2 Posts
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1861
October 16th, 2021 17:00
XPS 8300, Hardrive not detected
I recently ran into a problem with my computer booting up. Firstly, I have a Dell XPS 8300, running Windows 10. It's rather old, but I had a new Adata SU720 HD installed in November 2020, so it was running fine until recently. When I turn it on I get the Dell logo, followed by the Reboot and select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key error. I've gotten that in the past a couple of times and was able to correct it with a restart, but this time it won't right itself. I've checked the HD cables and nothing inside seems to be out of place. I also tried assigning different drives to boot up with, but to no avail. I also ran a Diagnostics test and everything seemed fine, but the HD was not detected. A last ditch attempt, I even changed the CR2032 lithium battery in my computer.
Here are some pics:
RoHe
10 Elder
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45.2K Posts
0
October 19th, 2021 10:00
Hang on a nanosecond...
Your screenshot shows PC is trying (and failing) to boot from the Broadcom PXE ROM which means it's attempting to boot from a network drive rather than from your internal SSD.
That suggests the motherboard battery is dead. So start by replacing that battery:
If it still won't reboot directly from the SSD, reboot and start tapping F2 to open BIOS setup. Look for the Boot Options screen and make sure Windows Boot Manager is first on the list, and delete (disable) all options to boot from PXE (IPv4 or IPv6). Save the changes and exit setup. PC should boot itself automatically without error messages.
redxps630
9 Legend
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15.2K Posts
0
October 16th, 2021 17:00
your SU720 is a 2.5 sata ssd. two possible causes: OS on the ssd is corrupted and BIOS can not find boot file on the ssd, thus no bootable device. or ssd has failed which is less likely given you got it new. you said you have checked cables. double check both sata power and data cables are securely connected to ssd and motherboard sata port.
Use the Dell Windows installation DVD to attempt a fresh install. This means boot from the DVD then proceed to the step where it looks for a drive to install on. If the ssd is not seen at all, either it has died or cable is loose.
EVK
2 Posts
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October 18th, 2021 18:00
Thanks for the reply. I'm terribly new at this, so here's a very wet-behind-the-ears question: Will a new Windows install erase my files? I've never attempted this, so I just wanted to be certain.
speedstep
9 Legend
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47K Posts
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October 19th, 2021 02:00
@EVK
Please press the blue Accept as Solution button below if this post answers your question.
New windows install will erase your drive.
Remove hard drive and put on a dock to see if its recoverable.
Boot an OEM DVD to install on a blank drive via F12.
OEM WIN10 DVD $14
Bios SATA OPERATION should be AHCI to "see" any drives other than DELL OEM. Advanced format drives which is any drive larger than 120 gigs made after 2011 REQUIRE F6 mass storage drivers or SATA OPERATION to be set to AHCI.
FIDECO USB DOCK for data recovery.
redxps630
9 Legend
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15.2K Posts
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October 19th, 2021 05:00
Re: Will a new Windows install erase my files
If you do a clean install, then the files will be erased. During clean install your HDD old partition will be deleted, new partition created and formatted, then new OS installed.
You may try a dirty install meaning installing OS on top of old install. This is messy and may or may not work, but it will not erase your old data.
RoHe
10 Elder
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45.2K Posts
0
October 19th, 2021 16:00
@EVK So did you replace the battery and is your PC booting normally from the SSD again?