Samsung 4TB SSD not functioning in HP TP01-2000a

[MHL-TECH]

Trying to install a Samsung 4TB 870 EVO SSD as a secondary drive in my Pavilion Desktop TP01.  If I connect it externally with a USB to SATA adapter, Disk Management sees it fine as one large partition.  However, if I try to install it internally, on any data port and with either power connector, Disk Management sees it split as as 2048GB Healthy (GPT Protective Partition) and 1678GB unallocated.  I have disabled Fast Startup and Secure Boot with the same results.

[Gaya1239 · Accepted solution]

Hi @MHL-TECH ,

Welcome to HP Support Community.  

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

It seems like you are encountering a partitioning issue when installing the Samsung 4TB SSD internally on your HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-2000a. Here are steps you can try to resolve the problem:

Check SATA Port and Cable: Ensure that you are connecting the SSD to a functioning SATA port on your motherboard. Also, make sure the SATA cable is in good condition. Try using a different SATA port or cable if available.

Update BIOS/UEFI Firmware: Check if there is a BIOS/UEFI firmware update available for your HP Pavilion TP01-2000a. Sometimes, firmware updates include improvements and fixes for hardware compatibility issues.

Initialize and Partition the SSD: After connecting the SSD internally, open Disk Management in Windows. Right-click on the unallocated space and select "New Simple Volume." Follow the wizard to initialize and partition the SSD. Make sure to select GPT (GUID Partition Table) during this process.

Use DiskPart: Open a command prompt as an administrator and use the DiskPart utility to manually clean and format the SSD. Be cautious with this tool, as it can delete data. Follow these steps:

• Type diskpart and press Enter.
• Type list disk to display a list of all disks.
• Identify the disk number of your Samsung 4TB SSD.
• Type select disk X (replace X with the correct disk number).
• Type clean to remove all partitions and data on the disk.
• Type convert gpt to change the partition style to GPT.
• Type create partition primary to create a new primary partition.
• Type format fs=ntfs quick to format the partition as NTFS quickly.
• Type assign to assign a drive letter.

Update Storage Controller Drivers: Ensure that your storage controller drivers are up-to-date. Visit the HP support website for your specific model and download the latest storage controller drivers.

Check for Disk Management Restrictions: Some versions of Windows might have limitations on the size of partitions that can be created. Make sure you are using a modern Windows version that supports large partitions.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.-

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[MHL-TECH]

I had checked all of the SATA cables / swapped them out, updated BIOS and drivers to no avail.  To describe the problem I was having:  When connecting a new Samsung EVO 4TB SSD to this HP Pavilion, it would partition and format just fine (using the Windows Disk Management utility) as a single 4GB partition as long as it was attached externally via a USB to SATA adapter.  However, if I then tried installing it internally, the system would see two partitions - one 2GB and the other 'unassigned', and the whole drive was unusable.  The Windows 11 Disk Management tool would not let me do anything with either partition at that point.

Manually running the DISKPART utility as outlined below while the drive was installed internally is what did the trick.  Thank you!