[Closed] PC fails to boot, error code 50

[Jebula999]

Hey,

So in a bit of a pickel.

I stripped my work PC for a clean and put it back together.

It booted up fine first time round and all was good. Even moved some files around and uninstalled some useless apps.
Turned it off, took out SSD, and now it won't boot.
Not even to BIOS which was my goal.

It shows error code 50 on the board, and LEDs indicate it failing or busy with "INIT USB".

I'm really not sure what else to trouble leshoot/check as there is nothing left connected.
Just the CPU and a single stick on RAM.

Video showing board and error code:

I've unplugged and replugged in everything, including CPU with no change in error code.

It's an Intel D778H-55k Mobo.

 

[Mossiemos]

All i can find on the Web ....

I found a post that might help with this if you haven't already encountered it. It appears that you'll need bios access to change settings but this person seemed to have fixed the very same issue. Try all of the FXX keys...just a shot.


What is the FXX keys???

 

[goldfritter]

Hey,

So in a bit of a pickel.

I stripped my work PC for a clean and put it back together.

It booted up fine first time round and all was good. Even moved some files around and uninstalled some useless apps.
Turned it off, took out SSD, and now it won't boot.
Not even to BIOS which was my goal.

It shows error code 50 on the board, and LEDs indicate it failing or busy with "INIT USB".

I'm really not sure what else to trouble leshoot/check as there is nothing left connected.
Just the CPU and a single stick on RAM.

Video showing board and error code:

I've unplugged and replugged in everything, including CPU with no change in error code.

It's an Intel D778H-55k Mobo.

Have you tried to reset BIOS/clear CMOS? Some boards have a jumper, else you need to remove the CMOS battery and leave it out for 30 min.

What is the FXX keys???

Function keys. F1 - F12.

 

[TheJudge]

Have you tried to reset BIOS/clear CMOS? Some boards have a jumper, else you need to remove the CMOS battery and leave it out for 30 min.


Function keys. F1 - F12.

One cannot underestimate the power of removing the CMOS battery.

 

[Jebula999]

I've removed the CMOS battery, although not for 30min, maybe 5min at most.
There is a CMOS jumper plug (If that's what it's called) which you meant to change over to different pins and leave for 5min, then move back and reboot, but didn't do anything.

The machine doesn't seem to post, I left it running for 30min at one point, and nothing changed.
There's no picture (VIA GPU or Onboard).

 

[Tapsumbong]

I've removed the CMOS battery, although not for 30min, maybe 5min at most.
There is a CMOS jumper plug (If that's what it's called) which you meant to change over to different pins and leave for 5min, then move back and reboot, but didn't do anything.

The machine doesn't seem to post, I left it running for 30min at one point, and nothing changed.
There's no picture (VIA GPU or Onboard).

Can also try replacing the CMOS battery, had some weird side effects from a flat CMOS battery

 

[Ortaega]

Do you have any other RAM modules that you know are functioning properly?

Are you currently using the DIMM1 slot for your RAM? I'm not entirely certain which one that might be on your specific board and are you 100% sure that the memory is compatible with that MOBO and that it is working? This reminds me allot of an issue I had once when I had to retrain the memory on my setup, but unfortunately did not have an indicator displaying error codes.

Also have you tried booting it up with no usb devices connected as well? Recall someone ones on carb had an issue where that was also a factor? Have you attempted booting the system without any USB devices connected? I recall reading somewhere on carb where someone mentioned something like that.

 

[Jebula999]

Can also try replacing the CMOS battery, had some weird side effects from a flat CMOS battery

Haven't tried that, will see if I can get my hands one one.

Do you have any other RAM modules that you know are functioning properly?

Are you currently using the DIMM1 slot for your RAM? I'm not entirely certain which one that might be on your specific board and are you 100% sure that the memory is compatible with that MOBO and that it is working? This reminds me allot of an issue I had once when I had to retrain the memory on my setup, but unfortunately did not have an indicator displaying error codes.

Also have you tried booting it up with no usb devices connected as well? Recall someone ones on carb had an issue where that was also a factor? Have you attempted booting the system without any USB devices connected? I recall reading somewhere on carb where someone mentioned something like that.

I have 4 sticks of 8GB RAM that the machine ran on for 5+ years.

After I cleaned the machine, it booted up fine the first time with all 4 sticks installed.
I managed to move some files around and clear some stuff up.
After a shutdown and power back up, that's where the problem started.

I even had the board out on my kitchen counter, with nothing except 1 stick of RAM installed.

I tried it in all 4 RAM slots. I get various error codes depending on which stick of RAM was in which slot.
But the one that is the most constant is a stick of RAM in the 2nd slot from the CPU.

I'm running DDR3 1600, which according to the google is the correct RAM for the CPU.

 

[Jebula999]

Just to add, according to the boards user manual.
Error code 50 is "Enumerating PCI buses"

I've done a fair bit of googling to try find out exactly what that means or people with similar cases.
But coming up short unfortunately.

 

[Wolfeh]

Your problems seems to be related to pcie. Is there any chance you got something in one of the slots in the process of cleaning which is shorting out pins?

 

[Jebula999]

Do you have a gpu installed?

You say cpu and ram only, but just checking, as your problem seems related to the pcie lanes, which is gpu and nvme.

