HP Z820 on Windows 10 20H2 update.

[Rafmigz]

Hi! Good day to all!

I recently acquired an HP Z820 Workstation as I will use it for 3D rendering, CAD, and computational simulations. Upon acquiring this PC I installed the latest Windows 10 updates(20H2 update), after the update the PC works fine, I installed all the apps that I needed. However, after using for quite some time, one instance happened that upon turning on the PC and Windows 10 boots, it is stuck in Windows logo, no indications (circular dots animation, etc.) that the OS is loading, when I tried to reset the PC it will just attempt to fix the startup but still it will just freeze on that function.

It so happened that I tried to access the BIOS and tried to disable one of the CPU (at this point I was suspecting that there is a problem in the motherboard). In this settings only CPU #0 is working and CPU #1 is disabled, I tried to restart and the Windows boots. So I tried to revert it back to full CPU settings  with both CPU 1 and is working, restart and Windows boots, the problem still occurred which is  stuck in Windows logo which I tried to revert to previous version of Windows and it works (That is why I was able to type this help)

I can't figure out where's the problem here is it the hardware or the software? Please let me know you thoughts on this. Thanks! 

[DGroves]

if both cpu's show in the bios when enabled and no preboot bios diag fail (IE no beeps/flashing light sequence) then most likely the motherboard hardware is fine

you might have failing ram in the sec cpu or a bad cpu (which appears highly unlikely)

for a cpu test, confirm normal boot on one cpu, then power down and swap cpu's if still normal boot swap ram banks

if still normal, then enable sec cpu and if win error on boot issue is most likely a software related issue, reinstall OS make restore point then reinstall apps one by one rebooting at each app install

a reminder,.............do not under any condition attempt a bios update with a flaky system!!!! update AFTER THE SYSTEM IS STABLE and do not do a windows update this is known to fail sometimes bricking the system

update the bios from within the bios and have new bios on fat32 usb 2.0 key (use update bios command) or from a bootable fat32 USB 2.0 key that has the bios and dos flasher

[Rafmigz]

HI DGroves! Thanks for your reply, well I tried to reinstall the OS since its first time to occur, I thought the issue will be fixed,  also when I got this Z820, at first only 80GB of RAM is detectable but upon checking inside there are 8 RAM sticks x 16GB each which gives a total of 128 GB, I tried to remove the RAM sticks, clean the contacts it with a rubber eraser and exchange the RAMs of CPU 0 to CPU 1, after this I was able to detect all 128GB RAM, until now the RAM is stable.

Also, currently I am suspecting that the SSD has a problem and will try to buy and install new one for this PC.

What about updating the BIOS? will this also help to fix the problem? since I still have the 2018 version of the BIOS and upon checking there is already 2019 version of the BIOS. 

[DGroves · Accepted solution]

in general, yes the latest z820 bios should be applied

do not update bios within windows as the updater was never certified to run under win 10 and users have reported failed updates which have corrupted the system resulting in a non booting system

the proper way for win 10 is to extract the bios file from the SPxxxxxx by running it and then cancel the win bios update

now go to the extracted file (SPxxxx) and in the DOS folder copy the  xxxx.bin file to a fat 32 formatted USB Key placed in a USB2.0 port, reboot and enter bios, select the "update BIOS"  option and it should detect the .bin file on the usb key if not select the proper usb key and follow prompts

you can also copy all files in the dos folder onto a BOOTABLE Fat32 USB Key in a usb 2.0 port, boot from this key and run the dos flash command .........again copy the files "in" the dos folder not the dos folder onto a bootable usb key

last, most ssd makers have utils to check drive condition

i suspect a corrupted windows install or you may still have flakey ram, run a memory check app like memtest86

[Rafmigz]

I just recently updated the BIOS via a flash drive and it was successful. My question now is, can I proceed to update Windows 10?

I think my RAM is not flaky since it was working fully when I tried to clean the contacts and shift their positions from CPU 0 to CPU 1.

Thanks!

[DGroves]

try a CLEAN windows 10 install using the image from microsoft and use the win 7 pro serial on the case to activate

better yet if you have the HP windows 7 pro disk, install that,  then do the updates 

now FROM WINDOWS 7 go to the usb key and rum the win 10 installer to start the win 7 to 10 update. using this method will give your motherboard a working "digital" win 10 license that will not require a serial number to activate