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HP Recommended
HP Z4 G4
Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

Hello

 

My problem is:

 

I had the system upgraded with 2 ssd from samsung 870 evo sata3 and the system dont start when the ssd are plugged in... I tried different sata port combinations, different power combinations, different bios settings, but its always the same.... I never saw this problem on an other PC and i hope someone can help me.

The Workstation starts (power is online) and i can see the HP logo with the Loading-Circle. Then nothing happens. When i unplug the ssd- the system starts normally. I think its a Hardware-Conflict, but i dont know how to fix this.

 

 

 

Betriebsystemname Microsoft Windows 10 Pro for Workstations
Version 10.0.19044 Build 19044
Zusätzliche Betriebsystembeschreibung Nicht verfügbar
Betriebsystemhersteller Microsoft Corporation
Systemhersteller HP
Systemmodell HP Z4 G4 Workstation
Systemtyp x64-basierter PC
System-SKU 6QN69EA#UUZ
Prozessor Intel(R) Xeon(R) W-2135 CPU @ 3.70GHz, 3696 MHz, 6 Kern(e), 12 logische(r) Prozessor(en)
BIOS-Version/-Datum HP P61 v02.75, 28.09.2021

HDD: M2 125 GB original HP

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
HP Recommended

I found the problem:

 

The solution was an update of the ssd firmware. I had never, and i build for many Years PC's, an frimware of a drive updated...

OMG - Now the system is working fine.

 

Thanks for the inputs.

View solution in original post

14 REPLIES 14
HP Recommended

does the system power on with one new ssd attached?

 

can you enter the bios and do you see the new ssd? if so

 

a common cause is that the system is seeing the new drive as the "primary" boot device

 

make sure the actual boot device is higher (topmost) in the bios's listed device order

HP Recommended

Yes, the system power on with the ssd

i can enter the bios and see the ssd's

the m2 with windows on it is the highest priority boot device

HP Recommended

New drives, be they a HDD or a SSD, generally come to you "raw" and need to be partitioned and formatted for the OS you will run them under.

 

Have you used a functioning Windows computer and gone to Disk Management and used that to first partition and then long-type (not "Quick") NTFS format the drive?

HP Recommended

I partioned and formated the ssd's via windows, but just "quick" ntfs... i try the long type...

The cracy thing is: The ssd's works, when i plug them after windows is started...

HP Recommended

it's a boot device issue, but as i've never worked on this system i have no idea what bios settings affect this

 

have you tried resetting the system cmos to factory defaults and not the optinal used defined cmos defaults (read manual on this)

HP Recommended

So, the ssd's are correclty formatted and right partioned..

The cmos reset i tried and i see a fail-message between the wrong system time - it works also, but the same problem - te pc dont start with the ssd's....

HP Recommended

the boot direction is ok too

HP Recommended

It's strange. According the manual there is no M.2 SSD port. 

Usually 1 or 2 Sata ports are disabled when using the M.2 port.

But it is usually mentioned in the manual.

Check the manual on page 30 (System Board) 

The quality of the documentation is getting worse with each new Workstation.

You should have checked the Manual before you spend your money for a workstation.

HP Recommended

You have the Xeon type of Z4 G4... as such you have two M.2 slots.  The latest QuickSpecs for the Z4 G4 (which includes both types) was released this month, attached below as a PDF for you.

 

There are 47 entries in there for "M.2" and I went through all of them.  There is no mention anywhere that use of your M.2 slots would block access physically or electronically to any of your SATA ports.

 

Over the years I have had some issues with both SSDs and HDDs bought used for experimenting with, and learned a few things.  First, since you can see the SSDs when your computer is running off your M.2 drive you should be able to use the latest Samsung Magician free utility to check their firmware version.  That utility can also update the firmware if needed.

 

Second, there are deep sectors that might have some entries that conflict with your OS.  This is rare, but I have seen it and the solution was to make a bootable DBAN optical disk, boot from that, and target the drive for a low level wipe of all sectors.  I have used the same DBAN disc for years and years.  I'll sometimes unplug the boot drive and only have the target drive attached to SATA port 0 if needed, booting off the optical disc.  This may allow me to target a drive that otherwise would not be visible.  I also rarely need to change the storage controller in BIOS from "RAID + AHCI" to "IDE" for the drive to be visible for DBAN to work on it. 

 

I am very careful in the selection of the drive to wipe if an alternative drive also is present.  Doing this type of wipe (which results in a truly "raw" status) has gotten drives that nothing else would get working to become usable under Windows after proper partitioning, and then long type NTFS formatting.  The "long" type takes longer but it maps out bad sectors if present.  Thus, I only do the long type...

 

I have an old xw6400 utility computer in a back room I keep alive just for this purpose and other such chores... still working well.  This process on a large HDD can take quite some time, but that box has good cooling and just chugs away.

† The opinions expressed above are the personal opinions of the authors, not of HP. By using this site, you accept the <a href="https://www8.hp.com/us/en/terms-of-use.html" class="udrlinesmall">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="/t5/custom/page/page-id/hp.rulespage" class="udrlinesmall"> Rules of Participation</a>.