IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

[momaka]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Heres a IPIBL-LB Boardview .

Thank you! Sharing schematics/boardviews is always appreciated.
I don't need it ATM, but I will save it just in case.
Sometimes, I find that certain motherboards from the same manufacturer can often have similarities, which may allow you to troubleshoot one motherboard if you've worked on a similar one. So I imagine this boardview might also be similar to other s775 ASUS boards from the era.

[SMDFlea]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Heres a IPIBL-LB Boardview .

[momaka]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Oh noes.
I guess leave it to ASUS to build an unreliable board - at least from that era. (On that note, I can't think of any DDR2 -era boards that were as reliable as the old DDR boards, if bad capacitor issues are put aside for a moment.)

Undecided whether to replace the crappy Macronix SPI chip this time, or just do irreparable damage to the board so I'm not tempted to waste more time on it

Yeah, I know this feeling. Have quite a bit of hardware in that boat. In the end, I don't destroy any of it though, just in case I need to pull parts to save something else. Have done that quite often with finicky/artifacting video cards. As for my finicky motherboards - good for testing gutless PSUs "as is" - that is, see if they can power up and not blow up (especially when they might have bad caps.)

[Per Hansson]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

For what it's worth I've had the experience that a once corrupt BIOS chip can be due to hardware problem.
I.e. replacing the chip curves the illness of the thing becoming corrupt intermittently again ad-infinitum.

[pfrcom]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

The P.O.S. board failed again

Subtly different symptoms this time

Before, it showed message on HP BIOS display in graphics mode, even though it was set to Diagnostic messages = Enabled

This time it shows a text message shortly after the message about F10 for BIOS setup

Undecided whether to replace the crappy Macronix SPI chip this time, or just do irreparable damage to the board so I'm not tempted to waste more time on it

[momaka]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Yay! Good to hear a success story here!

I wonder if that got rid of the random BSODs you experienced too.
I raise this question, particularly because I pulled my HP PC with the same motherboard, and first several boots, it was doing some weird things, including throwing a BSOD once or twice. But after a day of use, all trouble went away. I then turned off and disconnected the PC for a few days to see if the issue is perhaps cap related (it does have a Bestec 250-12Z PSU that hasn't been recapped... though all caps appear OK visually... which we know doesn't mean much, but still.) So far, though... it's been OK.

Anyways, I'll keep this thread in mind if I see any more odd behavior with my board. In any case, really glad that you were able to fix your and that you updated the thread.

[pfrcom]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Another thing to try if you have a seperate chip programmer, reflash the bios chip

KUDOS to Sparkey55

I desoldered its MX25L8005 BIOS chip and reflashed it with my Rube Goldberg setup - https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showpo...55&postcount=9

Involving:
1. Erase
2. Blank check
3. Program
4. Verify
5. Dump
6. Compare dump to original

So it should have been well & truly cleared out

Didn't feel that confident after all the setbacks along the way, but after the acid test of booting an existing Win7, then shutting it down and turning the power off, it didn't produce the dreaded message after starting again

Even left it powered off overnight to confirm no message in the morning, before posting this

Has certainly reinforced my opinion about Macronix chips being cheap & nasty, compared to Winbond or SST

Thanks to everyone who contributed

[Sparkey55]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Another thing to try if you have a seperate chip programmer, reflash the bios chip, that will clear it out for sure. Or buy another chip with the bios preprogramed.
I had a Epox motherboard that would stop posting with a C1 error and could not flash on board so took it out and reflashed in programmer now works fine.

[momaka]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

FWIW, other weird behaviour is, if I short Reset pins on Front Panel header, more often than not there's a delay, then it powers off

At that point just shorting the Pwr pins won't start it - I have to switch power off & on before it will start again

So I need to remember to use Ctrl-Alt-Del for reset

Something fundamental seems to have gone wrong with its electronics - reckon I'm

That is quite strange, indeed.
My IPIBL-LB is in a HP PC, so it doesn't have a reset switch. But wonder if will do the same thing. If not, then for sure something may not be quite right with yours.

