Need help getting UEFI to properly boot my optical drive on Z87 OC Formula

[preacher35]

Hi everybody! I'm new to this forum, and new to Asrock as well. Most of my previous motherboards have been Asus. Anyway, so I just completed my latest build: Intel 4770K, Asrock Z87 OC Formula, 8gb Corsair Dominator Platinum @ 2133mhz, 2 128gb Corsair Force GS' in RAID 0, LG Blu Ray multi optical drive, Zotac GTX 670 and OCZ ZX 1000w PSU. I have already set up the Intel RAID volume and, designated my optical as the boot drive in the UEFI. Here's the problem, The Bios (or UEFI) will not boot ANY drive. I have no problem entering the UEFI, but once the settings are saved, and the PC rebooted, it simply goes to the Asrock splash screen with the selection in the lower left hand corner and stays there: "Press F2 or Del to run UEFI, Press F6 for instant flash, Press F11 for boot menu, Press Tab to switch screen"

If I go the F11 boot menu route, and manually select the boot drive, it simply goes to a black screen and does nothing. Please note, that it does not matter WHAT DRIVE I set as boot. I get the same black screen using the F11 boot menu. So, I am stuck. I have read all of the documentation (which is vastly insufficient I might add) but nothing will give me any insight. Thus, ANY help is appreciated... HELP!!!!!!!


Thank you in advance

[parsec]

Re: Need help getting UEFI to properly boot my optical drive on Z87 OC Formula

Sounds like you may have a POST problem, although you can get into the UEFI/BIOS. Have you checked the status OLED display on the board, for error codes?

The POST code display usually turns off if POST completed successfully on the ASRock boards I use, but your board's display may be different, as if is more sophisticated. I really recommend you check that display, which may need to be set to display what is described in your board's information page as "... information of the power on self test, debug codes,...". I can't tell if those are two different things.

Another possibility, but not a given, is I've seen my ASRock boards automatically bring you to the UEFI user interface when it "knows" there is an incorrect setting somewhere among the options. I can't be sure that is happening in your situation, but just an FYI. Are you using many non-default settings? For example, have you done anything with the CSM or Secure Boot settings? Do you seem to see multiple entries for the same boot devices?

[preacher35]

Re: Need help getting UEFI to properly boot my optical drive on Z87 OC Formula

Okay, so per your advice, I checked the OLED display. When I do a straight boot, NOT touching the keyboard or mouse, and it hangs on the Asrock splash/function select screen, the OLED display says "B4 USB hotplug". Mind you, I have NOTHING hooked up to the internal 2.0 or 3.0 USB headers; and the only things plugged into the I/O panel USB headers is my mouse and keyboard. When I manually boot from the F11 boot menu and the screen goes black, the OLED display says "A9 Setup start".

I have checked all of the literature that came with the board as well as the manual PDF on the Driver CD and none of it denotes OLED codes. Any ideas? BTW, I went ahead and flashed the UEFI/BIOS to the most current version and it is doing the same thing. I'm really bummed out. I'm ready to take the motherboard back to Micro Center. I'm just hoping that one of you has seen this before and can recommend a resolution.

[parsec]

Re: Need help getting UEFI to properly boot my optical drive on Z87 OC Formula

The manual has nothing about POST codes? The OLED is just the type of display, instead of standard LED, it is not related at all to the POST codes. Nothing in the manual on debug or POST codes? All my ASRock boards do, in their manuals. Not that the one line descriptions will help you. You can google on AMI post codes, that is the BIOS used in your board.

So you've been able to use your Razer mouse and gaming keyboard on a new installation with nothing installed in the past, and they work fine with no drivers of any kind? Those are special devices that don't play well with new installations. Get them off of there and use a simple mouse and keyboard.

Have you ever been in the BIOS at all? Frankly, if you are using a Windows installation disk, and a blank drive for Windows, setting boot order is really not needed. If it checks your disk drive first and finds nothing, it will then go to the optical drive, find the Windows disk, and away it will go.

[preacher35]

Re: Need help getting UEFI to properly boot my optical drive on Z87 OC Formula

The manual has nothing about POST codes? The OLED is just the type of display, instead of standard LED, it is not related at all to the POST codes. Nothing in the manual on debug or POST codes? All my ASRock boards do, in their manuals. Not that the one line descriptions will help you. You can google on AMI post codes, that is the BIOS used in your board.

Look, I've built over 40 PC's in the last 18 years. I understand what the OLED is. The "Dr. Debug" OLED does indeed display a POST CODE as well as "the one line descriptions". And, as incredible as it may sound, none of the "manuals" that came with the board, driver CD, OR PDF download from their website have any debug or POST code definitions, which is BIZARRE to me.

Have you ever been in the BIOS at all? Frankly, if you are using a Windows installation disk, and a blank drive for Windows, setting boot order is really not needed.

Yes, I have been in the BIOS. I am fully aware on how to set up BIOS, boot sequence, AHCI, RAID, etc. The problem is nothing that I do will get this motherboard to boot ANY drives. The UEFI can see all of the drives. It will allow me so setup a boot sequence, etc. But, when I let the board go through it's boot process it simply stops a the splash screen and states "USB HOTPLUG". Yes, I indeed unplugged said mouse and keyboard and booted with no peripherals and I got the EXACT same OLED message "USB HOTPLUG". I plugged in a PS2 keyboard and I still got the same USB HOTPLUG message. There is absolutely NOTHING hooked up to ANY USB port/header either on the I/O panel or internally. I'm stumped.

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Re: Need help getting UEFI to properly boot my optical drive on Z87 OC Formula

Thanks for explaining your experience level, I have no way of knowing that a priori.

The POST code listings have dwindled from a decent list in my ASR Z77 manual, to a barely there list in my ASR Z87 manual, to none for your board, I assume because the Z87 OC formula will only be owned by user that can recite the POST codes...

Disconnect your PC case's USB port header cables from the mother board and try again. Or make sure the terrible USB 3.0 header to cable connection is in place and keyed correctly. I use tape to hold mine firmly.

[preacher35]

Re: Need help getting UEFI to properly boot my optical drive on Z87 OC Formula

Disconnect your PC case's USB port header cables from the mother board and try again. Or make sure the terrible USB 3.0 header to cable connection is in place and keyed correctly. I use tape to hold mine firmly.

Yes, this was the first thing that I did upon seeing the "USB hotplug" message, as well as disconnecting all peripherals, and yet, same message/result. I am going to call Asrock tomorrow about advice and/or RMA because, I am sick of my $300.00 motherboard just sitting in the case collecting dust. Hopefully, their tech support department is reliable.

[parsec]

Re: Need help getting UEFI to properly boot my optical drive on Z87 OC Formula

Yeah sorry, just saw that in your second post.

Just thought of something, I don't think has been mentioned before. This will seem unrelated to that goofy USB error message, all I have left, but...

Is your BD optical drive on an Intel SATA port, or one of the ASMedia ports? The "top" four SATA ports, with the board mounted in a case, are the ASMedia ports, that don't work well with optical drives, particularly when no driver is installed. If your BD drive is on one of those ports, move it to an Intel SATA port.

If you have it there now, I'm out of ideas.