This post is more than 5 years old
3 Posts
0
13615
XPS Bios 2.4.2 and 2.5 Boot Issues With AHCI (Hard Drive Not Installed)
My Dell XPS (9360) was working without issue using AHCI (instead of RAID) until BIOS 2.4.2. After installing the new BIOS, the computer responded with Hard Drive – Not Installed. However this only occurs after Restarts, not after Shut Downs. With a Shut Down, upon reboot, the drive is recognized and boot occurs normally.
When I enter the BIOS (F2) prior to reboot, I see: M.2 Sata = (none), M.2 PCI SSD-0 = (none) only when I have selected AHCI and I had previously selected Restart (vs Shutdown). In all other types of shutdowns (AHCH with Shut Down, RAID with Shut Down, and RAID with Restart), I see: M.2 Sata = (none), M.2 PCI SSD-0 = .
Fastboot is off and Bitlocker is not enabled in all cases.
I have been forced to switch back to RAID as both Shut Down and Restart work correctly.
Any suggestions about how to fix the AHCI booting issue?
Saltgrass
3 Apprentice
3 Apprentice
•
4.3K Posts
0
January 23rd, 2018 05:00
One other thing to check is the warning about a specific upgrade regarding the ability if the anti-virus to allow a registry entry. You might check your systems to see if the registry entry is present. Of my 5 systems, the only one that did not have the entry was one with McAfee was running.
This is listed as a know issue with KB4056892 if you want to check its info. The latest Bios on many systems mention the Intel Microcode patch but not sure about yours.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4056892/windows-10-update-kb4056892
Key="HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE"Subkey="SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\QualityCompat"
**bleep** Name="cadca5fe-87d3-4b96-b7fb-a231484277cc"
Type="REG_DWORD” Data="0x00000000”
It seems the site does not like the word "**bleep**" for some reason, strange.. I suppose you need to check the link to the update since the word is being changed for some reason, It is a normal word and not something that should be changed by the site...
Saltgrass
3 Apprentice
3 Apprentice
•
4.3K Posts
0
January 21st, 2018 14:00
Most Dell systems which come with an advertised M.2 PCIe NVMe drive have the SATA controller set to RAID and run the drive with a SATA controller. If you have been running yours as AHCI then you must have been using the NVMe controller on the drive.
If the Bios update changed the controller setting, you should have been able to set it back during the first boot. I do not remember a Bios upgrade doing that but who knows in your situation.
The way to change a drive controller on an installed system is to boot into Safe Mode, after changing the SATA controller configuration in the Bios.
Use Msconfig.exe to set the system to reboot into Safe Mode.
During the subsequent reboot, enter the Bios and change the controller and save, which will reboot the system. It should boot back into Safe Mode. Once in Safe Mode use msconfig.exe again to set the system to boot normally. Save and then reboot and you should be OK.
If you don't know, running one of the OEM NVMe drives in that mode using the Microsoft NVMe driver does not show good performance. If you have a drive that has an OEM driver for it in that mode you might want to use that one.
Also, check the driver page to see if there is a firmware upgrade for your drive. All of my non-OEM Samsung M.2 drives have required a firmware update in the last several weeks.
shamusxps
3 Posts
0
January 21st, 2018 14:00
Thank you very much for your response. To address some of your points, the system did arrive in RAID and I switched it to AHCI (using the methodology you described). In AHCI, it was running fine for months prior to 2.4.2.
The BIOS update did not change the option back to RAID. It left it on AHCI, but restarts caused the hard drive not to be recognized. When I switch between RAID and AHCI to test to see if an update has fixed the problem, I use the safeboot method. I then exit safeboot and I continue to run into the same situation where the drive is not recognized upon Restart.
I am pretty sure all my drivers are updated (from the Dell website). At least they are according to Dell’s SupportAssistant. I have a Toshiba 256GB M.2 2280 NVMe.
Saltgrass
3 Apprentice
3 Apprentice
•
4.3K Posts
0
January 21st, 2018 15:00
The Toshiba drive does have a firmware update but check your drive model number to be sure. Maybe that would help sort things out.
