Intel D975XBX2 (Bad Axe 2) BIOS Locking up

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simulacra

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A few days ago I built a new PC with the D975XBX2 motherboard. I booted up initially and flashed the BIOS to version 2333, which was the latest at the time, and have since flashed to the most recent version 2395. The system (E6600 CPU, 2GB Corsair TWIN2X2048-8500C5 RAM, WD 250GB HD, X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty, eVGA 8800GTX) is stable overall in Windows as Orthos ran for over two hours with no errors or warnings with no overclocking (memory timings at 5-5-5-15 and default voltage) and gaming has been flawless.

However, simply navigating through the BIOS often results in the BIOS freezing/locking up, forcing me to CTRL-ALT-DEL to restart. These lock-ups seem to occur most often while adjusting a specific setting, but they have happened as I just navigated through the BIOS and touched no settings at all. I have come across a few mentions of this BIOS issue with the D975XBX2 and even more reports with the D975XBX on various forums but have not found a solution. This has happened with both BIOS versions of 2333 and 2395. Is this problem simply an issue I can safely ignore and look for a BIOS update to fix, or is an RMA something I should consider?
 
I've had this mobo for a few days and inspite of the other problem that i am having it, this bios problem that you mentioned did not occur with any of the latest two bios that i tried.
 
I have a D975XBX and i know of the problem you are seeing as i also had the same problem. The issue is this: unlike other boards these Intel boards require a special sequence of actions to fully reset the bios after a flash. I'm not home right now so i can't give you a step-by-step tutorial, but look into fully resetting the bios to default settings. Coming from my usual Asus boards, I was not used to these problems.
 
This issue isn't a system-breaking problem as the PC runs flawlessly in games and has not crashed or given me a BSOD once, but I am just concerned for the overall health of my new system. I have read that thread vanilla_guerilla, and pretty much anything and everything else related to the D975XBX2 on various forums, and I concur with the general praise of this motherboard, which I purchased to avoid any potential 680i instability issues (plus I would not be utilizing SLI).

On a side note, I am also experiencing the HD activity light issue mentioned in that thread (constantly lit LED), but this issue seems to be pretty widespread as well and does not concern me so much as I believe Intel is aware of it. I appreciate the comments made so far and look forward to any other assistance I may be given.
 
Did you try what i recommended? I made the mistake of treating this board like just about any other enthusiast board which resulted in hours of wasted time. Once i properly cleared the bios most of my problems were resolved. The only issue that remains is the cold booting problem.
 
KENNYB said:
Did you try what i recommended? I made the mistake of treating this board like just about any other enthusiast board which resulted in hours of wasted time. Once i properly cleared the bios most of my problems were resolved. The only issue that remains is the cold booting problem.
Click to expand...

I was a little unsure by what you meant specifically, but if you were referring to performing a BIOS recovery as described in the manual, I did not attempt that yet as I thought it was a little excessive if the procedure has to be repeated for every BIOS update. Could you be a little more specific about resetting the BIOS? Were you referring to resetting the BIOS to default settings in the BIOS itself? Or am I missing something from your directions?
 
It has to do with clearing the BIOS to default settings after a flash. Most aftermarket boards do this for you automatically. The 975XBX does not. Your board most likely requires the same attention.
When i first got my board i was pulling my hair out wondering why it was crashing when going into the bios after flashing. Best advice: read the manual. That's where i found my answer. IIRC, what it comes down to loading default values. I know from experience the 975XBX does not do that for you automatically.
 
Please note, the OP is referring to the Bad Axe 2, not the Bad Axe. Not sure if that matters for this particular issue, but there are several differences between the 2 boards. I can say I have not experienced this with my board and I have not reset the BIOS to defaults after any of the BIOS flashes I have done (am running 2395 now). Of course, everyone's results will vary. :)
 
I haven't had any issues with the BX2 locking up in the bios. I flashed to the newest 2395 bios version as soon as it came out and haven't encountered any issues like this at all. Is there a specific bios setting that when you attempt to adjust it will lock up? Or is it basically all of them?

Shawn
 
verncat05 said:
I haven't had any issues with the BX2 locking up in the bios. I flashed to the newest 2395 bios version as soon as it came out and haven't encountered any issues like this at all. Is there a specific bios setting that when you attempt to adjust it will lock up? Or is it basically all of them?

