PC fails to start after replacing the boot disk
PC fails to start after replacing the boot disk
I assembled my PC in November 2019. Components were initially: r5 2600, ASRock B450 Pro4, (2*8)16gb 3200mhz Crucial Ballistix, Gigabyte WindForce RX 560 4GB, 256GB NVMe SSD, and a 2TB HDD. It functioned perfectly and I experimented with it as a hackintosh out of curiosity. Later, I upgraded to a PowerColor RX 580 8GB. I haven’t attempted a boot attack with the 580 until recently. I wanted to verify if Catalina would support the change, so I removed the game drive, swapped in the SSD, and installed a Mac HDD. I thought it would be easier than dual-booting via BIOS. After installing the new HDD, it wouldn’t power on. Fans spinning, lights on, but no boot. I restored the hardware to my original drive and drive, yet it still wouldn’t start. I became worried and borrowed a friend’s system (R3 3200G, MSI B450M Pro-VDH Max, EVGA GTX 960 2GB, GSKILL 3600MHz stock but running at 2666MHz). This helped me troubleshoot without risking my own parts. First, I installed the 2600 in his system and it booted normally, confirming the CPU was alive. Then I added the 580 with the 2600 and got a successful boot. Finally, I placed the 3200G on my motherboard and enabled OBG, which worked too. My board, CPU, GPU, and RAM remained functional. Returning to my original setup failed to boot. It appeared to be a BIOS issue. I entered BIOS with the 3200G, adjusted settings to defaults, and tried the 2600 again—no luck. I removed the CMOS battery overnight to let it discharge fully (though some suggested it might take time). After reinserting it this morning, I still couldn’t get a boot. What could be the solution? The next step would have been updating the BIOS. Given the risks, are there safer alternatives?
Interesting situation - I encountered a similar problem with my ROG Strix X570-I where the system wouldn't post after a short time, even though it was brand new. After some research, I discovered it might be due to the drive not being compatible with the current setup. My fix involved removing the NVMe drive, reinstalling the system, and updating the BIOS through the BIOS menu (using an Ethernet cable for connection). Then adjusting certain CSM settings to help the system recognize the drive. Could this approach work for you?
I updated the BIOS to the latest version with the 3200g, yet it doesn’t boot with the 2600. I’ll search online for help, but if I hit a dead end, I might consider swapping CPUs with a friend and save up for the 1600 AF.