HP ProDesk 400 G3 - Can't PXE boot to network

[steven_layton_sl]

We have just bought 70 nice and shiny HP ProDesk 400 G3 desktops, but I am struggling to get them to PXE boot to the network.

 

I have tried both changing the boot order to LAN first and also using the F12 boot menu. The closest I can get is a black screen with the text ">>Start PXE over IPv4" but it never progresses.

 

I have run the BIOS hardware check and it reports that the onboard NIC is fine,.

 

Anyone have any ideas? Feel I'm missing something obvious....

[Steve21]

Turn off the uefi bios mode unless you need it (e.g. Turn on legacy)

 

Steve

[Zourous]

As above, turn on legacy & disable UEFI, reboot, type the code, go back to the bios and then enable the legacy boot order. Try F12 after this and it should be fine.

 

We've got 62 of these that have just arrived. All were working fine and then after a reboot 2 failed to boot with no display. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

[just_david]

As above, turn on legacy & disable UEFI, reboot, type the code, go back to the bios and then enable the legacy boot order. Try F12 after this and it should be fine.

 

We've got 62 of these that have just arrived. All were working fine and then after a reboot 2 failed to boot with no display. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

 

It may be... we had 20 out of 50 not working.

 

Also disable fast boot and secure boot, both were enabled on ours by default

[steven_layton_sl]

@Steve21 Thanks, I now have my couple of stations pulling down Windows 10. I also seem to have my first busted computer. The first machine I tried is now refusing tho boot, beeping twice repetitively. I suspect its something to do with secure boot. It didn't ask me for the code.

 

Can you explain why I actually needed to turn UEFI off in order for PXE to work? Is PXE only a 'legacy' boot mode?

[Zourous]

Also couldn't get the bios USB stick replicate to work which would have been handy.

[Steve21]

@Steve21 Can you explain why I actually needed to turn UEFI off in order for PXE to work? Is PXE only a 'legacy' boot mode?

 

It's not for PXE to work, but for a non-UEFI PXE As your WDS server isn't setup for UEFI there's no responses when it's being queries and thus "hanging".

 

If you had a UEFI wds/boot setup it would work (Windows 10 way etc)

 

Steve

[Zourous]

It may be... we had 20 out of 50 not working.

 

What was the issue with these, no display?

[just_david]

kinda, no post. won't even reach the bios.

Only fix is new MB. Which HP apparently don't have enough spares of, so we've been waiting what must be now nearly 2 months to have them fixed.

Suffice to say we aren't going to buy HP desktops again anytime soon. Either we'll find the money for the dells or go for zoostorm if we can't.

[steven_layton_sl]

@davidcvs Do you have any beeping on your failed machines? I have a single machine that won't post. Can't get into BIOS. Just sits there and does continuous double beeps at me!

[Zourous]

You would hope it is something like the ram that just needs reseating.

[just_david]

@davidcvs Do you have any beeping on your failed machines? I have a single machine that won't post. Can't get into BIOS. Just sits there and does continuous double beeps at me!

Nope, totally dead. No bios no beeping. Tried changing ram for working ran from another box

Removing ram did get the 5 beeps for missing ram, but nothing else would change anything

Even tried swapping boards into different cases

 

Only working fix is a new board.

[Sambo]

For the original Error, you can just press F9 instead of F12 and it will give you the legacy boot screen and PXE will work.

[steven_layton_sl]

Many thanks. All my stations are now imaged and are stupidly fast to boot!

[just_david]

has anyone had issues with these suddenly refusing to WoL?

Ours were doing so happily but recently have decided not to.

 

Nothings changed as far as I can see

[Steve21]

Only time we've seen that is when they've been hard powered off, as it means the network cards aren't alive to accept the WoL

 

Steve

[just_david]

they've definitely not been hard powered off.

Its strange it just started happening about a week ago.

[Steve21]

That's strange :s You tried running a packet sniffer while the machine is on? To see if they're even receiving the packets.

 

Only other thing would be if it's been changed if you have the auto bios updates etc on

 

Steve

[just_david]

The bios hasn't change either, no auto updates on.

 

The network card itself is dead as a dodo. its not staying on when the machine turns off.

[Steve21]

That's normally the power saving modes. Needs to be S3 or lower for some models. S5 etc wouldn't wake at least with Dells/HP when we last tried.

 

Are you using Win8 etc? or 7 still?

 

Steve

[just_david]

windows 7 still.

I think S5 is disabled.

 

They definitely wake from sleeping.

 

The only BIOS setting I could see was WoL boot from desktop or LAN. I tried Both

PXE boot is also enabled as is legacy boot.

Is there another I'm missing that i need to change?