Also somewhat confused. I looked at a picture of that board and don't see a slot for m.2 nvme. Do you have that on a addon card? Have you tried other pcie slots?

I have tried with and without the GPU installed.
Doesn't seem to make a difference unfortunately.

Did I mention NVME? If so then that's not correct, the PC was running a simple SSD and HDD combo.

The only change between it working and then not working was unplugging the SSD

 

[Wolfeh]

I misread initially. 😅

I can't find a manual online for this board, sadly.

 

[Jebula999]

I've been using this one:
Port 80H Post Codes - Intel DZ77BH-55K Specification [Page 82]

 

[Wolfeh]

May sound silly, but I would try slotting a pcie card in each successive slot and seeing if it boots.

According to the block diagram on page 16, two of your 6gb/s sata connectors is connected to pcie via the Marvel 88SE9172 controller, so that is likely the source of your problem. Perhaps the sata cable wasn't slotted properly, or was damaged and in turn damaged that lane/controller.

 

[Jebula999]

May sound silly, but I would try slotting a pcie card in each successive slot and seeing if it boots.

According to the block diagram on page 16, two of your 6gb/s sata connectors is connected to pcie via the Marvel 88SE9172 controller, so that is likely the source of your problem. Perhaps the sata cable wasn't slotted properly, or was damaged and in turn damaged that lane/controller.

Not to sound like a complete idiot, even though my knowledge on boards is near 0.

You mention PCIE cards in each slot.
But then mention the 6gb/s SATA connectors.

So a bit lost weather I need to be slotting cards into the longer PCIE x16 slots.
Or plugging rogue HDD's into the 6gp/s SATA slots?

 

[Wolfeh]

Not to sound like a complete idiot, even though my knowledge on boards is near 0.

You mention PCIE cards in each slot.
But then mention the 6gb/s SATA connectors.

So a bit lost weather I need to be slotting cards into the longer PCIE x16 slots.
Or plugging rogue HDD's into the 6gp/s SATA slots?

Ah, my first comment was before you linked the manual, because the problem is related to pcie.

Once I could look at the manual, I saw there were some pcie lanes allocated for the grey sata ports, which based on your initial description, points to the source of the problem.

I can't find any way in the manual to disable those lanes.

You can try a visual inspection of the grey sata ports to see if there are any obvious problems, but I think you may be screwed and there is no solution.

 

[Jebula999]

I mean that would make the most sense..
Both the SSD and HDD were plugged into the grey SATA ports.
But I cannot recall off bat weather I unplugged from the SSD plug or the SATA plug.

Things have progressed, I am getting a 2nd hand replacement board from a friend next week.
But will be good to do more testing this weekend.


So really appreciate your input on this, gives me another avenue to investigate down.

 

[Wolfeh]

Best of luck.

 

[cdmnuy]

If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it

 

[Jebula999]

If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it

But... it is broke

 

[cdmnuy]

But... it is broke

Now, after the clean

 

[goldfritter]

Now, after the clean

Cleaning isn't fixing, it's cleaning.

Or do you interpret "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" to also mean "if it ain't broke, don't clean it?"

I'm which case, remind me to never come to your house.

 

[Jebula999]

Now, after the clean

I mean if you think I should have left it in this sate, then my bad.
I'll keep my PC dusty in future.
The computer in question lived on a construction site for a few months.

All I did here was drop the case fan on the counter....

 

[Jebula999]

But thanks to those that gave some input.
This morning I dusted everything off again, made sure all ports and slots were clean (From what I could see)
Tried a few GPU's, SSD's and HDD's in various slots, but still no image, and still stuck on POST CODE 50.

I've decided it's dead, and I cannot fix it.

 

[Sageofchaos]

Sadly, it is an old board, and it had made friends with the dust.

It had suffered from a broken heart.

 

[cdmnuy]

Cleaning isn't fixing, it's cleaning.

Or do you interpret "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" to also mean "if it ain't broke, don't clean it?"

I'm which case, remind me to never come to your hous

There was no need to take it apart.

 

[cdmnuy]

I mean if you think I should have left it in this sate, then my bad.
I'll keep my PC dusty in future.
The computer in question lived on a construction site for a few months.

All I did here was drop the case fan on the counter....

It does look bad but maybe there was no need to take it apart

 

[Wolfeh]

.

 

[Jebula999]

It does look bad but maybe there was no need to take it apart

I wanted to put it's original 1080Ti back in (Due to site conditions it had an old 750Ti)
Thermal paste needed to be done, probably 10+ years since last thermal replacement.
Due to being on a working site, spiders/bugs decided to move in, so was filled with webs and who knows what else.

Taking it apart was really the only option to get to all the small spaces and ensure nothing else was living in there.

But, no need to dwell on the past, it was taken apart, nothing I can do about that.
Hence looking for ideas moving forward.

What sort of mining? If there is metal in that dust that would give credence to the idea that something could have shorted.

Not mining, it was stationed on a construction site in the middle of Cape Town.
The new(ish) Riverclub site.

Not sure what type of ground the site has, but apparently it was an old dump site many years ago, so anything could be under there.

I just find it odd it survived the whole clean and reassemble, then one restart later it no longer works.
But stranger things have happened.