Help Needed with New Build

[zandre88]

Hey everyone,

So recently, I had someone ask me to build them a computer. He is an older gentlemen and we had worked out a partial trade for a trailer.

Anyways, after I had put it together, I installed Windows onto the SSD we decided on and everything seemed to be going fine. After that, I installed all the drivers for the Motherboard and that is when I started having the problems. After it had gone through it's final restart, is when the problems started.

I had it hooked up via HDMI using an Intel i3 Sandy Bridge 2100 using its HD Graphics. So after all the drivers for the motherboard had been installed, the screen would come on for the motherboard loading-up but as soon as it began to boot into Windows there was no signal. I had it in the correct iGPU mode and what not.

However, when I booted Windows in Safe-Mode the signal came through fine. I haven't had a chance to actually mess with it much since the problem arose but I figured before I did start messing with it to try and figure it out I'd see if anyone had some suggestions.

This is the hardware:

• Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I32100
• 
  [*]ASUS P8Z68-V LX LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
• Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR120GB 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
• G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Desktop Memory Model F3-8500CL7D-8GBRL
• 
  [*]CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

I also have an ASUS DVD-RW Drive that I had removed from one of my desktops because I'd recently replaced it, as well as a 1TB Western Digital Black Caviar HDD from my other desktop which I'd also recently upgraded. I formatted the HDD but just in Windows (before the install) but I'm not sure if that is possibly causing the problem.

I am planning on taking a look at it tomorrow (Monday) night to see if I can get it up and running properly. I'm sure I've left out a few bits you may need to know in order to help me get it worked out. I'm extremely tired so any more information you need from me, please let me know.

Thanks.

 

[patonb]

Because you are running hdmi, i'd try a dvi or vga cable.. It seems that when windows boots up, its going to the wrong connection.

Saddly Windows seems smarter when it knows less.. and when it gets a choice, hdmi or dvi, it gets it wrong.

 

[-RockMan-]

Saddly Windows seems smarter when it knows less..

Best quote I have seen in awhile!
To back up paton statement on the matter, start out with vga first, because windows will pick that default route first always.
Install your drivers and then tell the driver suite to switch it to dvi connection, save it and reboot so windows will take notice of the changes.

 

[zandre88]

Thanks for the help guys.

I had a feeling that may have been the problem. I'm going to go ahead and give that a try and hope that fixes things up. The reason it was throwing me was because with this particular ASUS Mobo manual it was essentially telling me that the only way to use the i3's built in graphics was with the HDMI output.

Hopefully, that is all it is.

 

[computerrepair]

I recommend you uninstall the video driver in safe-mode and then see if it reboots normally. If it does, go to ASUS' website and grab the updated graphics driver (and get BIOS too). That will most likely take care of your problem.

Also, if you ever see a video driver in Windows updates from Microsoft...DO NOT INSTALL IT! Microsoft is infamous for putting out video drivers that sometimes kill video output.

 

[zandre88]

I recommend you uninstall the video driver in safe-mode and then see if it reboots normally. If it does, go to ASUS' website and grab the updated graphics driver (and get BIOS too). That will most likely take care of your problem.

Also, if you ever see a video driver in Windows updates from Microsoft...DO NOT INSTALL IT! Microsoft is infamous for putting out video drivers that sometimes kill video output.

Alright, still having problems.

So, the video was loading fine from VGA. However, I was short on time and couldn't figure out where in Windows to get it switched to load from HDMI and not VGA. I read on a forum somewhere, (I was in a hurry so I can't remember the link), but it said that their had been some problems with the iGPU mode and the Sandy Bridges HD Graphics.

I had been saving a GIGABYTE NVIDIA GTS 450 (it is about a two years old) but had never used mistakenly ordering it with my first computer I built. I will probably just install that either way, as long as it is compatible with the motherboard I have, because I really have no use for it and the guy I'm building this for has been very patient with me.

On top of that, I am having another issue with the motherboard and one of it's drivers (at least I assume). I am getting an "ASUS Set-Up Value is NULL" error every time Windows loads. If someone could point in the right direction on where to start troubleshooting what is causing this error it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for all of your help.

 

[zandre88]

I'm sorry to bump the thread but I just really need to get all of this worked out.

Unfortunately, this was my first build without a discrete GPU. I'm going to go ahead and add the one I mentioned in my post above. However, I'm still not sure where to start to look to troubleshoot the problem every time Windows loads when I get "ASUS Set-Up Value is NULL" pop-up.

I have had a full work-week and haven't had time to work on the desktop yet but have the next two days off so I'd like to get this all sorted out.

I will go ahead and start by downloading all of the latest drivers for the motherboard and hope that works out the problem but if it doesn't for whatever reason, is there anyway to pinpoint which driver is causing this?

Thanks again for all the help.