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Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

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  • Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

    I have an ASRock Z97 Extreme6 motherboard, with an i7-4790k Devil's Canyon CPU. When I first got the board, I disabled the ASMedia SATA controller in the UEFI to speed up the boot process. The board worked fine in both Windows and several Linux distributions (Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint).

    Now, when I enable the ASMedia SATA controller, I am unable to boot the system. This is true whether I put it in AHCI or IDE mode. I can't boot any of the linux distros I have installed, and I can't even run a liveCD. I have not tried booting Windows with the controller enabled, and I no longer have access to the Windows installation that was working with the chip disabled.

    I get the same symptoms no matter what distro or install type I use: the motherboard successfully hands off control to the bootloader, which starts the OS, which then hangs before it can finish loading enough to do anything useful.

    At least one other user has reported similar problems in this thread on the phoronix.com forums.

    Thanks for the help!

  • #2
    Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

    The ASMedia SATA controllers on ASRock boards have been problematic for a while now IMO. I must say I don't know if the ASMedia SATA chip works fine on other boards or not, but I have had issues with them on and off for a long time, on different ASRock boards.

    So simply enabling the ASMedia controller causes the boot failure, or was a drive connected to one of the ASMedia ports? I am ignorant of what driver you would use for the ASMedia controller in Linux, is it one native to Linux or something from ASMedia?

    I have the same board as you, and can boot Windows 8.1 with a drive (SSD) connected to one of the ASMedia ports (this board has two ASMedia SATA chips ) using the latest ASMedia driver for Windows. But I get system lock ups or freezes in that situation, randomly, so I disable the ASMedia controllers and the lock ups disappear. I too had it disabled for months before trying it while attempting to help a person posting here about their problems with the ASMedia controller. We never fixed the issue, and that person got a different board, and claimed the ASMedia ports on the new board (different manufacture) worked fine.

    I don't have a solution for you at all, just this FYI that your problem does not seem unusual, although I've never seen someone post an issue with your exact configuration (board and OS.) This board is fairly new...

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

      Originally posted by parsec View Post
      So simply enabling the ASMedia controller causes the boot failure, or was a drive connected to one of the ASMedia ports? I am ignorant of what driver you would use for the ASMedia controller in Linux, is it one native to Linux or something from ASMedia?
      I had drives connected. When I disconnect the drives, it boots fine. I don't know for sure, but Linux is almost certainly using an open-source driver that's probably generic for lots of sata controllers, and theoretically works with any chip that implements the standards properly. That said, those functions are handled by the kernel at a pretty low level, and I'm no expert at what's going on there.

      Originally posted by parsec View Post
      I have the same board as you, and can boot Windows 8.1 with a drive (SSD) connected to one of the ASMedia ports (this board has two ASMedia SATA chips ) using the latest ASMedia driver for Windows. But I get system lock ups or freezes in that situation, randomly, so I disable the ASMedia controllers and the lock ups disappear.
      Well crap. Intermittent failures are the worst. This makes me even less inclined to try installing windows on this board.

      Someone at Phoronix suggested updating the ASMedia controller firmware directly. I didn't even know that was possible. Do you (or anyone else here) have any experience with that sort of thing?

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

        SandsOfTime, thanks for the updated UEFI with new ASMedia firmware, I must try this.

        I'm surprised that ASRock is using older firmware for the ASMedia controllers, since they seem to always have the latest legacy and UEFI booting option ROMs in their UEFI/BIOS files, at least for Intel based boards.

        If this is all it takes to fix the problems with the ASMedia controllers... that's ridiculous.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

          my Z77 Extreme6 from 2012 already came with the 0.93 ASMedia firmware...
          ---
          Mind is not cumulative, but stupidity is.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

            Originally posted by SandsOfTime
            So here is the second version of the updated UEFI. In my post above I forgot one important step ([Guide] How to flash a modded ASUS or ASRock UEFI BIOS), so please use this download link: (link removed due to possible spam content)
            With my Z77 Extreme6 UEFI this extra step wasn't nessesary.
            Are you saying that the modded UEFI in the above download link has the capsule header already removed?

            EDIT NOTE: The two download files linked to in this thread are download programs that want to install themselves BEFORE a UEFI/BIOS file is downloaded. One of them includes a "virus scanner" program that will be installed, and IMO are questionable.

            The UEFI/BIOS files may be legit (I did not and won't check them), but IMO the "wrapper" for these downloads is not what I would expect. Use at your own risk!

            EDIT 2: Thanks SandsOfTime for polluting my PC with that "file downloader", spam, and IMO a virus like nag ad!!

            DO NOT DOWNLOAD EITHER OF THESE "UEFI FILES, THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY ARE!

            WARDOG, PLEASE REMOVE THE TWO POSTS FROM SANDSOFTIME, THEY ARE AT BEST SPAM!!!
            Last edited by profJim; 09-17-2014, 11:24 PM. Reason: removed spam link in the quoted text

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

              I have soft deleted both posts.

              The file I downloaded was named Z97Extreme6 1.30 Asm1061v954.zip__3516_i1320568309_il1558980.exe

              There is no reason why a legitimate zip file needs an EXE wrapper.

              I opened the file using 7zip and the folders and files looked strange to say the least.

              I scanned the file with BitDefender and Malwarebytes and there were no problems.

              I will take this up with SandsOfTime via PM for an explanation and he might be permanently banned from the forum.


              FWIW, I never download files where I first need to download a "file download manager" program and I never download files with an EXE or MSI file extension when the file is not supposed to be a program.
              Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
              P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
              4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
              MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
              Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
              WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
              Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
              SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
              Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
              Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
              Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
              MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
              Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
              win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
              HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
              CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
              E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
              Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
              Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
              HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
              win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
              .

