[SOLVED] No POST after removing storage SSD

[Bobba123]

Specs:
Intel Core i7-3770 processor
ASUS P8Z77-V LX motherboard
4 x G.Skill Trident X 8gb ram
Geforce GTX 1060 6gb GFX
2 x 256GB Samsung Evo SSD
1 x 2TB Samgung Evo SSD
1 x 1TB Western Digital HDD
Windows 10 Home

After shutting down the PC, I took out the 2tb SSD and left everything else untouched. This drive is used for pure storage and dont have Windows or any system files on it. After doing this, I tried turning the PC on, but now there is just black screen and no POST or text of any kind. I tried to re-insert the SSD so everything was as before - same problem. Then I descended into madness while troubleshooting for something I thought would be harmless to do. Things I have tried so far:

• Unplug every SSD/HDD, no change
• Insert SSD/HDD one by one and try turning on each time, no change
• Take out all RAM, no change
• Insert RAM one by one, no change
• Reset CMOS by moving the jumper as described in MBO manual (also tried battery method), no change
• Checked for any error lamps on the MBO, all looks fine

At this point I don't know what to try anymore as I'm not very computer savvy. Really hope someone here have an idea.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Where all of these drives attached when you installed Windows onto your system?
When you first attempted to reconnect your 2TB SSD, are you 100% certain you used the exact same SATA port (or is it an M.2)?

-Wolf sends

 

[Bobba123]

Where all of these drives attached when you installed Windows onto your system?
When you first attempted to reconnect your 2TB SSD, are you 100% certain you used the exact same SATA port (or is it an M.2)?

-Wolf sends

The 2TB SSD was added to the system after the installation of Windows, the other drives was installed when Windows was installed.

I'm sure I used the same SATA port, since I only took out this one SSD. When re-inserting it I only had one SATA cable to choose from.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Does your system sound like it's booting up and you're just not getting anything on the screen or are fans not spinning up/no steady power...?

-Wolf sends

 

[Bobba123]

Does your system sound like it's booting up and you're just not getting anything on the screen or are fans not spinning up/no steady power...?

-Wolf sends

Yeah it looks like it's booting up, fans spinning and everything. The only difference is it no longer makes it's "startup beep" sound. It always made a single beep sound shortly after turning it on (I assume from the MBO), but no longer.

Another thing, I tried putting the 2TB SSD into another PC and when I look at it's partitioning, it has a partition called "MSR (Reserved)", does this have something to say?

 

[Wolfshadw]

The MSR (Microsoft Reserved Partition) shouldn't mean anything. If the 2TB drive wasn't installed when Windows was installed, then it shouldn't matter.

Check all of your motherboard connections to make sure they're all secure (in particular your SATA drives). If they are and you're still not getting your "boot beep", it might be time to start considering a Windows Repair. Do you have a Windows installation USB? If not, create one from here.

-Wolf sends

 

[Bobba123]

The MSR (Microsoft Reserved Partition) shouldn't mean anything. If the 2TB drive wasn't installed when Windows was installed, then it shouldn't matter.

Check all of your motherboard connections to make sure they're all secure (in particular your SATA drives). If they are and you're still not getting your "boot beep", it might be time to start considering a Windows Repair. Do you have a Windows installation USB? If not, create one from here.

-Wolf sends

Every connection is secure, I was very careful in removing the SSD so can't imagine I have loosened anything, but I did check to be sure.

How would I get into Windows repair when there is no boot/post process happening?

 

[GrandSACHI]

I know it may sounds dumb, but did you check/reseat every power connectors on the mobo as well as the GPU? Something might have gotten loose when you removed your SSD.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Every connection is secure, I was very careful in removing the SSD so can't imagine I have loosened anything, but I did check to be sure.

How would I get into Windows repair when there is no boot/post process happening?

Sorry. Still working on my coffee. If you're certain all of your connections are secure, strip down your system to the bare essentials. Remove the graphics card, the HDD, all but one of the SSDs, and all but one of the RAM modules and start testing from there. See if you can at least get to a post screen.

-Wolf sends

 

[geofelt]

My guess is that your problem comes from having the system reserved partition on the drive you removed.
It normally gets created if your device was present when you installed windows.
I think it might get created if you used bitlocker encryption but I know little about that.
Here is a link telling more:

What Is the System Reserved Partition and Can You Delete It?

The System Reserved Partition is a partition dedicated to storing the Boot Manager, Boot Configuration Data, and critical BitLocker files.

www.howtogeek.com

I think you might be able to recover by booting to a windows usb install stick and trying to use the recovery option while the offending drive is offline.

 

[Bobba123]

Just wanted to post an update to this obscure problem, as I got the PC working now. So the next thing I tried was to take out my Creative soundcard, no change. Then I took out GFX and was forced to use the onboard HDMI input on the MBO. At this point, everything was taken out except the bare essentials - and now I got the POST screen at last!

I then decided to further isolate, and put back the GFX and use Displayport input, still works. Then put back soundcard and then no POST. Thinking the soundcard may be the issue I take out GFX and leave soundcard in, and go back to HDMI on MBO. Now it POST's again... I then put in GFX and now use HDMI port instead of Displayport, still works.

At this point I gradually added everything back, harddrives and all and got POST every time. I then started Windows install which completed and works as intended. After Windows install I put monitor back in Displayport on GFX and this works as well.

So the summary of the story is that I have no idea what happened or what fixed it, the closest I can think of is something messing up the Displayport on my GFX which led to my monitor not getting an image, so perhaps the POST was there all along and I just couldn't see it... But how taking out an SSD can cause all this will remain a total mystery to me.