With that said, perhaps consider giving the motherboard a wash with detergent and warm water, then dry for a few days. Maybe something conductive has gotten under one of the chipsets and is shorting something? I know that using case screws with non-smooth heads will sometimes produce solder and/or metal shavings where the screw head grinds against the motherboard or case. If these shavings got underneath a BGA chip, I think that could cause intermittent trouble. So when in doubt, I wash things and make sure to force plenty of water under whatever BGA chip I think may have gotten affected. Never really had a case where resolved anything, but for the tiny off-chance that it might be possible, I still do it.

[pfrcom]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Have you checked the crystal .

No - how do you check crystal?

[pfrcom]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Do you use the same HDD for Windows 7 and XP?

No

When you install the OS are you connected to the internet via a firewall?

No, completely isolated

Have you zero filled (wiped clean) the HDD before installing OS?

Yes, using manufacturers' diagnostics

Have you scanned your installation and update media for rootkits?

No, but I am using Win7 SP1 with update, downloaded from Digital River when it was available, and SHA1 checked before burning to DVD

And same DVD has been used many times, without issue

Your PSU has not been ruled out nor has the CPU as yet.

Have tried multiple PSUs and CPUs

[pfrcom]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Check to see if you have the switches connected in the correct pins on the header.

No switches connected - just motherboard on a wooden surface, touching jumper momentarily to necessary places

[SMDFlea]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Have you checked the crystal .

[Sparkey55]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Do you use the same HDD for Windows 7 and XP?
When you install the OS are you connected to the internet via a firewall?
Have you zero filled (wiped clean) the HDD before installing OS?
Have you scanned your installation and update media for rootkits?
Trying to narrow down if hardware or software problem
Your PSU has not been ruled out nor has the CPU as yet.

[Sparkey55]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

FWIW, other weird behaviour is, if I short Reset pins on Front Panel header, more often than not there's a delay, then it powers off

At that point just shorting the Pwr pins won't start it - I have to switch power off & on before it will start again

So I need to remember to use Ctrl-Alt-Del for reset

Something fundamental seems to have gone wrong with its electronics - reckon I'm

Check to see if you have the switches connected in the correct pins on the header.

[pfrcom]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

FWIW, other weird behaviour is, if I short Reset pins on Front Panel header, more often than not there's a delay, then it powers off

At that point just shorting the Pwr pins won't start it - I have to switch power off & on before it will start again

So I need to remember to use Ctrl-Alt-Del for reset

Something fundamental seems to have gone wrong with its electronics - reckon I'm

[pfrcom]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Most recent attempt was replacing the last remaining KZG (capacitor racism), a 470uf 16v, with a new KY

At the same time removed, cleaned and replaced the battery holder, underneath which looked a bit grotty

Didn't make any difference

[pfrcom]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

https://retrohelix.com/2012/09/how-t...-hp-computers/
Found this, might help getting into the advanced BIOS settings menu.
If your CPU fan is turning below a certain RPM or stalls at some point in the boot process the BIOS CPU protection sensors maybe shutting you down. In that case you need to disable CPU FAN MONITOR DETECTION.

I've been trying it with a fan connected to System header, to forestall error message

Have tried Ctrl-F10/F11/Ctrl-F11 a few times, but succeeded only once in getting the Advanced menu

With wisdom of hindsight, I should have disabled fans detection then

[pfrcom]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

Do you mind sharing what the BSOD message was?

Unfortunately what I meant by "blue (only)" screen was there was no message, just a blue screen

[Sparkey55]

Re: IPIBL-LB loses BIOS settings after power off

https://retrohelix.com/2012/09/how-t...-hp-computers/
Found this, might help getting into the advanced BIOS settings menu.
If your CPU fan is turning below a certain RPM or stalls at some point in the boot process the BIOS CPU protection sensors maybe shutting you down. In that case you need to disable CPU FAN MONITOR DETECTION.