Z400 Restore Plus! loads then on begin setup gives "Unrecoverable Error" contact HP support

[syncblock]

I ran the HP Restore Plus! discs that were included with the system.  Reformatted the hard drive, copied files, then on begin setup gives "Unrecoverable error" contact HP support.  Now what?  

[DGroves]

you can buy HP OEM win 7 pro 64bit disks off ebay quite cheap these restore disks are generic vanilla win 7 builds and will auto activate without a serial look for a set that has a separate disk labeled windows 7,  ignore sets that have only a start with disk 1 and no separate win 7 labeled disk

example:

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

you can also buy a RETAIL copy of win 7 with the key from ebay

this will install a generic win 7, and then you can manually install the missing drivers using the ones posted on the hp driver page for the z400

all required win 7 drivers and optional software is available from the HP z400 driver page

google may also show archive links for the HP restore disk

personally, i recommend you do a win 7 install that is activated, and then from with win 7 run the MS win 10 installer, this will grant your z400 motherboard a valid MS win 10 digital license, the z400 is fully win 10 compliant

[SDH]

I do a MBR partition on the HDD/SSD and a long type NTFS format of that.  You need to boot from the first optical disc and it will ask for the second when needed.  That "need" might be only that the installer wants to prove to itself that you have it, for licensing purposes.

Don't try to run the installer from a copy/paste over to the HDD/SSD.

By the way a SSD really is now required for a proper user experience.  I like the 320 series Intel SSDs off eBay, at least in the 300GB range if not 500-600, and buy them used.  I prefer them to not be HP origin because they use a special firmware that is not updated vs the Intel firmware.  Those ZX00 workstations are SATA II as are those particular SSDs.

[syncblock]

The first thing the Restore plus dvd does is reformat the hard drive so I don't see how your partition would help.  The 3 restore plus disks all copy to the hard drive and gets to the point of "begin setup", files are loaded, drive letters are reassigned PEboot comes up and then the "unrecoverable error".   The disks seem to work until then.  I'm thinking maybe a bios setting is blocking the windows setup?

[DGroves]

existing partitions, non std MBR's  can cause the restore disk to fail.......

a common cause is having a linux or win 10 previous install on the disk, as these leave things that the HP restore setup is not expecting 

also a disk error such as a bad block can cause issues, i recommend you DL the HD makers disk utility app and scan the drive and also use it to wipe the drive of all existing data

open the system mote who made the drive (seagate/WD/toshiba and so on) then visit that makers site 

[syncblock]

I have tried the original HD and another HD and get the same results.

[syncblock]

If I go this route, why not just get a Windows 10 pro retail and install that directly?

[DGroves]

your choice

in regards to the restore error,.....do you have the boot drive (disconnect all other HD's) connected to the blue Intel SATA port and not one of the black ports? and is the bios set for Raid+AHCI?

[syncblock]

I downloaded and ran the HGST WinDFT to check and erase the hard drive.  It is plugged into the correct port and Raid is set.  Restore plus runs as before and still gives the "unrecoverable error" after formatting and loading to the HD.  The last thing I may try is Restore Bios to Default before running the restore again, any possible downside to that?  If that doesn't work then I will get a retail windows kit and install that.