Stuck on Windows 11 blue startup logo with no white dot - BIOS AHCI mode instead of RAID fixed it

[phil-jones]

Windows 11 boot logo and nothing else

Quick answer that fixed this case: Press Escape at boot, go into BIOS Setup and change Configuration -> SATA Emulation from RAID to AHCI.  Press Escape at boot again, then press F11 for System Recovery. After reinstalling Windows, the PC always boots into Windows 11 with an HP logo and not the problematic blue Windows logo.

My customer had a problem with a new HP Slim S01-pF2011na Desktop PC with Windows 11. Within the first 30 days of use, it got stuck at bootup with a black screen with a blue Windows 11 logo and no progress. The circling white dot that should be in the middle of the screen did not appear.

The customer turned the PC off by pulling the power plug. The customer plugged it back in again and it said, "Preparing automatic repair" for hours with no progress. 

Preparing Automatic Repair forever

On investigating I found that it would sometimes start when I did this:

1. Hold the power button for 5 seconds to make it turn off;

2. Press the power button, then immediately press Escape for the Startup Menu;

3. Press either F1 for System Information or F10 for BIOS Setup;

4. Exit and continue to Windows 11.

Sometimes the computer would then display an HP logo with a circling white dot and then it would start normally.

HP boot logo with white circle dot means it's going to work

Other times it would just give the same Windows 11 blue logo and no white dot. Sometimes it would say "Preparing Automatic Repair" again with no progress. Sometimes it asked for the Bitlocker Key which I found in the customer's Microsoft Account under Devices. 

After trying for some time we noticed that if the HP logo appeared at startup, then it was going to work. If the blue Windows 11 logo appeared at startup, it was not going to work.

So I took the computer back to the shop and got a replacement. Same model: HP Slim S01-pF2011na Desktop.

Within an hour of using the replacement computer, the same problem happened again!

Another PC, same make and model, same problem

I spent more time turning it on, pressing Escape at boot and it sometimes then loading normally, being asked at random for the Bitlocker key, or it saying "Preparing Automatic Repair"... 

So I tried putting in a new M.2 SSD. Starting the PC with a Windows installation media USB flash drive, I found Windows Setup said, "We couldn't find any drives". Rather than trying to load a driver, I wondered if there was something in the BIOS that could be changed. I read online elsewhere, if a PC is in AHCI mode then a storage driver isn't needed.

To try it, I went into the BIOS, chose Configuration and then changed SATA Mode from RAID to AHCI. 

Change RAID to AHCI

I tried the Windows installation USB flash drive again and this time the unpartitioned M.2 SSD was found by Windows Setup.

Then I put the original M.2 SSD back in again. The HP preinstalled partitions were found by Setup on the Windows installation USB flash drive. 

Windows 11 wouldn't load in this state. It gave an error, "Inaccessible boot device". The fix was to press Escape at startup again, then press F11 for System Recovery. 

Press F11 for System Recovery and follow the steps

After completing the System Recovery, Windows 11 was then as it was out-of-the-box. I gave the PC a different name than I used before. After signing in to a Microsoft Account, the PC had a different Bitlocker key.  

Since then the computer has always started with the HP logo and not the blue Windows 11 logo. My hope is this computer will now last for a long time!

[VikramTheGreat · Accepted solution]

Hi @phil-jones,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

Thanks for laying out the case so clearly. That’s an excellent bit of troubleshooting.
 

What you’ve described is actually spot-on: the RAID controller mode in BIOS can cause instability on entry-level desktops like the HP Slim S01 series when paired with Windows 11. By default, HP ships many models with SATA Emulation set to RAID (even when there’s only a single drive). This can create boot issues if the Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver fails to initialize properly, which explains why the PC would hang on the blue Windows logo or loop into Preparing Automatic Repair.

Your fix switching SATA Emulation from RAID → AHCI and then performing System Recovery ensures Windows uses the native AHCI driver. That’s why:
 

• The installer could finally see the SSD without needing extra drivers.
• Boot is now consistent with the HP logo and spinning dots, rather than the unreliable Windows logo hang.
• BitLocker re-keying was needed because changing storage controller modes alters the platform key, so Windows treats it as new hardware.

This is the correct permanent fix and much better than repeated resets or exchanges, since the problem isn’t a hardware defect but a controller mode mismatch. This helps other users in the community.

Thank you for letting us know. If you need any assistance in the future, please do keep us posted

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,

VikramTheGreat

[phil-jones]

Thank you Vikram. That explains why I was getting asked for the Bitlocker key at random intervals.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @phil-jones,

You’re most welcome! I’m glad the explanation helped clear that up. Yes, the switch from RAID to AHCI in the BIOS can trigger BitLocker to request the recovery key because Windows detects a change in the storage controller mode, which it treats as a potential security risk.

Good call on noting that once the recovery/reinstallation process was completed in AHCI mode, the system became stable and consistently booted with the HP logo, no more random BitLocker prompts.

👍 You handled the troubleshooting very thoroughly. This will definitely help others who run into the same situation.

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,

VikramTheGreat