Faulty mobo?

[Behemoth]

Before I make a complete and utter twit of myself by contact scan for an RMA just want to make sure you guys are thinking along the same lines as me.

I have an Asus M3A79-T mobo which has been running well since the start of the year. Today after switching off the PC to put the side panel back on and to connect my Microsoft Wirless Desktop 5000 I get nothing but trouble.

Basically when I goto to the Windows 7 Log-on screen as soon as I so much as typed anything the password box would just fill with characters, it didn't matter which letter or symbol I pressed I'd get the same result. Thinking it was the keyboard and mouse I connected them to my laptop and they worked fine there.

I connected just a basic PS2 keyboard back in and I still had the same problem. I assumed that maybe Windows was corrupt somehow, as I had a backup image of my system I restored that. Still got the same problem with either keyboard connected.

I fired up the Windows 7 install DVD and noticed that the Windows 7 hologram which normally glows and shimers was looking very odd indeed. The colours were right but it was flashing very quickly. Assuming that it was possibly my Radeon 4850 (which had a very shakey start with me to begin with) was the route of the issue I removed it and used the onboard GFX on the mobo, I still got the same issue, only this time once Windows had installed I got a blue screen of death (first time I've seen it in Windows 7 !!)

I was unable to see the blue screen error message as it disappeared very quickly and then the system rebooted again.

Every time I restarted the PC again I would get a blue screen. I took a stick of memory out and tried with just 2 gig, again same issue, and then tried with other stick of ram on its own, and again the same issue.

And now it would appear that I'm going round and round in a rebooting circle !!

There is nothing externally connected to the motherboard other than the keyboard and mouse and the monitor, speakers, USB devices such as hard drives and USB sticks are all disconnected.

Your answers on a post card please gents !!

I've also just noticed the clock is gaining a minute every second.

[scaryjim]

I'm pretty sure I've heard about some problem with the internal clock on certain mobos going mad, but I can't remember off the top of my head which ones. But yeah, sounds like a mobo issue to me. Do a bit more googling for "internal clock problems" and you might be able to get more info...

EDIT: from a quick google it seems to be reported fairly widely as an issue using ASUS motherboards on Windows 7 - not sure if it's specific to certain mobo models or just certain batches. Now worried that it's going to stuff up my HTPC *and* the PC I built for a mate a couple of months ago.... *sigh*

[Behemoth]

I can't see anything relating to my mobo at all with this issue, I really do think the board has had it, I can't belive that something so simple and mundain has caused this !!

Have just flashed the bios to the latest version and that hasn't helped out all.

Even with a PS/2 keyboard connected I can't type in anything anywhere, so putting in a serial number for Windows is out for a flaming start.

[scaryjim]

Have you tried installing a different version of windows or Linux?

[Behemoth]

yes I tried it with XP and had the same problem.

[scaryjim]

mmm, definitely sounds like a different, but still mobo-related problem. RMA that mother, ASAP...

[Behemoth]

Have just posted my opening post in the scancare section, I have to say that I am quite annoyed with this, have never had a mobo fault like this in my life.