Question about BSoD and the unexpected failure to access BIOS.
Question about BSoD and the unexpected failure to access BIOS.
Hi, thank you for reaching out. My PC occasionally faced a random BSoD, which wasn't too frequent so I didn't dig deeper until now when I lost access to the BIOS. It crashed during a game, and from what I understand via Event Viewer, it logged Event 161 related to volmgr. I tried booting into BIOS thinking it might be connected to power issues, but surprisingly, entering BIOS still wouldn't work—I would just see the main screen until a restart. Ideally, I want to figure out what caused this BSoD, but right now I'm more concerned about my inability to enter BIOS after recently flashing my new Ryzen CPU.
Windows 11
Ryzen 9 5900x
Gigabyte Aorus X570 Elite
64gb RAM (A1, B1)
RTX 2080 Ti
NVMe Samsung 990 Pro & SSD Samsung 860 Evo
Corsair 700W Gold PSU (6-10yo)
How should I proceed with troubleshooting this issue?
Best regards, mwah!
Well, initially your memory slots are incorrectly installed. For every modern motherboard since DDR memory became common, the standard configuration is A2 and B2 for two DIMM slots. These should be placed in the second and fourth positions to the right of the CPU socket on all boards with four DIMM slots. I recommend starting by rearranging them.
Well, initially it seems your DIMM slots are misplaced. For every modern motherboard introduced after DDR memory became standard, the typical configuration has always been A2 and B2 for two DIMM slots. These should be positioned in the second and fourth slots from the right side of the CPU socket on all boards with four DIMM ports. I recommend starting by rearranging them.
Additionally, it’s likely your issues stem from a power supply that’s been outdated for 6 to 10 years. Could you confirm the exact model? You can find this on the label near the side of the PSU. All power supplies have one, and the model should be clearly printed there.
Please let me know your findings, and we can proceed from there. In the meantime, consider performing a hard BIOS reset—it often resolves many problems and is useful when systems appear unresponsive.
BIOS Hard Reset steps
Power down the device, turn off the PSU, and disconnect the power cable from either the wall outlet or the PSU itself.
Remove the CMOS battery on the motherboard for roughly three to five minutes. In some cases, you may need to take out the graphics card to access it.
While the battery is removed, keep pressing the power button on the case continuously for 15 to 30 seconds to discharge any remaining charge in the CMOS circuit. Once the time is up, reinsert the battery, making sure to orient it correctly as it was removed.
If you had to remove the graphics card, you can reinstall it now, but be sure to reconnect any power cables and your display cable.
Reconnect the PSU power cable, turn it back on, and restart the system. It should show the POST screen with options to set up CMOS/BIOS. Enter the BIOS setup, adjust boot settings for Windows or legacy systems, and if needed, configure OS installation drives.
Save your changes and exit. If the system successfully boots, you can continue refining settings such as Memory XMP, A-XMP, D.O.C.P profiles, fan profiles, or other custom configurations that may have been lost during the reset.
In certain situations, after resetting the BIOS, it might be necessary to load default or optimal values in the BIOS to properly restore hardware tables for the boot manager.
It’s also important to note that if your issue is linked to a weak video signal, consider trying a different display—many systems fail due to displayport settings. HDMI is a good alternative if you have no visual output or cannot access the BIOS. Similarly, testing another monitor can help if a display is absent.
These adjustments should help clarify whether the problem lies in hardware configuration or power supply age.
Thanks for the update! I reset the BIOS by removing the battery and it now works properly. I also switched the RAM slots to A2/B2. The PSU is Corsair RM850x, not 700W, just an older model. I'll let you know if another BSOD happens, as they seem to occur during certain games recently. They shouldn't be the only reason for a BSOD, should they?
If your RM850x is between six and ten years old and you're experiencing volmgr issues, the first step should be swapping it out with a new unit that offers at least decent quality. Current PSU prices are quite steep, so you probably won’t find reliable options in the 750W and above range for your 2080 Ti build—especially if you need something under $90. The models listed below represent the most affordable choices I’d confidently suggest without compromising on quality or reliability. Each one is of high standard; dropping around ten dollars into the price range usually means settling for less than satisfactory options.
I organized the drivers and used instructions for creating a dump file when a bsod appears. So far, I haven't played the game and haven't seen any bsods even while doing heavy CPU work.
Before trying these games, I played other titles for several days without any problems.