Simplified Installation of M.2 NVMe Drives on HP z420, z620, z820

[etem1976]

Hi,

thank you very much. But if I Update the Bios with DOSFLASH then i become the Error System ROM image is invalid.

What can I do there?

What I make wrong?

Thanks

[MtothaJ]

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@etem1976 wrote:

Hi,

thank you very much. But if I Update the Bios with DOSFLASH then i become the Error System ROM image is invalid.

What can I do there?

What I make wrong?

Thanks

---

As mentioned in the previous post, you should try to update it from within the bios - File -> Flash System Rom.

[BPQ99]

THe problem most likely is that the drive does not have legacy oprom compatibility support like the Samsung 950 Pro, and the standard bios does not have NVMe support.

Should you wish you can try to flash the bios with the NVMe module added directly from within the bios - Z420 / Z620 version, based on standard v.3.91 bios: https://ufile.io/y0zyf   and see if that helps.

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Where did this NVMe supporting BIOS come from?  I thought the latest 3.91 from HP didn't support it?

Thanks

[MtothaJ]

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@BPQ99 wrote:

THe problem most likely is that the drive does not have legacy oprom compatibility support like the Samsung 950 Pro, and the standard bios does not have NVMe support.

Should you wish you can try to flash the bios with the NVMe module added directly from within the bios - Z420 / Z620 version, based on standard v.3.91 bios: https://ufile.io/y0zyf   and see if that helps.

---

Where did this NVMe supporting BIOS come from?  I thought the latest 3.91 from HP didn't support it?

Thanks

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Modded v.3.91 according to this giude: http://www.win-raid.com/t871f16-Guide-How-to-get-full-NVMe-support-for-all-Systems-with-an-AMI-UEFI-...

Dont count on an official HP bios supporting NVMe - the hardware is too old and neither HP nor any other big brand board maker e.g. ASUS retrofit NVMe support to the X79 / C602 hardware.

I modded the bios for an Asus P9X79 Pro board using this guide and it works fine, so I guess its worth a try.

[etem1976]

I have now Updatet the BIOS with your BIN File. I have also after them resettet Bios. But it doesn't Work.

- What have you Enabled or DIsabled in Bios?

- How can I see that Bios Updatet correctly with your BIN File?

- How did you Install then from USB Windows 10?

- Can you see after Update in Bios your M.2 SSD?

Thanks.

[MtothaJ]

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@etem1976 wrote:

I have now Updatet the BIOS with your BIN File. I have also after them resettet Bios. But it doesn't Work.

- What have you Enabled or DIsabled in Bios?

- How can I see that Bios Updatet correctly with your BIN File?

- How did you Install then from USB Windows 10?

- Can you see after Update in Bios your M.2 SSD?

Thanks.

---

In theory it should work - HP uses an AMI bios and this method has been tried and tested on many different AMI bios boards and confirmed working. If when flashing from the bios you get the following message it means that that the bios flash went fine:

Normally with the m.2 NVMe SSDs, either in the Zx20 or other 'older' machines it is entirely normal that you do not see the drive initially in bios. Only after you install Windows 10 on it in UEFI mode, you will see an entry 'Windows Boot Manager''. Thats it.

For the WIndows 10 installation use a properly formated bootable USB drive with a WIn 10 image - plenty of programs available such as Rufus to do this for us. Since Windows 10 has native NVMe support, and since during installation you will be booting from the USB you will be able to install to Windows 10 to the drive no problem - it will appear as a destination drive for your OS install.

The key question is whether Windows will boot of the NVMe drive after installation is finished. WIth the NVMe module added to the bios, the bios settings should be all  set to EFI. Legacy / compatibility support may be disabled (depending on what other hardware you have).

Try a fresh Windows install - this you can do no problem and report back exactly what you see when the intallation has finished, you removed the USB drive and Windows tries to boot from the drive.

[etem1976]

Hi,

and good morning.

You right. I have get it the Message that Bios correctly updatet. OK then is that right.

But I can't see after Install Windows 10 x64 over USB ..x64.efi "Windows Boot Manager" .  😞

And when I have in Bios some Commands to EFI then I have Black Screen:

So I have programmied my Bios:

And installed the PCIe Controller Wings in Slot Number 22. In Slot 22 is Quadro K2000. And I have outside (at the Moment not installed) PCIe USB 3.0 Controller.

And when I start again from my Windows USB Stick to Install then I see Toshiba/OCZ have 4 Partitions: Recovery (450MB), System (100MB), MSR (16MB) and Primary (rest)

So I mean it is correctly installed in Toshiba drive in UEFI.

But the entry "Windows Boot Manager" is no in Bios. Thats my Problem 😞

When I than start it again without USB then I become Eror Non Disk....etc.

Thank You very much for your Help

[MtothaJ]

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@etem1976 wrote:

Hi,

and good morning.

You right. I have get it the Message that Bios correctly updatet. OK then is that right.

But I can't see after Install Windows 10 x64 over USB ..x64.efi "Windows Boot Manager" .  😞

And when I have in Bios some Commands to EFI then I have Black Screen:

So I have programmied my Bios:

And installed the PCIe Controller Wings in Slot Number 22. In Slot 22 is Quadro K2000. And I have outside (at the Moment not installed) PCIe USB 3.0 Controller.

And when I start again from my Windows USB Stick to Install then I see Toshiba/OCZ have 4 Partitions: Recovery (450MB), System (100MB), MSR (16MB) and Primary (rest)

So I mean it is correctly installed in Toshiba drive in UEFI.

But the entry "Windows Boot Manager" is no in Bios. Thats my Problem 😞

When I than start it again without USB then I become Eror Non Disk....etc.

Thank You very much for your Help

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The PCIe adapter card should be in slot 22 or 23 going by the HP diagram.

From what you write it seems that Windows 10 installed fine to the SSD NVMe drive.

Your bios settings also look fine  so I am running out of ideas.

I would also try to disable Legacy Support, then going to the Device Options menu and ensuring everything is set to EFI, since from what I recall toggling this option changes those settings back to legacy.

Also, what happens if you set all the option roms (PXE, mass storage, video) to Legacy? Does this change boot behaviour?

[etem1976]

No nothing help. It's windows boot manager will be not install in bios menu.
Can you sell me from you programmied a bios come chip?

[MtothaJ]

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@etem1976 wrote:
No nothing help. It's windows boot manager will be not install in bios menu.
Can you sell me from you programmied a bios come chip?

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When I still had my Z420 I was first using the standard v.391 bios and then the modded one I linked, but that was with the Samsung 950 Pro which has the legacy bios oprom compatibility. Therefore my bios was no different to the one you are using.

All you can really do is try different bios settings, but it is entierely likely that regardless of these it will still not boot. In that case the is the bootloader / DUET option to try - but havent tried this myself so cant comment on how it works.