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

                Hello parsec, hello profJim,

                I'm really sorry for what happened to you. And I can fully understand that you are angry at me. I can only ask for apology. But I can guarantee you that I've uploaded a true zip file only containing the modified uefi file.

                For a test I have uploaded another zip file to this file hoster, re-downloaded it again and compared it with the original file. But, sorry to say, I cannot reconstruct what happend to you.

                After having uploaded a test zip file I clicked on the download link the file hoster provided:

                Click image for larger version

Name:	dl1.png
Views:	1
Size:	124.0 KB
ID:	754641

                then clicked the big blue Download button and ... (continues next post)
                ---
                Mind is not cumulative, but stupidity is.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

                  .. got the usual 'save as' dialog, which offered a zip, but NOT an exe file:

                  Click image for larger version

Name:	dl2.png
Views:	1
Size:	75.4 KB
ID:	754642

                  and finally this downloaded file is exactly the same as the original ...
                  ---
                  Mind is not cumulative, but stupidity is.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

                    ... as you can see here in file manager:

                    Click image for larger version

Name:	dl4.png
Views:	1
Size:	47.7 KB
ID:	754643

                    So, sorry again. But I can't see where I did something wrong.
                    ---
                    Mind is not cumulative, but stupidity is.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

                      SandsOfTime,

                      I used your original download link again and this time I downloaded: Z97Extreme6-1.30-Asm1061v954_test.zip
                      7zip now showed a single file: Z97Ex61.30 in the zip file with an uncompressed size = 8MB.

                      Send me a PM with a link to to the correct zip file and I will undelete your post and edit the download link address.

                      To download the file I clicked on the middle blue download icon.

                      Click image for larger version

Name:	ASMedia download screen.png
Views:	1
Size:	78.3 KB
ID:	754644
                      Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
                      P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
                      4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
                      MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
                      Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
                      WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
                      Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
                      SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
                      Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
                      Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
                      Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
                      MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
                      Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                      win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
                      HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
                      CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
                      E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
                      Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
                      Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
                      HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                      win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
                      .

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

                        Originally posted by SandsOfTime View Post
                        Hello parsec, hello profJim,

                        I'm really sorry for what happened to you. And I can fully understand that you are angry at me. I can only ask for apology. But I can guarantee you that I've uploaded a true zip file only containing the modified uefi file.

                        For a test I have uploaded another zip file to this file hoster, re-downloaded it again and compared it with the original file. But, sorry to say, I cannot reconstruct what happend to you.

                        After having uploaded a test zip file I clicked on the download link the file hoster provided:

                        [ATTACH]7248[/ATTACH]

                        then clicked the big blue Download button and ... (continues next post)
                        Ok, It seems you did not intend for that to happen, meaning having that download manager program included with the BIOS file. I was worried that whatever was included in the .exe version would stay on my PC, but I seem to have removed it. Before I removed it, every time I booted the PC, a browser window would open asking to download the download file manager. So it acted like one of those fake virus removal programs that continues to tell you that you have malware on your PC, and then wants you to pay for it. I'm sure you would hate that too.

                        You say you did not see any type of download manager program included in the .exe version you tried. That's fine, but what if that web site included the download manager program for anyone that downloaded the BIOS file, except for you. That is, everyone except the person that posted the original file would get the version that included the download manager program.

                        I don't know if that is true or not, but that would seem to make sense, given what you wrote above. So the person that submits a file never sees what everyone else does. See what I mean?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

                          SandsOfTime has an ad-blocker in his browser so he does not see the misleading crap-ware links that we see.

                          If you do a mouse-over on the icon links that we see, the status bar in your browser will show different link addresses for the crap-ware.

                          In this case, clicking on the smaller blue icon with the cloud symbol will download the zip file that he uploaded.

                          As far as I'm concerned, File-Upload.net is a predatory site that should be avoided.
                          Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
                          P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
                          4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
                          MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
                          Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
                          WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
                          Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
                          SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
                          Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
                          Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
                          Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
                          MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
                          Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                          win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
                          HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
                          CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
                          E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
                          Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
                          Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
                          HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                          win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
                          .

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

                            Yes, I have an ad-blocker in my browser all the time. So it was my fault not to remember that other people without an ad-blocker might see more (malicious) links. If I turn my ad-blocker off, I see the other links too.

                            At first I tried to attach my zip file directly here in my forum post, but there is this size limit of 150 KB only. That's why I came up with an external file hoster. And googled for 'free file hoster without registration' the first hit was unfortunatly File-Upload.net. So the term 'free' is rather relative (because nothing is for free, there is always a price to pay), considering the side effects you experienced.
                            ---
                            Mind is not cumulative, but stupidity is.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Z97 Extreme6 won't boot with ASMedia SATA controller enabled

                              Check out Dropbox for file sharing.

                              It's free and you start out with 2GB of storage.

                              You need to register to join and linking to or sharing files is very easy.

                              Dropbox is the only file sharing service that I need.

                              To upload any files to my Dropbox account all I need to do is to copy a file to the Dropbox folder on my computer.

                              When I want to include multiple image files in a forum post, I upload the files to Dropbox and then I can use the forum's Insert Image function to link to as many photos as I want in one forum post.
                              Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
                              P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
                              4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
                              MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
                              Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
                              WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
                              Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
                              SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
                              Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
                              Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
                              Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
                              MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
                              Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                              win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
                              HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
                              CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
                              E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
                              Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
                              Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
                              HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                              win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
                              .

                              Comment

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