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Very odd POST issue

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Hey,

Got a real odd one here for you tonight.

The other day i decided i needed the DLC for a game that i own, so, instead of paying £7.50 for an hour or two's play, i 'aquired' it. Now, this release had a famous uploaders name in the title "SKIDROW", so i assumed it was official. I downloaded it and ran the update/DLC installer in the folder. Nothing really happened. Background installer maybe.

About 10mins later, bam, BSoD. Odd, so i rebooted started in windows again. 2mins later, bam, another BSoD. Very odd. 3rd boot, BSoD during loading Windows. At this point i came to the conclusion it wasn't a real release. Now, considering my Windows 7 install disc is at someone elses house, i decided to take my PC into the other room and set me a nice AM2 build up to use.

This morning, i decided to get an Ubuntu 10.10 and install it on my Main Rig (the one with the issues). Turned it on and it flash a message before POST that i didn't get time to read, them tells me i only have 2GB of RAM and my Overclocking failed (one that i've had for a month solid with no BSoD). Anyways, i get past that and start to install Ubuntu to my spare 200GB HD as i have some files in my documents on the Windows partition that i'd like to keep.

Installed fine. Then it gets to the reboot and it turns off, the the "No signal" flashes, then "DVI" (meaning it found a signal), then "No Signal" again, and so forth in an infinite loop. So i manually powered it down and rebooted. Here i was met by the quick pre-POST message again before making it into Ubuntu.

From Ubuntu i decided to format my Intel drive (the one with Windows on it). I restarted the comp after applying some updates and bam, same boot and POST errors as before. But i made it into Ubuntu and carried on with my day.

And we arrive at 10mins ago. I decided to shut down and remove the CMOS battery (thinking it might be that error), but that had no effect. So, whats left? The message that flashed before POST. As this message was too quick to photo, i had to video it. This is what is says, exactly:

Your set to boot from USB. Starting to Boot from USB...
Your USB Boot function setting wrong, function will disable.

** Just to note that at this time, the ONLY drive in my computer is my Ubuntu drive.

So, WHAT THE FUCK is going on?

The only USB devices plugged into my computer are the same ones that have been for time before (Mouse, Keyboard and Headset).

** Also, anyone that says "Well, thats what you get for torrenting" FUCK OFF. That doesn't help me and it's not like anyone on here has ever not downloaded a song.

Idea people?
 
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BIOS malware?

Try reflashing the BIOS?
 
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anyone that says "Well, thats what you get for torrenting" FUCK OFF

Well, thats what you get for torrenting
... and admitting that you've done it
... and swearing too much


Just re-flash your BIOS and you should be fine.
Cheers,
 
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Flashed the BIOS and it's made no difference. Went from v1.0 to v1.4

I said that because since the Crysis2 thread, i know threads can easily get derailed by them kinda comments.
 
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Memtest mate. A stick of RAM might be gammy.
 
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I would try a fresh install on a different hdd, without any other drive installed. Idk what might cause it, but it seems options are running thin.
 
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Thing with that is i have... The Ubuntu one, the problem was before and after.

Even with the Intel drive out (the one 'affected'), i still get the pre-BIOS error... so even if it's the MBR, im not using that drive... So why the hell am i still getting the error...
 
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Did you capture any of the BSOD codes?
 
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They were all different.

DRIVER IRQ or whatever was one. Name some and i'll tell you if they showed.
 
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Damn Moon, that is wacky. And you already tried a BIOS flash, and memtest is clear, hdd isn't the issue, $&@# me bro, you totally have me at a loss. Still thinking though.

edit: ok, time for some off the wall shit. Memtest is clear, but just for shits and giggles, swap your ram out with another set. (I assume you have another set lying around).
 
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Driver IRQL less than or equal

Are you at stock settings?
Are you disconnecting from the net/LAN when you install OS or leaving it connected?

EDIT: Make sure you manually set BIOS options since you've reset BIOS. Ram voltage and timings etc.
 
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They were all different.

DRIVER IRQ or whatever was one. Name some and i'll tell you if they showed.

Name some! Man theres more BSOD's than STD's in the world! :laugh:

Inside the BIOS do you have any USB Boot options set? If so disable those.

TBH I doubt you got a MBR virus or some sort of BIOS virus. It sound's more like some hardware failure. Did you try a different SATA port at all? Maybe a port went bad.
 
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Hmmm... update people.

Got an 80GB out of a spare comp and booted with JUST that drive in, no pre-POST message, nothing. Im on Win7 and no errors so far.

Makes me think there's something across my other drives...

Might have to Nuke them all... Can you Nuke an SSD?
 

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Sounds like a boot sector virus or something to me.
 
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Thanks for the update. I agree, it seems like you have something that spread across all your drives. As far as nuking an ssd, idk and the lifetime of the ssd would probably be seriously affected.
 
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How should i fully clean the SSD then? Also, i have my 2TB Green drive with ALOT of media on it (like 700GB)... i take it that's nice and lost now.
 

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Don't know if this is what you got, but this post sounds familiar...

Quoted from: Cached page at PB( Magicka.Update.8-SKIDROW)

"infernoxr at 2011-02-05 10:11 CET:
I was bored and downloaded this for fun just 'cause.

This thing is a Rootkit with a bonus Boot sector virus.

You'll just BSOD trying to boot into windows. This thing chucked a boot sector virus onto my sata HDD storage drive and rootkit onto my SSD OS drive.

Unplug the HDD and get TDSS killer (kaspersky) and run it to cleanse your SSD- then put the HDD back in the run TDSS killer again.

That's all there is too it- sorry to all who got infected. Hope this helps."

Goodluck:)

Edit:
Kaspersky Labs virus removal tools

Edit: removing PB link; google it if it interests you. (Not you MoonPig, I assume you already got it.)
 
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Wow, thanks. I'll give it a go.

Not the .torrent i got, but seems to be the same errors... maybe the same wanker of an uploader.
 
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Plugged the SSD in. Booted. Ran the Program, found the problem, cleaned it. Rebooted. Ran again, no errors found.

I'm alot happier now.

But seriously, the data i've lost etc... i wanna hurt this guy...
 
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Just install a decent antivirus and MBAM, hot-plug the drive while OS is running and do a full scan. I've recovered data off virus-filled drives countless times without being infected myself.
 

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not really a torrent fan, but what I've learned before was that to always read the comments before downloading... :D
 
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Just removed a stick or RAM and no it boots perfectly...

So, what would cause that USB message and multiple restarts, but isn't a broken stick (according to Memtest)?
 
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On mine, it happened (without the USB message) because of a gammy core on my CPU. I tried to unlock it to a quad, it was fine for a while, but then, I'm guessing it just died. IMC? I know Memtest doesn't spot a gammy OC on your CPU, just on your RAM (Memtest may not throw an error if you're CPU's dodgy)
 
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