Shawn
Click to expand...

I have not overclocked the CPU at all, but the BIOS is practically guaranteed to lock up while I adjust the FSB, whether increasing or decreasing it, and I have never saved any FSB changes. The BIOS has also frozen while changing memory timings, and after I had adjusted other settings separate from the CPU/RAM section of the BIOS, it locked up just as I attempted to save the settings and exit the BIOS. I also loaded the default settings by pressing F9 in the BIOS, and after entering the BIOS again to set my custom settings, it froze before I could save the changes. This is frustrating to say the least, but it does not appear to affect system stability in Windows.
 
I take it recovery mode works okay and that the bios does not freeze when in recovery mode?
 
The only bios oddity I've noticed with my Bad Axe 1 is that there is no cmos clear jumper. The jumper you'd think does that actually just allows you to boot at default settings when you've got it in a non-boot config.

The only way to do a cmos clear is to disconnect the power supply and take the battery out. Give it some time to discharge. I left mine overnight and that worked great. Couple hours would probably do. A few minutes won't. Must have some limited power source on the motherboard other than the removable battery.

Probably applies to Bad Axe 2 as well.
 
KENNYB said:
I take it recovery mode works okay and that the bios does not freeze when in recovery mode?
Click to expand...

I just tested configure mode with the BIOS configuration jumper on pins 2-3, and the BIOS still locked up on me even after loading default settings in this mode, saving the settings, and re-entering the BIOS to determine if it would freeze while in configure mode. If you are referring to BIOS recovery mode as described on pages 86-87 of the D975XBX2 manual KENNYB, that is my next course of action. I will post the results, and if that does not resolve the issue, I will try Fluke's suggestion of removing the CMOS battery overnight. I appreciate everyone's input so far and hope to find a solution soon.
 
I must extend my utmost thanks to moosey at the Anandtech forums (http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=29&threadid=1981009&enterthread=y). So far, it seems that he is correct about a USB keyboard causing this problem. I disconnected both my USB keyboard and USB mouse and plugged in an old HP PS/2 keyboard and mouse, entered the BIOS, and experienced an entirely freeze-free session of editing the BIOS. If this truly is the cause of my difficulty, it's something I can live with, but what I can't understand is how Intel could not catch such a problem.

However, after reconnecting my USB keyboard and mouse, this time to the bottom two USB ports next to the Ethernet port rather than the two upper USB ports where they were previously connected, I entered the BIOS and spent a good deal of time performing the same tasks that would cause the BIOS to freeze previously, but oddly enough it did not lock up at all. I am not sure how to interpret this result, possibly as two flawed USB ports or some BIOS issue with the USB controller? For now I am content to have made some progress in resolving this issue as I believe it has been solved, at least to an acceptable extent.

This may be isolated to certain USB peripherals I suppose, and I am using a Logitech G15 keyboard and a Logitech G5 mouse, so I guess my issue is isolated as well and definitely not a substantial system instability. I will post an update if I suspect some other cause of the BIOS lock up problem, but as of now I believe the issue has been pinned on the two upper USB ports, for whatever reason, and I consider it resolved. Thanks again moosey.

Now, on to the meaning of the upper USB ports causing the BIOS to lock up, and the constantly lit HD activity LED. I hope Intel discovers both issues and releases a BIOS update soon...
 
Wow, I never would have thought someting like that. But, then again, it could have been something much stranger...

Glad to see you've made progress and identified the problem.

Shawn
 
To clarify, I believe the BIOS issue is isolated to the USB keyboard and USB mouse being plugged into the upper two USB ports on the motherboard itself. I did reflash the BIOS to version 2333, and then back to version 2395, but this did not solve the problem as the BIOS continued to lock up with both versions. Setting the BIOS configuration jumper to configure mode and editing the BIOS still resulted in a BIOS freeze. I did not perform the recovery BIOS operation as detailed in the D975XBX2 manual, for flashing the BIOS indicated it would reset the CMOS, which was what I wanted to accomplish at the time but did not resolve the issue. Nor did I remove the battery from the motherboard for any amount of time. The system seems entirely stable thus far and the BIOS has not frozen once since I connected my USB keyboard and USB mouse to the lower two USB ports next to the Ethernet port. For whatever reason, this is the solution in my case.
 
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