Codster
34 Posts
0
January 22nd, 2018 20:00
Hello, I have the same setup as you (with the Toshiba Drive and AHCI). And after upgrading to the 2.5.0 BIOS I have the exact same issue as you. During boot, I sometimes get the "No PCI-E Harddrive Installed", or other times it just sits on the DELL logo and no white spinny circle ever appears. In both cases forcing the restart the computer boots normally.
There is indeed a Toshiba Firmware Update ( http://www.dell.com/support/home/ca/en/cabsdt1/drivers/driversdetails?driverId=JVM4G ). Dell doesn't always show all the updates with ur SERVICE TAG, so you should have a look with that option disabled from time to time. My Intel Graphics Drivers don't show up with the SERVICE TAG either...
The Toshiba firmware upgraded from 5KDA4101 to 5KDA4103. The new firmware also reduced the read speeds, but improved the write speeds a bit. To upgrade the firmware you have to go into the BIOS and disable Secure Boot, then upgrade, and you can turn Secure Boot back on.
So far I still get the DELL logo freeze. So unsure if it has fixed the problem. I also notice DELL has removed the 2.5.0 BIOS from their site, and only the 2.4.2 BIOS is offered now. So maybe it's just an issue with the 2.5.0 BIOS. I don't believe I had issues with the 2.4.2 BIOS... or at least not as much as the 2.5.0 ones. Reading online I see lots of people on reddit who stay on the 2.1.0 BIOS cuz of the AHCI issues.
As the previous guy said, the MS NVMe use to give really bad write performance with the Toshiba on AHCI like 9 months back. But updates were issued and most of the issues with write performance were fixed. That said you can improve the performance slightly more by changing the NVMe Driver to OCZ, the guide is here ( https://www.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/628odr/toshiba_nvme_slow_write_speed_fix/?st=jcr0bdvc&sh=45beaaa7 ). OCZ is owned by Toshiba. Overall you get a similar thing as the firmware update. Slightly better write speeds, and a tad lower read. But as with all benchmarks some numbers go down others go up. Userbench says the overall drive performance improves though with the OCZ NVMe drivers. So if you use AHCI you may want to upgrade that as well. I went from 129% (MS NVMe) to (137% with the firmware up & MS NVMe driver) to (144% with the OCZ NVMe driver). I haven't tested it with the default RAID & IRST Drivers, but I assume it's probably similar.
Currently I don't know if I wanna stay on the 2.5.0, or go back to 2.4.2... or even just go right back to 2.1.0... I'll try what I have now and let you know if the No Harddrive Found comes up with 2.5.0 and the new firmware.
Alexz13
4 Posts
0
January 23rd, 2018 07:00
does the OS have anything to do with "hdd not found" and the mbr getting constantly wiped?
everything seems to work fine under linux, but the moment i reboot from w10 everything is borked again.
shamusxps
3 Posts
0
January 23rd, 2018 09:00
Thank you all very much for your responses. Codster and Saltgrass, I just updated the Toshiba firmware to 5KDA4103. I didn’t realize that a Dell system check doesn’t include firmware updates so I never bothered to check the SSD firmware. I am also going to try to regress back to BIOS 2.4.2, but my understanding was that the 2.5 BIOS update does not allow downgrading.
I will try the switch to AHCI later today and let you know how it goes.
Alexz13, I am not sure I know the answer to that, but as early as the BIOS (prior to Windows boot), you can see that the SSD is not found (F2). I understand there is a difference between restart and shutdown (restart cleans out everything, shutdown does not). Perhaps something in the MBR gets erased in a restart?
Thank you all again for your help.
Codster
34 Posts
1
February 1st, 2018 01:00
After using the new firmware with the 2.5.0 BIOS, it seems the AHCI disconnects is fixed. I have only been testing for a few days, but it has not shown the HD Not Connected bug since then. Before it would happen every day.
So yea the firmware update looks like it may of fixed the issue of the AHCI in the 2.5.0 BIOS.
shlomitg
1 Message
1
May 22nd, 2018 00:00
Hey guys,
This thread saved my life...
Had the same problem and by finding this thread, I downloaded the 512GB toshiba firmware upgrade file (from the dell website) and it has a windows option to do the upgrade. No need to setup bios, etc...
It fixed the "hard drive not installed" problem at restart and kudos to all of you.
Warm regards,
Shlomitg