PC trying to boot from secondary SSD with no OS. Boots fine when secondary SSD is removed.

[Andrew872]

Hi,

I installed a WD Black SN770 SSD via PCIe adapter when I first purchased this PC 2+ years ago.  The SSD is used exclusively for data storage, and has no OS partition.  Never had any issues.  After a recent windows update, the PC would no longer boot.  (Black Screen).  After extensive troubleshooting, I removed the secondary SSD and the PC did an automatic repair and booted fine.

I checked the BIOS.  Default boot is set to "OS boot Manager" which is pointing to the Primary (Samsung) SSD, yet the PC attempts to only boot from secondary SSD when it is inserted.  Once removed, PC boots fine to Primary SSD.

Ran all HP UEFI tests on the secondary SSD and they all pass, but PC will not boot when the secondary SSD is inserted.

I purchased a USB external SSD enclosure (arriving later today) so I can test the SSD data integrity, but I'd prefer to have the SSD internal for performance reasons and not have any boot issues.

Has anyone seen this issue before and can provide me a workaround or solution?

Thanks very much!

Andrew

[Andrew872]

Just wanted to update that I installed the SSD in an external USB enclosure and have no issues accessing the data.  PC boots fine since I removed the internal SSD from the PCIe adapter.  This workaround is acceptable but I was hoping that someone in the community had seen this issue prior.   

I would welcome any suggestions on how I can resolve this issue.

Thanks very much!

Andrew

[zoey7886]

@Andrew872, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your HP PC! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

I understand that your PC is attempting to boot from your secondary SSD, which does not have an OS, and removing it allows the system to boot correctly. I'll be happy to assist you with troubleshooting this issue.

Check and Modify Boot Order in BIOS

Even though the BIOS shows "OS Boot Manager" pointing to your primary SSD, let's manually adjust the boot order to ensure it is correctly set. Please follow the instructions in the guide below:
👉 HP PCs - Configuring the boot order in the system BIOS
👉 HP Desktop PCs - BIOS Setup Utility information and menu options

Additionally, you can follow this video tutorial:
📽️ How to Change Boot Order in BIOS

Check SATA/NVMe Controller Mode

Your SSD might be in AHCI mode or RAID mode. Try switching between these modes in the BIOS:

1. Restart your PC and enter BIOS (usually by pressing F10, ESC, or DEL during boot).
2. Look for SATA/NVMe Configuration under Advanced Settings.
3. If it's set to AHCI, switch it to RAID, or vice versa.
4. Save changes and restart your PC.

Disable Certain Boot Settings

Try disabling the following options in BIOS (if available) and check if the issue persists:

• Legacy Boot
• Secure Boot (HP PCs - Secure Boot (Windows))
• Fast Boot

If this does not resolve the issue, make sure to revert these settings to their original values.  

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[Andrew872]

Hi,

I'm sorry for not replying in a timely manner.  I read your proposed fix and believe it will resolve my issue, but have not had a chance to apply it.  I expect to make the necessary BIOS change and update you in the next day or two. 

Thanks very much for your help!

Andrew

[zoey7886]

@Andrew872, let me know how it goes!

Will looks forward to your update.

Regards,

[Andrew872]

Hi,

Unfortunately the links provided didn't provide me anything that I hadn't already tried.  Two of the links were specific to laptop BIOS which were not applicable.  The desktop BIOS document didn't provide a solution, it just confirmed that my PC boot load order is correct, and that the OS Boot Manager is pointing to the correct device which has the bootable OS.

Unfortunately when the SSD is inserted in the PCIe adapter, the PC attempts to boot from it even though the BIOS is pointing to the other (primary) SSD which has the OS.  Only the primary SSD is bootable, so the PC just hangs when trying to boot from the secondary SSD ..

I believe that this issue started after MS pushed down a Windows 11 2H24 update.

I moved the SSD to an external USB adapter and found this workaround acceptable, but would rather have things working the way they did previously.

Any additional suggestions would be welcome..

Thanks!

Andrew

[Bill_To]

Greetings @Andrew872 

I'm adding my thoughts since you have not solved the startup problem when the second SSD is installed in the PC using a PCIe to NVME adapter.

I have never seen a PC attempt to boot to a drive which does not have an operating system.

Did you purchase the SN770 as a new item?

Have you checked the SN770's partitioning structure in Windows Disk Management or when using free partitioning software such as Macrorit.  It sounds like the SN770 may have a left over EFI System Partition.

Have you tried setting the PC's BIOS to default settings?

The latest HP BIOS update (F.30 Rev.A) for your PC is Here. What BIOS version is your PC using?

Your PC may have gotten a BIOS update from Windows Update. It is very difficult to roll back BIOS versions if the HP BIOS update (per above) is older than the current BIOS version possibly installed on your MB by Windows Update.

Start the PC when the second SSD is installed in the MB. Tap "F9" 

What UEFI boot device options do you see? You should only see the primary operating system SSD.

Regards

[Andrew872]

Hi Bill,

Thanks very much for the help!   Here are some of your answers.

Did you purchase the SN770 as a new item?

Yes, purchased new from Amazon.  Appeared to be factory sealed.  Never any issues for 2+ years until recent MS update.

Have you checked the SN770's partitioning structure in Windows Disk Management or when using free partitioning software such as Macrorit.  It sounds like the SN770 may have a left over EFI System Partition. 

Used Disk Management and confirmed one partition - Healthy (Basic Data Partition).  The only bootable partition shown on ANY device is the Samsung SSD that came with the PC.

Have you tried setting the PC's BIOS to default settings?

No, not as yet.

I plan to check the BIOS revision tonight or tomorrow morning and will update you then with the revision specifics and the UEFI boot load order. 

Thanks again!

Andrew

[Andrew872]

Hi Bill,

Looks like you identified the root cause of my issue.  My BIOS revision is F.31 which is newer than (F.30 Rev A) which is the latest authorized HP revision.  MS must have pushed the BIOS update on me with the recent W11 update.

I also confirmed that the UEFI Boot Manager points to Windows Boot Manager (Samsung SSD) in either instance (SDD internal in PCIe, or external in USB).  It never points to the secondary (incorrect) SSD but it insists on (trying to) boot from it when it is inserted in the PCIe slot. 

Based upon your earlier comment (not easy to roll back to an earlier BIOS rev) it might be best for me to keep the existing BIOS rev until HP updates their revision to something newer.  Do you agree?

Thanks!

Andrew

[Bill_To]

Greetings Andrew,

My pleasure.

It looks like HP BIOS version F.31 is causing the problem. This is really weird.

I have never seen a system try to boot to a drive having no operating system.

You could wait for HP to push a newer BIOS version at the HP download site for your PC or check this HP Forum thread on how to install an older BIOS version on a HP MB.

The BIOS rollback procedure is very complex. And there is a risk of corrupting the current BIOS if the procedure is not done correctly.

A local PC Tech, familiar with doing something like this, might be able to do the BIOS rollback for you.

You can stop future HP firmware updates offered by Windows as follows:

Enter Advanced System Settings in Search.

Select the appropriate search result. Select the Hardware tab within the System Properties dialog box.

Select Device Installation Settings. Select No.

Save changes. Select Apply then OK.

I change this setting on my PCs to stop firmware updates from Windows Update.

Regards