Unsolved

1 Rookie

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1 Message

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2 Points

103

July 29th, 2026 13:06

XPS 9640, SSD problem not booting

Service Tag: <To protect you, your private information was removed from public view. All private data was saved to your private Case. DELL-Admin>

BIOS Version: 1.23.0

Diag Module Version: ED.5.4.16

Problem description:

The system intermittently fails to detect the internal M.2 NVMe SSD. When this happens, Windows crashes with a "We ran into a problem" message, the laptop restarts, and it boots into SupportAssist On-board Diagnostics or displays "No bootable devices found." I often need to restart the machine many times before it boots successfully — today it took 14 attempts.

Diagnostic findings:

- BIOS Setup > Storage shows: M.2 PCIe SSD — Type = {none}, Device = {none}

- The BIOS event log contains dozens of entries: "Fail ED.5.4.16 Error:2000:0155 Hard Drive - Not installed" (the oldest visible entry is dated 15 June 2026, but the log appears to overwrite older records)

- One additional entry: "Error:2000:8135 Charger - Unable to detect charger" on 29 July 2026

- The ePSA Advanced Test passed with Result Code 2000-0000 / Validation Code 116810 — the fault is intermittent, so the drive tests fine whenever it happens to be detected at test time

Troubleshooting already performed:

- Full ePSA extended diagnostics (passed)

- Flea power drain (30-second power button hold, disconnected) — no improvement

- The SSD was physically removed, cleaned, and reseated approximately 3 months ago — the issue continued

- Original Dell charger is used at all times

Timeline: The issue first appeared in January 2026, while the system was still under warranty. The warranty expired in April 2026.

My questions:

1. Is there any known issue or active Service Campaign for the XPS 16 9640 relating to SSD detection failure?

2. Given that the fault began during the warranty period and is documented in the system's own BIOS logs, is any support or goodwill repair available?

3. Can you confirm from the diagnostic data whether the fault is more likely the SSD itself or the M.2 slot / system board?

5 Journeyman

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2K Posts

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7.4K Points

July 29th, 2026 22:10

Hi

Neither me or the AI bot have a decent answer....

Most is already done by you, so ignore all that and just  think of it a check-list...

  1. Disconnect everything external.
    Remove USB devices, docks, SD cards, and external drives, then power off fully and try again. Dell notes external devices can interfere with booting.
  2. Check BIOS sees the SSD.
    Boot to BIOS with F2 and confirm the NVMe SSD is listed. If it is missing, that points more toward hardware, seating, or SSD failure than a Windows problem. Dell also advises verifying the drive is present in boot order / UEFI settings.

  3. Run Dell diagnostics.
    Press F12 and run the built-in diagnostics / SupportAssist preboot test. Dell recommends this to identify drive or other hardware faults when the system cannot boot.

  4. Check boot settings.
    In BIOS, make sure you are using the correct UEFI boot entry for Windows, and that Secure Boot / boot mode settings have not been changed unexpectedly. If the SSD is visible but won’t boot, boot order or a damaged EFI bootloader is often the issue.

  5. Repair Windows if the SSD passes diagnostics.
    Boot from a Windows install USB or Dell recovery and run Startup Repair. If needed, use Command Prompt for sfc /scannow and DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth from recovery media. Dell lists Startup Repair and system-file repair as next steps for no-boot cases.

  6. If diagnostics fail or the SSD is not detected.
    Treat it as a hardware issue: reseat the SSD, test with another known-good NVMe if available, and replace the drive if the fault follows the SSD. Dell’s troubleshooting flow starts with hardware diagnostics and SSD checks before OS repair.

Quick XPS 9640 check

  • F2: BIOS sees the NVMe drive.

  • F12: run diagnostics.

  • If the drive is seen but Windows won’t start: repair boot files.

  • If the drive is not seen or diagnostics fail: reseat or replace the SSD.

11 Legend

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8.4K Posts

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46.4K Points

July 30th, 2026 04:09

Dell technical alert BugID 289905 corresponds to the Dell Defect Database Entry for BugID 289905, which addresses an issue where a Samsung PM9F1 SSD is not detected. 
Alert Details
  • Defect ID: 289905
  • Component: Samsung PM9F1 SSD
  • Issue: Blue screen errors or a notification that the solid-state drive is not detected
  • Impact: The computer fails to boot into the operating system and remains inoperable after rebooting attempts 
    Troubleshooting & Action
    • Check physical seating of the M.2 SSD.

      3 Novice

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      133 Posts

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      494 Points

      July 30th, 2026 15:33

      Can you safely update the firmware on your Samsung PM9F1 SSD ? Backups are always in order prior to any type of firmware upgrade.

      Community Manager

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      602 Posts

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      3.4K Points

      July 31st, 2026 15:09

      The Samsung PM9F1 SSD does indeed have a known issue. Please see this article for additional details:

      Samsung PM9F1 SSD is Not Detected

      As per the article, please attempt to update the SSD firmware. If unable to update the SSD and if out of warranty, then it may be best to replace the SSD. 

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