Configure Z820 BIOs (J63 / v03.96) to recognise Windows 10 Pro GPT boot hard

[ianmansfield]

My Z820 was on Windows 7 Pro (MBR), from the desktop I upgraded to Windows 10 Pro. The computer BIOS would only see the MBR boot partition on 'safe mode'. Using this narrative to get there at BIOS press (ESC), press F12, for Network Boot >(select)  AMT 00C8. Press F8 on the Windows screen and the swirling stars at the bottom briefly until they disappear and 'safe mode' appears. 

If I used DISKPART I could see the partition when it was a MBR boot drive.

From research I understood Windows 10 Pro prefers GPT using EFI in BIOS.

I used a Windows 10 Pro boot USB (release. 190318-1202) using Shift and F10 to use the mbr2gpt.exe to convert the partition hard drive to GPT. I have done this, but only Acronis Disk Boot Manager can recognise the hard drive partition layout, the BIOS will not (properly). But DISKPART couldn't.

When I do switch on the PC at the moment I see the Windows icon and the swirling stars at the bottom briefly until they disappear and my monitor display shows 'Invalid Format' against a black screen..

What do I have to access in BIOS menu to make it recognise the boot drive is there in GPT format?

Do I have to re-wire anything inside the PC cabinet. At the moment the boot HD is in slot '0' and no other hard drives are connected in 1-3. 

Please see images. From Acronis Disk Manager and various screens in the BIOs.

I am fairly familiar with the BIOS screens. Specifically the Boot Order (and how to disable/enable LEGACY or UEFI boots options), the Advance Device Options and in particular the 3 entries that can be LEGACY or EFI. 1) PXE Option ROMS, 2) Mass Storage Options ROMS, and 3) Video Option ROMS (when I change this to EFI I can't see anything from the PC (I have to reset the CMOS for 5 seconds in the PC, to reset the BIOS entirely)

The other screen I have looked into is the Security > Secure Boot Configuration, specifically the LEGACY Support and Secure Boot.

I have a Acronis disk image for Windows 7 Pro to revert back to if necessary. This OS system is running Avid NLE 8.4.4, which is why I'm using this Z820.

Can someone assit me with where I'm going wrong please?

[DGroves]

you can not use a partition manager to change a disk from mbr to gpt and then do a upgrade to win 10 it will fail as win 7 has no boot support for GPT only non boot support

https://www.diskpart.com/windows-7/how-to-install-windows-7-on-gpt-partition-style-3889.html

backup your data, reinstall win 7 x64 pro and then from within the win 7 os dl the win 10 to a usb key and run the win 10 setup/install from within windows 7, this will grant you a win 10 digital license tied to your motherboard

once you have done the win 10 upgrade and booted into win 10 you can either reinstall win 10 in GPT format or leave it a legacy the only real difference GPT has is boot from drives larger than 2TB

[ianmansfield]

Dear DGroves,

Thank you for your speedy reply. 

I would like to point out that where you type this: 'reinstall win 7 x64 pro and then from within the win 7 os dl the win 10 to a usb key and run the win 10 setup/install from within windows 7, this will grant you a win 10 digital license tied to your motherboard'

I have done that and what happens is when the PC is going  through the 2nd restart installing Windows 10 Pro from a Windows 7 Pro desktop upgrade, it progresses about 30%, then the screen changes to this. The upgrade does complete but I'm not entirely sure when (I leave it a few hours).

I end up with a boot drive still as an MBR partition which I can only see if I boot it in 'safe mode' (screen capture below). There doesn't seem to be any drivers in the BIOS that will properly recognize the when its MBR boot partition. That's before I even attempt to convert it into GPT.

    Thanks for getting in touch, look forward to your reply..

[DGroves]

I personally own z800 and z820/840 systems and on the z820's both were upgraded from windows 7 x64 pro to win 10 using the directions i previously listed without any issues and if you check the forum here others have also done this without issues

either your current win 7 has a non standard disk format/partition/drives or your win 10 installer is corrupted

i recommend you reset your bios to factory defaults, backup your data, and reinstall win 7 and then try the win 10 upgrade process

note: my z820's had a vanilla HP win 7 image installed that did not install anything other than win 7 itself

[ianmansfield]

Hi DGoves,

Where did you download the 

'my z820's had a vanilla HP win 7 image.' from?

Once you convert a windows 10 Pro to gpt using mbr2gpt.exe. Do you have to do anything in the BIOS to make sure it recognises UEFI boot drive. Do you for instance have to use F5 to disable the Legacy boot mode in the boot mode order screen?

One last thing when I originally upgraded the Windows 7 Pro as an MBR partition I use the 'windows-10-media-creation-tool' from the Desktop to do the upgrade with an online connection (it downloads whatever it requires) and I follow the instructions on screen. It then informs me its about to restart, so it can install the upgrade. Once the 2nd reboot at around 30% the screen turns black and 'Invalid Format' appears. The PC is using the downloaded information it alone gets from Microsoft, there is no USB boot stick plugged in. I do though have bootable Windows 10 Pro USB stick.

[DGroves]

HP at one time sold a generic windows 7 DVD that would install on any system which had a HP bios this is no longer available from HP but you can buy a win 7 disk/serial off of ebay if not using a HP OEM disk

the HP# for the generic OEM disk was 670233-DN6

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Windows-7-Professional-SP1-64-Bit-Restore-Recovery-OEM-DVD-Disc-Brand-Ne...

many other HP restore disks will also work but may have integrated apps/drivers for that specific model system the disk i linked to does not have any addon software/drivers. it's a plain win 7 disk with the necessary files to allow auto activation

again,..............i would backup your data and do a clean win 7 install with no addon software (such as anti virus) other than the video driver and then do the win 10 from a usb key image

[ianmansfield]

Hi DGroves,

With regards to version of Windows 7 Pro installation discs how do you find out in the installation which version your installing, as I a Windows 7 Pro 64bit install disk with a separate DVD repair disk (not pictured). 

I have these already from when I had a Z420. Any good?

Disk 2Disk 3

I've also found this link to an earlier version (I've downloaded it) ?

 https://archive.org/details/HPOperatingSystemDVDWindows7ProfessionalSP164-bit650434-DN32012 

HP Operating System DVD Windows 7 Professional SP1 (64-bit) (650434-DN3) (2012)

Your thoughts?

(I can also restore an acronis image of Windows 7 Pro with Avid and other programs installed on it, which I created before I started to attempt to do the 'desktop' based upgrade in the first place.

[DGroves]

the z420 disk will work fine for a basic win 7 install on a z620/820 the only missing driver will be for the z820's onboard LSI SAS/SATA controller so don't connect any devices to it

the archive link is also a generic HP win-7 image that will work fine (i've used it before)

and since win 10 has native LSI driver support you can skip the win 7 LSI driver

just remember to clear all existing partitions (including the factory win 7 restore partition) during the win 7 clean install

[ianmansfield]

just remember to clear all existing partitions (including the factory win 7 restore partition) during the win 7 clean install

Leave the hard drive as one block of MBR or unallocated?

[DGroves]

remove all partitions manually, then let windows setup auto recreate all needed partitions by selecting the "next" button

DO NOT MANUALLY CREATE PARTITIONS!!!!!!