FAT32 USB will boot, BSOD on boot from any NTFS

[tfairhurst]

Have an HP Notebook 14-cf0013dx, 8gb ram, 1TB HDD 5200rpm

Need help finding original BIOS file to rollback to, please. This is the last step I have before replacing the computer. Please see below for further details.

Attempting to reinstall windows after BSOD on start, mostly page fault in non paged area BSOD error but can also be irql not less or equal, or Kernel Secure check failure. The error code varies constantly.

Symptoms:  Can boot to Official Windows 10 install USB in UEFI or legacy and Load the windows 10 install made from the windows creation tool. The loading files bar completes (Fat32 partion on USB). The system restarts (in NTFS) and the HP splash screen appears with the windows 10 dots circling underneath for about 2 revolutions then a BSOD.

First steps:
Tried windows 10 recovery. over 48 hours still not completed.
Ran HP extensive hardware diagnostics, Memory HDD, system board all passed.
Ran memtest86 from USB. passed. (RAM info from Memtest86 : PC4-21300 DDR4 2666mhz / 19-19-19-43 / Samsung M471A1K43DB1-CTD)
Tried windows 10 USB install after each step above. Crash at splash screen / dot-circles
Tried Windows 10 safe mode installation, was able to get through installation but on reboot the same results, BSOD within 3 revolutions of startup dot-circle.(Have photos)

Second steps:
Removed HDD, hooked up to main computer and did a CMD, DISKPART, CLEAN
Updated BIOS from f.4X to most recent version F.53 to support windows 10 v.1909
Moved DIMM from slot 1 to slot 2
Tried HP cloud recovery with exact same results as listed above.
Used the HP diagnosics tools USB to run the HP SET (System Extensive Test) 7.6 on run till failure with 3 full passes, no errors (Have photos)

Tried windows 10 USB install after each step above. Crash at splash screen / dot-circles
Tried Windows 10 USB safemode install, was able to complete installation from USB but BSOD on restart.(Have photos)

I have spent some time going over the system and have found that only fat or fat32 partitions can be read by the computer from a USB drive. If this extends to the HDD, this would explain most issues I am having as Windows is primarily NTFS and only makes a fat32 partition on the windows install USB as a precursor to booting back in to a NTFS environment. So the boot with a loading bar then crash on reboot makes sense as the system can not read the NTFS partition on the USB so it loads the fat32 preload that reboots to NTFS and ..crash

I found a way to get the updated f.53 bios from the HP website a few weeks ago and updated the BIOS, but now I can not find a way to get a original BIOS version and the HDD has been wiped. While the BIOS may or may not be the issue I am certain that this is not a windows installation issue and can not be addressed with windows troubleshooting steps.

Short of replacing the CPU or Motherboard due to the integrated graphics memory (which still tested good in HP system board test), I am at a loss. Please help with any suggestions.

[praveen196]

@tfairhurst Welcome to HP Community!

I understand that you are unable to reinstall the operating system.

Please follow the below steps to identify and resolve this concern: 

Step 1: Perform a hard reset 

HP Notebook PCs - Performing a Hard Reset or Forced Reset 

Step 2: Restore BIOS default settings 

Step 3: Test the hard drive using HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI (In your case, Skip to Step 4) 

Step 4: Run a hardware test on the hard drive using the below links: 

• Testing a Hard Disk from the BIOS 

• Testing for Hardware Failures 
   

If the test fails, it's a hardware failure and you will need to contact the HP phone support for a hardware service: Click here 
 

If it passed, order a new set of recovery media using the Official HP website. 

Keep us posted,

If you would like to thank us for our efforts to help you, 

Give us a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon below, followed by clicking on the "Accept as solution" on this post, 

Have a great day!
 

[tfairhurst]

Please know that this issue has been ongoing and has not been solved to date. All of your suggestions were addressed in the original post, but I will address them one at a time and hope that you will find the same results.

1. The reset on a sealed battery model such as this just boots to splash screen and fails.

2. Reset F.4x BIOS to defaults still crashes on boot to NTFS drive, Updated to F.52 with same result, no original BIOS available for download anymore, link broken. I have requested it in another post with no replys over many weeks.

3.The hardware test link in not valid anymore but I have done the HDD bios test multiple times and from the HP Diagnostics USB as well. The hard disk has passed multiple tests (that run on a FAT32 partitioned USB), the HDD is not the issue, as the same results happen from the USB drives. The issue  is that the system will not read anything but FAT32, any NTFS formatted drives fail to be read and will not show as available in the bios as a boot drive. The Windows official USB drive has a FAT32 partition that boots, loads the needed files to read a NTFS partition then reboots to NTFS, This is where the computer fails. I am asking for a way to resolve the NTFS partition on any drive USB, HDD or external is not being seen by the computer while all hardware test from HP Diagnostics pass.