Problems recovering from 03f hard disk error and SSD version "ERRORMOD"

[Julien1992]

Hello,

I purchased a Victus Gaming Laptop 15-fb0121nr in 2023 (product number 643K1UA#ABA ).  Windows 11 was performing fine until about 2 weeks ago when it refused to boot with the "03f hard disk not found" error message.  The system is no longer under warranty and, as such, I hope to repair it myself but am currently at am impasse.

I found guidance here how to proceed and took the following steps:

1) BIOS was F.22 and was successful updating it to F.25, but this did not change the initial problem.   I also opened the laptop back to see if it was particularly dirty inside.  It was fine - cleaner than I had expected - but I did not anything else other than to remove and clean the fans with compressed air before reattaching them.

2) Installed the HP Diagnostics 4-1 and discovered the SSD passes almost all tests successfully including Smart Disk tests .  The one failure is the SSD test that immediately shows Long DST with the strange version named "ERRORMOD".  The "Startup Repair" option does not work either.

3) I had a "recovery USB" that I built when I bought this device, but it does not seem to want to work.  I built another on with the HP Cloud Recovery Tool but used a different non-HP laptop, one that has an Intel processor.  When I tried it on the HP Victus it will boot but stops with an error saying I need to "enable acceleration for Intel Smart Technology" that the Victus apparently does not have.

3) The Samsung SSD is the PM9A1 (see below) that seems to be the version that needs a firmware update, but that does not seem possible without creating a bootable USB with the firmware updating package and I have not found a way to do that.  I am also hesitant to do it since this SSD is an HP OEM product, but I am willing to try.

4) Please note that I was able to boot the machine successfully via Linux on different bootable USBs, but I do not want to install Linux since this is my son's laptop and his games are exclusively on Windows.   I am fairly competent with Windows and Linux, so I would be willing to try something in either environment.  I think there are ways to update the SSD firmware via Linux, but I do not know how to do that from a USB-based system and am hesitant for the same reasons as those described in #3 above.

Finally, I have seen many cases of folks getting help here with problems such as the one that I describe, but I have not been successful combining them into a solution for our situation.  Any guidance will be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Julien1992,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

Dealing with a "3F0" error and an "ERRORMOD" firmware tag is definitely a challenge. This usually indicates that the SSD’s controller has entered a "locked" or "read-only" state due to a firmware glitch common in some OEM Samsung PM9A1 drives, which prevents Windows from seeing the drive even if the hardware is technically functional.

Toggle Storage Controller Modes in BIOS

• Power on the laptop and repeatedly tap F10 to enter the BIOS Setup.
• Navigate to the Configuration or Advanced tab and look for Storage Options or VMD Setup Menu.
• If "VMD Controller" or "Intel VMD" is enabled, try Disabling it (though your Victus is AMD-based, some BIOS versions have similar "RAID/AHCI" toggles).
• Save changes and exit (F10) to see if the "Hard Disk Not Found" error persists on the black splash screen.

Attempt a CMOS and NVRAM Reset

• Shut down the laptop and disconnect the AC power adapter.
• Press and hold the Power button for a full 30 seconds to clear the motherboard's temporary memory.
• Plug the power back in and immediately tap F2 to enter System Diagnostics.
• Run the Quick Hard Drive Test again to see if the version "ERRORMOD" has reverted to a standard numerical version, which would indicate the controller has unlocked.

Prepare a Clean Windows Installation Media

• On a working computer, download the Microsoft Windows 11 Media Creation Tool instead of the HP Cloud Recovery Tool.
• Create a bootable USB flash drive (at least 8GB) using this tool to avoid the "Intel Acceleration" error caused by the HP recovery image.
• Boot the Victus from this USB by tapping F9 at startup and selecting the flash drive.
• If the drive appears during the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen, delete all existing partitions to clear the firmware hang before proceeding with a fresh install.

Please refer to this document for further assistance: HP PCs - Hard disk error (3F0) or Boot Device Not Found

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

Kuroi_Kenshi

[Julien1992]

Hello,

Thank you for responding to my query.   Unfortunately, none of the actions that you propose has been successful.   The core problem is that the Samsung SSD is apparently locked in the ERRORMOD state.  In particular, any attempt to install Windows 11 from the bootable USB recovery device fails with the same message:  No Boot Device Found.   I also had already reviewed and pursued all the recommendations an the HP support page that is linked at the end of your reply but was still not successful.

In fact, while waiting for a response I was able to create a bootable USB with the Parted Magic version of Linux installed.  I subsequently tried to do a complete erase of the SSD using the Erase Disk option, but a basic execution of this tool fails.  I was able to see that the SSD seems in good condition otherwise since it passes all other tests with this tool.  It does, however, indicate that only 1 GB of space is accessible on the device.  On the other hand, I was able to recuperate a Windows Product Key that should allow me to install a fresh version of Windows 11 via the bootable recovery USB that I had previously created if it could see a bootable SSD.

I am now convinced the problem is that the device is experiencing problem that required an update of the SSD firmware; however, I was not able to do this via any of the tools that I have currently created and I have not found the appropriate HP or Samsung ISO to create a bootable USB that would hopefully perform this update directly.   Can you help me with this?

Here, again, are the product numbers on the chip (image included below, too):

HP PN M 10394-003 PM9A1

Samsung PN MZVL2512HCJQ-00BH1

I have a feeling that you and others representing HP will tell me that the SSD has failed and should be replaced.   The device worked fine since it was purchased in 2023 and was on the automated update scheme that should have installed the SSD firmware automatically along with Windows 11 updates.  While the system is no longer under warranty, I hope you or someone else at HP can help me resolve this problem so that I can successfully reinstall Windows 11 on this device.

On the other hand, it seems it might be necessary for me to replace the SSD and, as such, it is not clear which devices are compatible with this system.  I have seen indications that the Samsung 980 Pro SSD is compatible but others that suggest the HP device is not exactly the same as the generic OEM device available from Samsung.  Do you have any information about what devices would be a good substitute for the SSD delivered in this system?

Thank you.

[Julien1992]

PS:  I forgot to include the link to the image of the device again as promised:

Here's a link to this same image on Google Drive:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kTEP4KB5--zmpHYDZEDZXr5XMSDOB1-D/view?usp=sharing

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Julien1992,

We're here to help you tackle that malfunction! Don't worry, we've got your back! 

To get you the best assistance, we need to take this conversation to a private chat. We're inviting you to a private message to protect your privacy and ensure that any sensitive information remains confidential. 

To access your private message, just click the little blue envelope icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile, next to your profile name. Alternatively, you can click on this link. 

You can use this link as well: 

Private Messages - HP Support Community

We're looking forward to helping you resolve this issue! 

Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience! 

Kuroi_Kenshi

Best regards,