Gigabyte AB350 Gaming 3 stuck at bios screen after update

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 12:17

Hi folks,

Trying to fix the fact my PC won't recover from sleep mode properly from another thread and one suggestion was quite sensibly to update the bios.

Putting aside the total mess of instructions that Gigabyte offered here:
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-AB350-Gaming-3-rev-1x/support#support-dl-bios

My Bios was v4, so picking through the mess of their guidance I worked out I'd need to:

- Install v31
- Then install EC FW Update Tool
- Then install v40
- Then install v52e

To then be up to date.

However I tried installing v31 and it completed fine and restarted and then just hung at the bios flash screen.

I've tried:
- removing all but one ram sticks
- disconnected all sata drives
- even tried switching it off and on again...

Any ideas on how to reset/revert or flash this another way? It can't load the bios or the q-flash utility, so scratching my head a bit....!

mickyflinn · 15 Jan 2022 at 12:25

Try clearing the cmos on the motherboard by using the jumper, remove the bios battery and disconnect power from the wall . Leave for 10 mins reset jumper and bios battery then try to boot.

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 12:35

Ok tried that - got a beep and reset when restarted, so obviously detected the cmos reset, but stuck at same screen again?

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 12:42

Ps I'll confess I'm being a little lazy and just using the CMOS reset jumpers rather than taking the battery out too - I 'think' they do the same thing??

Journey · 15 Jan 2022 at 12:48

So you get a beep but no display output at all? What CPU is installed?

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 13:09

I get the splash screen for the bios, but nothing further.

Ryzen 1700X is CPU!

Journey · 15 Jan 2022 at 13:16

katie279 said:
I get the splash screen for the bios, but nothing further.

Ryzen 1700X is CPU!

Well if it is hanging on the BIOS splash screen then that is good news at least. How long have you let it sit there for?

I'd do a full reset, with the jumper and the battery plus unplug it from the mains for 10 mins just as belt and braces.

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 13:21

Yes, left it there for about 30 mins initially, will try full reset then!

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 15:27

Hmm no joy.....

Journey · 15 Jan 2022 at 15:36

katie279 said:
Hmm no joy.....

If you press (hammer) Esc after turning it on does it how the UEFI/BIOS screen rather than the logo, if so what is it saying?

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 15:43

Live test:
https://youtu.be/_tNem0_qD5U

You can hear me banging away in the background...!

Journey · 15 Jan 2022 at 15:48

katie279 said:
Live test:
https://youtu.be/_tNem0_qD5U

You can hear me banging away in the background...!

You don't happen to have PS/2 keyboard do you? If not try the keyboard in the vertical USB port in the middle of the I/O shield.

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 16:07

Yep, it's PS2?

Journey · 15 Jan 2022 at 16:15

katie279 said:
Yep, it's PS2?

Your keyboard is already PS/2, if so then try a USB one. If the DEL/F2/Esc isn't yielding any results yet the system gets to the splash screen and gives the POST complete beep then something else isn't quite right. I normally find it to be peripheral based, or SSD/HDD but you've already disconnected all of those. You could try putting a Windows Install USB in one of the ports to see if it starts to boot.

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 16:18

Ok interesting - let me try with a USB keyboard then.
Agree, there's something strange going on - although to be clear the 'beep' I was referring to was the CMOS reset one, it doesn't get to the post beep, just freezes as per the video.

Journey · 15 Jan 2022 at 16:22

katie279 said:
Ok interesting - let me try with a USB keyboard then.
Agree, there's something strange going on - although to be clear the 'beep' I was referring to was the CMOS reset one, it doesn't get to the post beep, just freezes as per the video.

Also you've not got an M.2 NVMe drive attached have you? If you have remove it, and then see what occurs. IIRC this was an issue I had when the BIOS update offered different default settings and then refused to boot or allow BIOS access.

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 16:24

Sorry, tell a lie - there is a post beep.

Tried with USB keyboard, no different.

Yes have M.2 NVMe drive attached..... Why?

Journey · 15 Jan 2022 at 16:25

katie279 said:
Sorry, tell a lie - there is a post beep.

Tried with USB keyboard, no different.

Yes have M.2 NVMe drive attached..... Why?

Take it out, it should then work.

katie279 · 15 Jan 2022 at 16:26

Ah ok - windows is installed on this, so will need it eventually. Why does this cause a problem out of interest?

Journey · 15 Jan 2022 at 16:28

katie279 said:
Ah ok - windows is installed on this, so will need it eventually. Why does this cause a problem out of interest?

Could be the GPT/Fastboot issue, so trying to boot in UEFI mode (or the opposite) without the correct setting in the BIOS.