HP Z800 or HP xw8600: How to set which disk to boot in bios

[hput3]

In bios of either HP Z800 or HP xw86000 workstations one can set the boot order easily. 

However, I see no opportunity to set which actual disk to boot from.

Is it possible to tell either of the machines bios to boot from a specific disc?

[ub6424]

Hello @hput3 

Your workstation is old !

(1) Setup to update BIOS (Linux)

HP xw8600 Workstation System BIOS Packaged for Linux

01.46 Rev. A

1.2 MB

Oct 30, 2012

Download

Why ?

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_4123786-2338478-16

Quote: "

Updating the BIOS is recommended as standard maintenance of the computer. It can also help resolve the following issues:

• An available BIOS update resolves a specific issue or improves computer performance.
• The current BIOS does not support a hardware component or a Windows upgrade.
• HP Support recommends installing a specific BIOS update.

"

BIOS Release notes:

https://support.hp.com/soar-attachment/286/col45942-wk-111506-1-wk-111506-1_sp59252_releasedoc.html

(2) Enter BIOS and load setup defaults, save and exit

(3) Shutdown

(4) Start and enter BIOS again

(5) Check boot settings

best regards

---

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[hput3]

---

@ub6424 wrote:

Hello @hput3 

Your workstation is old !

(1) Setup to update BIOS (Linux)

Before I start installing things I know nothing about, can you tell me if that update will have any baring on the subject here?

That is: Will it give me the option to select which disk to boot from?

[ub6424]

Hello @hput3 

Before I start installing things I know nothing about, can you tell me if that update will have any baring on the subject here?

That is: Will it give me the option to select which disk to boot from?

---

Yes, the boot order can be set:

HP Z800 Workstation - The Computer Setup (F10) Utility

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01718191

BIOS > Storage > Boot Order

Documentations:

HP xw Workstation - Setup and Troubleshooting Guide

HP Workstations for Linux - User Guide

HP xw Workstations - SATA device configuration guidelines

HP Workstations - LSI 8888 8-port SAS RAID Controller Card Installation

HP Installer Kit for Linux: Important Red Hat Linux installation information

HP xw Workstations - SAS/SATA hard drive installation

HP xw4600, xw6600, and xw8600 Workstations - Setting up SATA RAID

HP xw Workstations - Installing and Configuring SAS Hardware RAID on HP Workstations

HP xw Workstations - Quick Reference Card

HP Backup and Recovery Manager - Administrator Guide

best regards

---

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[hput3]

---

@ub6424 wrote:

Hello @hput3 

Before I start installing things I know nothing about, can you tell me if that update will have any baring on the subject here?

That is: Will it give me the option to select which disk to boot from?

---

Yes, the boot order can be set:

Sorry to sound a bit gruff, and I do appreciate your many helpfull links.  However it seems you are miss-understanding my question.

Apparently the subject was not clear enough I guess, but, surely with the little explanation that came with it it should be clear that I am not asking about the BOOT ORDER.  I even mentioned that it is easily set,

Get this clear.  I'm asking how to select a SPECIFIC DISC  not just the generic "Hard Drive" as in the Boot order dialog. And of course this can be set on the fly by pressing F9 during boot.  Again, not what I'm asking.

I want to know if  either of the machines in Subject line ,  have a way to select a SPECIFIC DISC to boot.

I haven't found anything like that going thru the BIOS.

I've also attempting to force a specific disc to boot by attaching it to the sata wire that says bay 0.  That didn't work either.

Now, does the nifty new bios upgrade your described offer something like that?  A way to select a specific disk to try booting from.

[ub6424]

Hello @hput3 

If the bios does not offer to select a "SPECIFIC DISC", then you cannot do it.

My fingers are already bleeding, but we try to solve it...

So

(1) How much discs are installed

(2) What SPECIFIC DISC are they ? Details please

(3) How are they connected ?

(4) For what purpose do you want to use the workstation ?

best regards

---

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[DGroves]

for windows, the bios looks for the first disk it finds that has a active "MBR" Master Boot Record

most bios's will allow  selecting the "found" disk(s) search order to place the desired boot disk as the "First One"

if you have a board multiple mass storage controllers (like the z800) you need to disable the bios of one controller, usually the "LSI" one but some people do the opposite turning off the z800 SATA controller

[hput3]

> If the bios does not offer to select a "SPECIFIC DISC", then you cannot do it.

> My fingers are already bleeding, but we try to solve it...

Thank you but no.

No need of further damage to you fingers.

[DGroves]

yes it is possible for the z800 (and the z8600 with last bios for it) I've owned/taken care of many of these during my "IT" days

just make sure only the disk you want to boot from has a "ACTIVE" mbr"

set mark a partition on a disk as active either by using Disk Management or DiskPart

https://www.diskpart.com/windows-7/make-partition-bootable-windows-7-6988.html

https://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/set-active-partition-vista-xp/

[ub6424]

Hello @hput3 

---

@DGroves wrote:

yes it is possible for the z800 (and the z8600 with last bios for it) I've owned/taken care of many of these during my "IT" days ...

---

Thanks @DGroves for the hint !

That's the key, update BIOS first ( as I suggested to you at the beginning ) then start to work.

Good luck with your project

best regards

---

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             ⌨️