Asrock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 problem

I've recently bought one of these boards with an i5-2500k and Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600Mhx.

The problem is that I've been totally unable to install any OS with just the Asrock mobo, CPU, RAM, CD/DVD and 1 clean SSD (Corsair M4) in AHCI mode.

With Win7-64 (I upgraded for this) it gets past the loading files, displays the starting windows logo then the screen goes blank and the machine resets. This has happened every time I've tried installing the OS. Occasionally it's got as fear as the language selection but done the same again.

Win7-32 ends with exactly the same result. In desperation, even tried XP install. This gets about 60% through 'Installing devices' but again ends in the machine doing a reset.

I've tried installing using 2 difference sets of RAM and two different had disks, i.e SSD and one of the 250Gb HDD (wiped clean).

It's powered by a 520w Nestek (previously powering Asus M2N32SLI deluxe, 2x 250gb HDD in RAID, LGA CD/DVD, 5600GT graphics card and Creative Audigy2). Surely this is enough to power basic components I'm trying to use.

Anyone got any ideas?

Similar problems are already been encountered and there were different reasons:

1) for your screen, use the VGA connector instead of DVI, then try to install, if it works, ask windows to set default settings on DVI, then switch to DVI connector.

2) A graphic card driver issue. Try to use an other GPU if you have one. Then install. If it works, install the former GPU (the problem should reappear) then update the drivers with the CD given with the card.

3) A BIOS upgrade solved the problem in some case, but I am really not convinced by this solution in your case, just because your MOBO is quite new...

Thanks fornoob

a) Yes, I have got it on the DVI. Will try the VGA tonight.

b) I can't try another GPU as haven't got round to buying a new graphics card yet. Thought I'd get the basics out the way.

c) My mobo is BIOS verision 1.10 - this is the same as the most recent BIOS release I've seen listed on Asrock website. So no go on that one.

OK, so it's now running through the onboard VGA (no descrete graphics cards). Win7 64 looked to be getting somewhere as completed phase 1 install. Machine rebooted. Now it's resetting at end of 'Starting Windows' logo screen again. This is on one of the 250Gb Samsung drives. Using the Crucial M4 it as noted in my first post, i.e. before installing any files.

Also tried XP again which fell over at exactly the same point as previously.

Have been reading about others disabling USB2 / legacy support / floppy drive although not the same mobo as I've got. Likely to give that a go next ...

Well, finally got it all installed and running. Looks like disabling the CPU setting in the BIOS did the trick. Have installed Win 7-64 and XP on two different drives and both working perfectly. Just use the boot menu to choose st startup.