SSD not detected

[Akris99]

So, four days ago, my laptop died completely, and I ended up having to replace the motherboard. before I took it to the official service center (because it was still under warranty). I restored the configuration to factory settings with the original Samsung 512GB SSD. After three days of replacing the motherboard, I switched back to my SSD because it only had one slot. My G70 PRO 1TB SSD only works if I shut it down completely and then turn it on manually using the power button. However, the SSD doesn't work if I use RESTART mode. Everything was fine before the motherboard replacement. Now, I can't install Windows via HP Cloud Recovery or a bootable USB because the installation process automatically restarts. So what actually happened and how did it happen? And is there a solution to this? honestly i'm curious 😄

Details:
Error code when using Windows
Error 3F0
Install Windows with USB boot/HP cloud recovery
! No HDD Found

I've tested my SSD on various devices, and it's working fine.
please help, thank you 🙂

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Akris99 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thank you for the detailed explanation and for already testing your SSD on other devices—that’s incredibly helpful and shows how thorough you’ve been. I completely understand how frustrating it must be to face this issue right after a motherboard replacement, especially when everything was working fine before.

Based on your description, it sounds like the system is having trouble initializing the SSD during a warm reboot (restart), but it does detect it during a cold boot (shutdown and power on). This behavior, combined with the 3F0 error and inability to detect the drive during Windows installation, points to a potential firmware or BIOS-level issue related to drive initialization timing or configuration.

Let’s walk through some steps to help isolate and potentially resolve this:

 

1. Access BIOS and Check Storage Configuration

• Power off the laptop completely.
• Press the power button and immediately begin tapping the F10 key repeatedly to enter BIOS Setup.
• Once in BIOS:
  • Navigate to the Storage or System Configuration tab.
  • Ensure SATA Device or M.2 SSD is listed. If not, the drive isn’t being detected at the firmware level.
  • Check the Storage Controller Mode:
    • If it’s set to RAID, try switching to AHCI.
    • Save changes and exit (usually F10 to save and exit).
  • If AHCI is already selected, toggle to RAID, save, reboot, and then switch back to AHCI.

 

2. Load BIOS Defaults

• While still in BIOS, press F9 to load default settings.
• Confirm and then press F10 to save and exit.
• This can help clear any misconfigurations introduced during the motherboard replacement.

 

3. Update BIOS (if accessible)

• If you can boot into Windows using the original Samsung SSD, check the current BIOS version in BIOS or via System Information (Win + R → msinfo32).
• If the version is older than the latest available for your model, updating the BIOS may improve SSD compatibility and resolve detection issues during warm boots.

 

4. Secure Erase and Reinitialize the G70 PRO SSD

• If you have access to another PC:
  • Use the SSD manufacturer’s utility to perform a secure erase on the G70 PRO SSD.
  • Reconnect it to your Victus and attempt to install Windows again.
• This ensures the drive is clean and properly initialized for a fresh OS installation.

 

5. Use a Delayed Boot Workaround (for now)

• Since the SSD works after a full shutdown, you can temporarily install Windows by:
  • Booting from the USB or HP Cloud Recovery tool.
  • When the installer prompts for a restart, power off the laptop manually instead.
  • Then power it back on manually to continue the installation.
• This can help bypass the restart issue during setup.

 

6. Check Boot Order and UEFI Settings

• In BIOS, ensure the boot mode is set to UEFI (not Legacy).
• Confirm that the SSD is at the top of the boot priority list.
• Disable Fast Boot and Secure Boot temporarily during installation.

This behavior likely stems from how the new motherboard initializes the SSD during different power states. Some SSDs are sensitive to timing or power sequencing, and a BIOS update or configuration tweak often resolves it.

Let’s keep the momentum going—once you’ve tried these steps, I’d be glad to help further based on what you observe.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[Akris99]

Hi mate, thanks for your reply. Okay, I've tried all the steps above, with the following details:

1. Access BIOS and Check Storage Configuration
Power off the laptop completely.
Press the power button and immediately begin tapping the F10 key repeatedly to enter BIOS Setup.
Once in BIOS:
Navigate to the Storage or System Configuration tab.
Ensure SATA Device or M.2 SSD is listed. If not, the drive isn't being detected at the firmware level.
Check the Storage Controller Mode:
If it's set to RAID, try switching to AHCI.
Save changes and exit (usually F10 to save and exit).
If AHCI is already selected, toggle to RAID, save, reboot, and then switch back to AHCI.

My BIOS doesn't have this option/feature

2. Load BIOS Defaults

I've done this step, but the results are still zero (the SSD isn't detected after restarting)

3. Update BIOS

I've done this step, updating the BIOS to the latest version, F.09, but the results are still zero. (The SSD is not detected after restarting.) For the Victus FB2999AX, it's final at BIOS F.09. The default BIOS version was F.07. I also tried F.08, but still no results.

4. Secure Erase and Reinitialize the G70 PRO SSD

If you have access to another PC:
Use the SSD manufacturer's utility to perform a secure erase on the G70 PRO SSD.
Reconnect it to your Victus and attempt to install Windows again.
This ensures the drive is clean and properly initialized for a fresh OS installation.

I've already tried this step, wiping/formatting the SSD clean on another computer, but the result is still zero (the SSD is not detected after restarting).

5. Use a Delayed Boot Workaround (for now)

Since the SSD works after a full shutdown, you can temporarily install Windows by:
Booting from the USB or HP Cloud Recovery tool.
When the installer prompts for a restart, power off the laptop manually instead.
Then power it back on manually to continue the installation.
This can help bypass the restart issue during setup.

There's a problem with this step. I don't know when the Windows installer from Cloud Recovery restarts. Normally, the installer restarts quite often, and the restart process is automatic when reinstalling Windows without any pop-ups or notifications. You should already know this process. So

When the installer prompts for a restart, power off the laptop manually instead.

i  cant do this

6. Check Boot Order and UEFI Settings

In BIOS, ensure the boot mode is set to UEFI (not Legacy).
Confirm that the SSD is at the top of the boot priority list.
Disable Fast Boot and Secure Boot temporarily during installation.

I've done this step, but it still doesn't work (the SSD isn't detected after restarting).

there is details of my device
Victus 15 FB2999AX
Ryzen 5 8645HS
RTX 4060
SSD Samsung 512 GB
DDR5 16GB (8x2) 5600 MHz