Unable to install Windows on HP Z210 workstation

[Mnky313]

I'm trying to repurpose an old HP Z210 Workstation but I cannot get windows to install.

If I install windows in UEFI mode it fails at the final part of setup (failed to upgrade computers boot configuration)
If I install windows in Legacy mode it fails to boot (INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE)

I've tried installing windows via hyper-v to the physical ssd and moving it over as well, then I get inaccessible boot device in UEFI mode as well (though It might be defaulting to legacy mode)

The BIOS has basically 0 options, I can switch it from AHCI/RAID to IDE mode but I've tried both and neither worked. There's no option for Secure Boot or CSM/UEFI modes....

I've also tried resetting the BIOS to defaults with no luck.

I found a document talking about installing UEFI windows 7 but it basically just says to make sure it's in AHCI mode and do the normall installation steps...

I've also tried multiple ISOs including stock LTSC 2015 & 2021 (and windows 7 sp1) images both of which I know work.

Any ideas on how to get windows going?

[Radium_Angel]

Does something like Linux Mint install?

[Mnky313]

1 minute ago, Radium_Angel said:

Does something like Linux Mint install?

It appears so, I've installed Pop!_OS and it seems to work fine

 

[Radium_Angel]

1 minute ago, Mnky313 said:

It appears so, I've installed Pop!_OS and it seems to work fine

 

Is there a RAID controller that needs custom drivers installed during the OS install (for windows) perhaps?

[Allan B]

12 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Is there a RAID controller that needs custom drivers installed during the OS install (for windows) perhaps?

Yes!!! Or you can change in the BIOS to use AHCI instead of RAID

[Radium_Angel]

1 minute ago, Allan B said:

Yes!!! Or you can change in the BIOS to use AHCI instead of RAID

I think the OP tried that already to no avail

[Mnky313]

6 minutes ago, Allan B said:

Yes!!! Or you can change in the BIOS to use AHCI instead of RAID

There is no option, the only options are 'IDE' and 'AHCI/RAID'. There's no option for just AHCI

19 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Is there a RAID controller that needs custom drivers installed during the OS install (for windows) perhaps?

I tried added the intel RST driver from HP during setup and it was able to install in UEFI mode but it still fails to boot (INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE)

[Radium_Angel]

1 minute ago, Mnky313 said:

There is no option, the only options are 'IDE' and 'AHCI/RAID'. There's no option for just AHCI

I tried added the intel RST driver from HP during setup and it was able to install in UEFI mode but it still fails to boot (INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE)

hmm...is the RAID card built-in to the system, or is it an add-in card?

[Mnky313]

Just now, Radium_Angel said:

hmm...is the RAID card built-in to the system, or is it an add-in card?

Built in

[Radium_Angel]

4 minutes ago, Mnky313 said:

Built in

Ok, since Linux installs, we know the hardware is good.

I apologise here, I'd a tad tired so I may have missed it, but are you installing Windows 7/8/8.1/9/10/11?

 

[Mnky313]

Just now, Radium_Angel said:

Ok, since Linux installs, we know the hardware is good.

I apologise here, I'd a tad tired so I may have missed it, but are you installing Windows 7/8/8.1/9/10/11?

 

I've tried 7 and 10,

It's all good. I'm just super confused because I previously installed LTSC 2021 on this same system before...

[Radium_Angel]

2 minutes ago, Mnky313 said:

I've tried 7 and 10,

It's all good. I'm just super confused because I previously installed LTSC 2021 on this same system before...

Hmmm....

Are you sure your installer USB is not corrupted somehow?

What's the use-case for this system?

Why did you wipe out the prior LTSC install?

[Mnky313]

2 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Hmmm....

Are you sure your installer USB is not corrupted somehow?

What's the use-case for this system?

Why did you wipe out the prior LTSC install?

Yes, USB installer is fine. I've tried Ventoy (which I normally use) and creating a new USB installer
I'm probably gonna use it to just play YouTube and basic stuff but I wiped out the old install because it was previously someone else's PC who has since upgraded to a new one.

I'll probably just use Pop!_OS or some other linux distro if I can't figure this out

[Radium_Angel]

3 minutes ago, Mnky313 said:

Yes, USB installer is fine. I've tried Ventoy (which I normally use) and creating a new USB installer
I'm probably gonna use it to just play YouTube and basic stuff but I wiped out the old install because it was previously someone else's PC who has since upgraded to a new one.

I'll probably just use Pop!_OS or some other linux distro if I can't figure this out

Try Rufus and the latest WIn10 pro download from MS.

if it still goes stupid, go back to Linux

[Mnky313]

3 hours ago, Radium_Angel said:

Try Rufus and the latest WIn10 pro download from MS.

if it still goes stupid, go back to Linux

no luck on the latest ISO, I was able to install it in a VM to a physical drive then swap it in though. I'm not exactly sure why it didn't work before but it might have been an issue with the ISO I used in the VM... I still can't install natively using the same ISO I got working from the VM so idk...

[Radium_Angel]

12 hours ago, Mnky313 said:

no luck on the latest ISO, I was able to install it in a VM to a physical drive then swap it in though. I'm not exactly sure why it didn't work before but it might have been an issue with the ISO I used in the VM... I still can't install natively using the same ISO I got working from the VM so idk...

Very weird

 

[Allan B]

I recall this when the Z210 first came out I had this same problem.  I don't recall how I fixed it as it was 9+ years ago,.  I don't think it is the ISO or USB install.  It is just windows, the built in AHCI\RAID controller and issues with storage controller conflicts with IASTOR.dll.  I believe we had to have 3 separate IAstor drivers to make our image work on multiple models when the "Z" series came out.  We had to renamed iastor.dll to iastor2.dll and updated the inf file.. something weird like that..

[Razzlegames]

Anyone find a solution to this?

 

Same situation on same workstation. I previously installed windows 10 a few years ago, upgraded drive to SSD, tried fresh install and I get this error. 

 

I may be able to work around it by imagining the old drive to the SSD, but still quite concerning as recovery would be dubious in many use cases.