ASUS TUF B360M-E Gaming - can't access BIOS

I just got my computer yesterday - motherboard in title, Win10, i5-9400f, zotac gtx1660 - and I'm trying to get into the BIOS for a couple of reasons: I want to turn off the pulsing RGB on the motherboard that persists into sleep and shutdown because it will make getting to sleep slightly harder, and change the USB charge options when asleep / shutdown; but I can't get into BIOS. Windows and the computer seem to work just fine, it's just the BIOS I'm struggling with.

When I first turn on the computer, the first thing I see after about 15 seconds is the Windows user login. During this time, my screens - both of them, having tried on both - receive 'no signal' and my keyboard lights up, then goes off for a second, then lights up again, so it looks like it is doing the standard BIOS startup, but I can't see it.

I've also tried running my GPU HDMI into one monitor, and the motherboard HDMI into the other, and neither still show anything before windows. No PCspecialist splash, no BIOS, no prompt to configure BIOS.

I've tried going into windows settings and rebooting with advanced options for UEFI, but it only restarts as normal. I've tried rapidly pressing F2 after startup, all the way until Windows loads, nothing. The manual for the motherboard even says it's F2. I've tried Ctrl Alt Del - restart button - power button, same. I've tried cmd -> shutdown /s /t 0, then pressing F2, still nothing.

I would really, really like to get into the BIOS and turn this damn light off instead of having to cover the front air vent and side panel or shutdown and turn off at the back every single night. Any suggestions?
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Have you tried holding the F2 key rather than pressing it? The post can be quite fast depending on config but you should normally manage to get into the bios with no problems.

Try Del (on its own), F10 and F12 to see if they have any effect.
 
Have you tried holding the F2 key rather than pressing it? The post can be quite fast depending on config but you should normally manage to get into the bios with no problems.

Try Del (on its own), F10 and F12 to see if they have any effect.

The manual for the motherboard specifies F2 and delete, and I've tried holding those during a boot too. It may be that my usb keyboard - corsair k70 mk2 - is incompatible before windows drivers kick in, but I put the keyboard into bios mode, still no result.

The fact that 'settings-> updates and security ->recovery -> advanced startup -> troubleshoot -> advanced -> UEFI firmware settings ' makes me wonder if the asus MB isn't compatible with this setting, or if I've somehow been 'locked out' of it. That should start irrespective of keyboard input.
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Which monitor are you using? I've had issues like this in the past where my TV hasn't been compatible with the BIOS output from the PC. I think I fixed it by changing the output (HDMI to DVI or something like that).

Very unusual for a modern UEFI system to have such an issue though.

Do you have an old wired USB keyboard you could try? Could you make sure you are in a USB 2.0 (legacy) port and not a USB 3 port?
 
My screens are an LG 32LF7700 and an even older Logik. Yes, both television screens, not monitors.

I have definitely used it in USB 2.0 in legacy mode, but I might see if I can pick up one of the old ones with the round connector.

I really can't get over the fact that advanced windows startup does nothing - it's not that nothing displays, it's that the computer just goes straight to normal windows as if nothing happened.
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
I'm not convinced it's the keyboard anyway. It may be a time out thing with the screen not displaying.

Do you have access to a proper monitor to use? The PS2 keyboard may not be compatible with your motherboard, have you checked? They are definitely legacy now, everything is USB.
 
I managed to fix it! I couldn't get my hands on a proper monitor, but in the process of getting 2 screens set up - my gpu only has 1 hdmi port - I got a DP to HDMI adapter and the boot screen displays on a screen connected via displayport; I saw the prompt and could get into BIOS. Turns out it was a visual output all along, thank you for helping me narrow it down!
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Good stuff, glad you managed to fix it.

Just for poops and giggles, could you try booting up with just one monitor plugged into the HDMI port, removing the DP cable from the back of the PC? That should prioritise the HDMI cable and bring it up.

Will be good information to have on the forum should it work out as this won't be the last time this crops up :)
 
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