No Windows, no UEFI, just a black screen and short ticking every 3 seconds

[TamasBolvari]

What's wrong with my PC? The only problem I had previously is the noise of the internal HDD (it was like a scooter, it made fastly repeating clicking noise at variable speed). To solve this issue, I cloned the whole internal HDD to an external HDD using Macrium Reflect Free to use it instead of the loud internal HDD. This process took about 2 hours, but finished succesfully. Then, I got BSOD and was able to start Windows from the external HDD only in safe mode. I found out Windows 10 doesn't run from USB HDDs, due to anti-piracy reasons. From this point, I was unable to boot from either the internal or the external HDDs, even the Macrium Windows PE Rescue Environment was useless from pendrive to fix the boot problem. The only thing I saw is a black screen. No Windows, no UEFI, nothing. Just a black screen and a short clicking sound repeating every 3 seconds. I've read somewhere that the HDD might had overheated and the head has stuck, which makes this noise while trying to "escape". I listened closely, but the sound was coming from a little speaker on the motherboard, not the HDD. I removed the speaker, the sound stopped, attached it again, the sound restarted, so it's 100%. I received my new internal HDD, removed the loud one (and the external as well), but it did not help. Removing the motherboard battery was useless as well. And here comes the interesting part, because I have a half-solution: the PC starts perfectly every time I remove the RAM and put it into the other slot. It works in both the left and right slots, but it needs to be swapped everytime I want to start the PC, otherwise I get the black screen and the ticking. Why is this needed, what is the cause, how could this be fixed? PS: the motherboard manufacturer's FAQs* say that the continuous short beep (not tick) means that the power supply unit is failed.

* http/www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/faq-page.aspx?fid=816

 

[captaincharisma]

i would see of you can get another PSU to try to rule that out but it may be an issue with your ram as well. one of the sticks may be going bad since you said you can get the PC started once you switch the sticks around

 

[TamasBolvari]

Yes, but the next time I have to swap the RAM again. And then again and again. So it's not that the left or the right slot works while the other doesn't. Both works, still the RAM has to bee swapped on every boot. Update: if I try restarting from Windows, it work perfectly. The problem comes only if I turn off the PC and try to turn it on again.

 

[captaincharisma]

Yes, but the next time I have to swap the RAM again. And then again and again. So it's not that the left or the right slot works while the other doesn't. Both works, still the RAM has to bee swapped on every boot. Update: if I try restarting from Windows, it work perfectly. The problem comes only if I turn off the PC and try to turn it on again.

to me that sort of sounds like a power supply problem. i would try turning off the PC and once it is powered down switch it off using the switch on the back of the PSU and turn it back on again. then see how the computer reacts when you try to boot

 

[TamasBolvari]

It's the same.

 

[TamasBolvari]

Update: my Windows 10 Pro thinks it's a Windows To Go, but it isn't. I guess this is caused by the fact that I've cloned my previous internal (loud) HDD to an external HDD, but Windows couldn't boot from that because of anti-piracy USB restrictions, and then I've cloned that external HDD to my new internal (silent) HDD. So I think Windows has marked itself as "I won't launch since I'm not on an internal HDD", and it still doesn't know that it is already in my super safe PC on a SATA HDD... I can't believe it's such an inconvenience to move my Windows to a new HDD.

 

[kombivan]

this over cautios security sucks but somthing you haven't tried is a new battery in the MB as this battery is what keeps you settings for your next start. if your bios is changing the settings which is where the ram is first recognised but the thing wrong with my idea is that with a flat battery it should set to a default not back and forth. unless there is somthing wrong with your ram and windows switches it off at shutdown leaving the other banks open to run?? I have never heard of this before. See what happens if you put two sticks of ram in. Ram is very selective sometimes what won't work in one machine will work in another. Also is it a HP computer as these are particular with the wrong ram.

 

[TamasBolvari]

Solved. Go to BIOS, set Memory Boot Mode to Disable Fast Boot.

(Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H81M-HD3, BIOS Version: F6 07/09/2014, RAM: 1x4GB DIMM DDR3 Kingston 99U5584-005.A00LF clocked @ 1600 MHz.)

 

[kombivan]

Your still at it? also somtimes your ram timing can be a bit high as some like better spec's on the box to sell more thats a pain.