Question HP z840 goes into continuous boot loop

[jamesdsimone]

Getting down to configuring my z840. I cloned a clean copy of Windows 7 to a 512 Gb SSD and used that as the boot drive. There are no other drives currently installed. The computer posts fine with not error beeps or LED codes and I can get into BIOS. I set it to legacy boot and disabled secure boot and set the primary boot option to the hard drive. When it boots it gets all the way to the Windows splash screen but then loops back to the post screen. The same thing happens when I try to boot to safe mode. I have replaced the CMOS battery. I installed Linux on another drive and it works fine. I'm planning on setting it up as a dual boot system.

 

[In2Photos]

Most likely something wrong with the Windows clone. Try reinstalling Windows.

 

[tcsenter]

Getting down to configuring my z840. I cloned a clean copy of Windows 7 to a 512 Gb SSD and used that as the boot drive. There are no other drives currently installed. The computer posts fine with not error beeps or LED codes and I can get into BIOS. I set it to legacy boot and disabled secure boot and set the primary boot option to the hard drive. When it boots it gets all the way to the Windows splash screen but then loops back to the post screen. The same thing happens when I try to boot to safe mode. I have replaced the CMOS battery. I installed Linux on another drive and it works fine. I'm planning on setting it up as a dual boot system.

A cloned install of W7 from what origin, a system that used legacy BIOS CSM with Secure Boot disabled? What are you using for the cloning app? Some cloning apps will offer post-cloning "fix up" options like writing a new boot file/record and resetting security identifiers.

But from a more simple view, it just sounds like Windows is trying to load a hardware driver (i.e. from the cloned system) that is not present or incompatible with the new system hardware environment.

 

[jamesdsimone]

A cloned install of W7 from what origin, a system that used legacy BIOS CSM with Secure Boot disabled? What are you using for the cloning app? Some cloning apps will offer post-cloning "fix up" options like writing a new boot file/record and resetting security identifiers.

I installed to a z440 with nothing but the base install and cloned that. Both the z440 and z840 use the same drivers from what I can see but nothing was installed except the cloning software. I used AOMEI Backupper. Any suggestions for cloning software to avoid such problems?

 

[In2Photos]

I've always used macrium reflect, the free version. Haven't had any issues with that. You could remove the drive from the z440 and put it in the z840 and see if it boots. If it does then your clone was the problem. If it doesn't then you have something else going on.

 

[jamesdsimone]

Well

I've always used macrium reflect, the free version. Haven't had any issues with that. You could remove the drive from the z440 and put it in the z840 and see if it boots. If it does then your clone was the problem. If it doesn't then you have something else going on.

I tried just installing Windows on a clean drive but got the hard drive not detected error. I have tried an SSD and a SATA drive in two different SATA bays with 2 Windows 7 USB installation drives and one Windows 10. They all give the same error. I looked in BIOS and everything seems ok but I am far from an expert. I disabled the SAS controller thinking maybe that was giving a conflict. I have the SATA controllers set to AHCI mode.

 

[Shmee]

If you tried installing Windows 7 to the SSD, and it cannot detect it, that is because it doesn't have the AHCI driver for that board, and you need to load it before installing.

 

[jamesdsimone]

If you tried installing Windows 7 to the SSD, and it cannot detect it, that is because it doesn't have the AHCI driver for that board, and you need to load it before installing.

I tried both an SSD and a WD black drive. I downloaded the intel rapid storage drivers. I try that. I searched the error and there are about 3 dozen "solutions". Missing driver seems the most likely. The image I'm using has nothing but basic window drivers. I specifically imaged it so I could just restore it to a hard drive and install whatever MB specific drivers I needed without having to worry about driver conflicts. Not sure why there was no problem with the z440 or any other system I've configure but the z840 needs drivers though.

 

[jamesdsimone]

That didn't work. Still no drives.

 

[tcsenter]

If Windows 10 setup results in error, then you may be connecting the drive to one of the SATA port served by a third-party controller that isn't supported by the in-box drivers e.g. one of the SAS or RAID controllers. OR something wrong with the configuration e.g. in BIOS setup, configured for RAID mode?

 

[jamesdsimone]

If Windows 10 setup results in error, then you may be connecting the drive to one of the SATA port served by a third-party controller that isn't supported by the in-box drivers e.g. one of the SAS or RAID controllers. OR something wrong with the configuration e.g. in BIOS setup, configured for RAID mode?

Looks like that is it. I disabled the SAS controller in BIOS since I am not planning on using SAS drives. When I did that the hard drives were not recognized in BIOS as boot options. I used the SATA drivers at first which did not work. I had to install the SAS drivers and reenable the SAS controller for the SATA driver to be recognized. Stupid Windows/HP tricks, Linux just installed the drivers and installed. I think it took about 6 minutes to be up and running.

 

[tcsenter]

Looks like that is it. I disabled the SAS controller in BIOS since I am not planning on using SAS drives. When I did that the hard drives were not recognized in BIOS as boot options. I used the SATA drivers at first which did not work. I had to install the SAS drivers and reenable the SAS controller for the SATA driver to be recognized. Stupid Windows/HP tricks, Linux just installed the drivers and installed. I think it took about 6 minutes to be up and running.

Bro there are configuration guidelines/rules outlined in the Maintenance and Service Guide showing which ports are SAS/eSAS, eSATA, SATA (primary), and "sSATA" means Secondary SATA. Common supported drive configuration scenarios, Page 64


Also the sSATA requires at least TWO drives connected in order to enable the Option ROM to display, to configure a RAID array on the sSATA ports. This is all consistent with Intel's guidance and own implementations for server/workstation boards of this era. e.g. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000056356/server-products.html