Win 11 update bricked my laptop

[Darryl1948]

Product:  HP Envy Convertible Laptop, model: 13-bd0031nr

Problem:  After attempted Windows 11 24H2 update the laptop locked up and went to the blue screen of death.

Solution attempts:

     * Attempted to restore/reset via Windows installation media (USB drive) but the 512-GB SSD would not show up for installation destination.  Requested that storage driver be installed, but the many installation attempts lead to blue screens.

     * Replaced SSD and still it would not be recognized.  Reinstalled original SSD (Intel 512-GB SSD with 32-GB Optane memory)

     * After dozens of attempts at restoring, a drive was finally listed with 28-GB.  I selected that and successfully loaded Windows 11.  However, there is only 1-GB of storage left before any attempt to download my data from the One Drive, thus making the laptop useless.

     * My guess is that the 32-GB of Octane memory on the SSD card was recognized as a drive, but that is hard for me to confirm.  In the original state of the laptop, the Octane memory was not used.

     * Since I now had an operating computer, I updated the BIOS and storage driver (Intel RST VMD Controller 9A0B), but that did not solve the fundamental problem of restoring the 512-GB SSD.

     * Whenever I boot up the computer, I get the message “Abnormal status reported by Rapid Storage Technology UEFI driver”.

     * When I go to the UEFI interface, it sees the 512-GB drive and successfully tests it.  It also sees a 32-GB drive but cannot test it (I assume that is the Octane memory on the SSD board).

     * One suggestion I got online is to go to the command “diskpart” and clean the volume.  However “diskpart” lists two drives to select from, one 28-GB and the other 56-GB.  I did not do this as I don’t know which for sure currently holds the active Windows 11 that is loaded.

HELP: Any suggestions to resolve my problem would be greatly appreciated.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Darryl1948,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your laptop!  

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

It's quite impressive the number of steps you've done to resolve this, however, it would help a lot if you could specify the error you've got on the BSOD, so we can identify the exact cause of the failure and provide an apt solution

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[Darryl1948]

Thanks for responding to my post.  I actually continued working the problem.

     * When I was working from the recovery thumb drive, the “diskpart” command only recognized the 28-GB drive (which I confirmed is the Optane memory) and the 58-GB drive, which was the thumb drive the recovery information was on.

     * I booted up from the drive with the Windows 11 OS on the 28-GB drive and then launched the “diskpart” command and the 512-GB was listed along with the 28-GB drive.  I cleaned and formatted the 512-GB drive.  I was then able to assign a drive letter to it (D:) and see it on File Explorer.  Yahoo… progress!

     * I shut down and then restarted with the recovery thumb drive.  The 512-GB drive still was not listed as a drive to select, only the 28-GB and the thumb drive itself (which is not a permissible drive to restore to).  However, the message “Abnormal status reported by Rapid Storage Technology UEFI driver” was gone.  Again, progress.

     * I restarted the laptop.  I loaded an image backup program and created an image of the C: drive (28-GB), which I then copied to the 512-GB drive.  I was unable to get the BIOS to order this as the drive to boot from.

     * I restarted the laptop from the 28-GB C: drive, and using the disk partitioning software, wiped the C: drive clean.

     * When the laptop restarted, it required I provide the BitLocker recovery key.  Fortunately, it was copied onto my Microsoft account accessible from another PC.  I inputted the key and the laptop booted up. Double Yahoo!!  I shut down and restarted and it booted up just fine.  Back in business.

     * Once again, I checked to see if the recovery thumb drive would recognize the 512-GB drive.  It would not.  There still is something wrong, but since the laptop boots just fine, it is not an issue at this point.  It could cause complications in the future if I’m forced to do a full restore via a thumb drive.

     * I did a Windows 11 update, which included a 25-1 update to 24-h2.  It updated just fine.

     * One other question I have is regarding the Optane memory (listed as 32-GB but loads as 28-GB).  The Intel literature indicates that it is used to improve performance by providing high-speed caching for the memory/storage system.  With all the goofy things that that space was used for during my problem solving, is it reinstated to this function?

     * Any follow-up comments appreciated.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Darryl1948,

Thank you for the response.

Even though Windows now recognizes the 512GB drive, the recovery USB does not list it as a selectable drive. This could be due to:

• Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) settings in BIOS: If the drive was previously set up with IRST, some configurations might still be lingering.
• Drive not set as a bootable device: The recovery tool may not recognize it if it's not formatted properly for Windows installation.
• UEFI vs. Legacy Boot Mode: The drive might be set up in GPT mode, but the recovery drive may be looking for an MBR partition scheme.
• Check BIOS settings for IRST mode. If enabled, try switching to AHCI mode to see if the recovery USB detects the drive.
• Use Diskpart to ensure the 512GB drive is GPT-partitioned and marked as "active."

Optane Memory Functionality After Reset

• Optane is typically used for caching, but since the drive was wiped and repurposed, it might not be functioning as intended.
• The customer should check if Optane is enabled in BIOS and if the Intel Optane Memory application in Windows still recognizes it.
• Open Intel Rapid Storage Technology software (or Optane Memory app) and check if the Optane memory acceleration is enabled.

1. In BIOS, is the storage controller mode still set to Intel RST (Optane) or AHCI?
2. In Disk Management, is the 512GB drive set as a primary partition with GPT format?
3. Can you check if Optane memory is listed as enabled in the Intel RST software?

These checks should help confirm if Optane is properly reinstated and why the recovery USB still isn't recognizing the 512GB drive. 😊

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,