I updated an ASUS TUF Gaming B450M-PRO II motherboard from BIOS version 3802 to 3810 or newer using EZ Flash. The BIOS file was on a FAT32 partition, and the update appeared to complete normally. After the restart, however, the system froze during POST and never reached the "Press F1 to run setup" prompt. The Num Lock key also did not respond, even after leaving the computer at the POST screen for about an hour. BIOS settings had been restored to their defaults before the update. Reverting to BIOS 3802 with the motherboard's Flashback feature fixed the problem. What could cause the newer BIOS versions to hang during POST?
1 Answer
Since the system never gets past POST and the keyboard becomes unresponsive, this is likely an early firmware or hardware-initialization problem rather than an operating-system issue. A newer BIOS may be having trouble training the memory, initializing the CPU, or handling a particular hardware configuration. Clearing CMOS after the update, then booting with only one RAM stick and minimal hardware connected, would be a useful test. If version 3802 works reliably and the newer release does not, staying on 3802 is reasonable unless the newer BIOS contains a fix you specifically need.
That makes sense. I had already loaded BIOS defaults before updating, but I did not try clearing CMOS afterward or testing with one memory module.