If I turn off my computer, the bios gets corrupt again and doesn't turn on. So EVERYTIME I turn off my computer I have to reset my bios.....I don't know what I am going to do with this mobo now. I lost my receipt ages ago.

Could it be my power supply?

 

[Greg King]

I figured it out...I don't know how it works but it just does. Basically, simply changing the jumpers to reset bios didn't work. But, if I took my ram out and then reset bios with jumpers it starts beeping and detects there is no ram. And my comp starts to work again.

If I turn off my computer, the bios gets corrupt again and doesn't turn on. So EVERYTIME I turn off my computer I have to reset my bios.....I don't know what I am going to do with this mobo now. I lost my receipt ages ago.

Could it be my power supply?

Your BIOS is stored, like on every motherboard, on CMOS NVRAM (non-volatile) meaning that regardless of whether you have power running to your board or not, it should retain it settings. It sounds to me like your BIOS is somehow getting corrupted to the point of not allowing you to boot into windows.

I can't imagine that your RAM has anything to do with this problem at all but rather, you coincidentally happen to tape up the problem while switching around your RAM in different slots and configurations. I am saying, with almost complete certainty, that your motherboard is malfunctioning.

How old is the board? If it's under a year, or perhaps even 3 years, you might be covered under the manufacturers warranty. You can poke around here and here.

Hopefully this helps. I hate to see you continue to waste money on crack PC techs who don't even know how to correctly reset a BIOS. You can either live with the problem or get a new one. If the system runs well enough when powered on, you could use it while you save up for a new board.

On a different route, you could see if anyone could test the RAM for you. RAM has lifetime warranties more than likely and could be RMA'd if found to be faulty.