HP Z820 Workstation keeps rebooting

[Gary-Heijmans]

My HP Z820 V2 is ill. After turning it on, the fans run at 100% for 1 minute and then shuts down.
The display remains black and the Z820 keeps rebooting untill I unplug it.
I tried setting the emergancy recovery pin with a USB containing the Bios Version 3.96 bin file but no luck
Does anybody have any tips on how to fix this?
Do I need an older Bios version and where can i download older versions?

[DGroves]

hmmmm,..........so because you may have a software or hardware issue you thought adding a corupted bios to the mix by partly doing a emergency bios restore was the correct repair procedure?

a bios restore should be the LAST thing performed after checking the hardware and software as trying to flash a bios when allready having a problem is a sure file way to did a deeper hole

first do a "BIST" test on the power supply, then test ram at this point you may have corupted the bios by enabling the bios recovery jumper making hardware troubbleshooting almost impossible

be that as it may, use the "SEARCH" feature to find SDH's exelent post on bios recovery for the z420/640 which also applys to the z820

[Gary-Heijmans]

Thanks for your responce, but before trying the bios restore I allready made sure there was no software or hardware problem. The computer would have a black screen and after a minute without any aportunity to start the bios it spims down. When I enabe the recovery jumper I do not get the six beeps.

[SDH]

Kind words... thanks DG.

To OP: LINK 

I've had some success with that post's methods but doing a motherboard transplant from a (hopefully good) recycled parted out workstation has been a more reliable fix, to be honest. We've posted in the forum here how to review the motherboard's bar code label for its right-side HP part numbers and tell if it is a version 1 or version 2 motherboard. You'd only want a v2 if you're going to do that. And, you almost never know if the v2 motherboard is "branded" for Windows or Linux... If you wanted Windows and got a Linux branded motherboard an OEM W10 sealed CD/key kit bought off eBay will get the motherboard registered for W10/W11 Pro 64-bit. Those come from Microsoft and are kind of like the old "system builder" kits of W7 times. Not sure I'd want to send off company credit card info to Hong Kong to save a few bucks for a supposed valid key for less cost instead.

Of interest, I had a nice Z640 go from bad to worse on us recently and finally gave up and got an eBay replacement motherboard that turned out to have been originally branded for Linux. Got an unopened MS OEM W10Pro64 kit (with "scratch to expose" key) for about 35.00 USD off eBay and absent mindedly cloned on my original good W11 build, got the "not activated" result, entered the unused W10 key code, and that activated the W11 build instantly (offline). Activation persisted after connecting to the internet. This is partly why I think the same key can be used for installing either W10 or W11 on the workstation, and thereafter for auto-registration on the MS W10/W11 activation servers (the source of a "digital license"). If the transplanted motherboard originally had been branded for Windows and was W10-activated any time in the past, then it can run W10/W11 again inside your case with no issues. We use some expensive software that probes the licensed workstation's UUID every time to allow use, and I've heard a UUID check is the basis for digital license-based activation through the MS servers.

Luck of the draw with transplants... usually they're Windows branded and work fine the first attempt.

[Gary-Heijmans · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately there are no reasonably prised transplants (mainboard) in the Netherlands,
ad ordering one from abroad is even more expensive including all the extra costs.
I am better off buying a used Z820 Workstation.