Member Avatar for NomNOm

Hi, Got this strange issue going on right now and i'm trying to find some answers....

Last night I flashed my BIOS with an updated version and now when i try to boot the computer it gets stuck in this strange POST loop where it loads up fine to the "Windows has been incorrectly shut down" screen then reboots. I have tried to downgrade the BIOS version to the original but i get an Incompatible error then it freezes. I'm working with a K8N motherboard from asus and have had no problems with it since the day i bought it..

I've heard of this error before from people who recently built a computer and just messed up when it came to a few wires or something but this computer has had no issues forever... till now

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Following up on the replies from , and , here are focused, practical checks and recovery options that go beyond the quick suggestions so you can narrow whether this is BIOS, firmware or hardware.

Start with a minimal, repeatable test: unplug all drives and USB devices, leave only CPU, one known-good RAM stick, and the video output required to get POST. Try each RAM stick in each slot and listen for beep codes or look for motherboard POST LEDs. Inspect the board visually (especially caps around VRMs) and verify PSU voltages or try a different PSU. These steps separate flaky hardware from firmware problems.

If the BIOS flash is the likely trigger, consult the motherboard manual for the vendor recovery procedure and follow it precisely: many boards support a vendor-provided recovery/flash-from-USB routine that will restore a working image without booting Windows. When preparing a recovery medium, make sure the BIOS file exactly matches the board model and PCB revision; flashing the wrong image can make recovery harder. If the board actively refuses older firmware, manufacturers sometimes lock downgrades — at that point a repair shop with an SPI programmer or a preprogrammed replacement BIOS chip is the safer recovery path than repeated blind flashes.

If Windows shows the improper-shutdown message but the machine can be made to pause on failure, capture the stop code (use the boot options that prevent automatic reboot) or boot a rescue USB to run disk and system-file checks. If a live environment is unstable too, the root cause is almost certainly firmware or hardware, not an application or driver.

Keep a short log of what you tried (BIOS versions, which RAM sticks, PSU used) and take photos before moving jumpers or probing. If built-in recovery steps fail, provide those details when contacting ASUS support or a local repair service — it shortens diagnosis and avoids unnecessary hardware replacement.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

first ,what was wrong with computer that you needed to update the bios,second after the update did you first go into the bios and set it to the default setting and save and exit ,before trying to boot into windows ,as this is the normal procedure .

Member Avatar for briansmall

What OS?

Have you tried booting to safe mode? Just doing so fixes a lot of problems.

Member Avatar for sourcez

If it's a bios issue search for any issues found with the new version. It may be that there's a problem with it that would be easy to fix.

Try resetting the bios settings (you could take out the cmos battery for this), then try safe mode and see whether that works. If it works in safe mode then it's probably not a serious problem.

Let us know how you get on.

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