XPS 8960, HDD install problem

Question

Many Thanks in Advance !!

Brand new out of the box Dell 8960 Tower, Windows 11 Home.

2Tb SSD C:

No HDD from Dell.

Fully updated and fully functional.

Only one modification so far to use Chrome as browser, otherwise totally factory settings.

Trying to add Western Digital 10Tb Black HDD - will be used for data ONLY - will NOT be boot drives.

Also brand new, out of the box.

I have TWO of these 10Tb drives, same behaviour for either one.

Both were manufactured on the same date, but I find it highly unlikely both are flawed.

Install (one or both) 10Tb HDD into the Dell Windows 11, either slot, same issue:

Turn it on and it stays at black screen for ~5 minutes then turns off.

HDD is spinning, I can feel it.

HDD is accessed, I can hear it chirp a few times, then nothing more, just quietly spinning.

Remove the HDD and Windows 11 machine boots per normal.

Boot Order is fine at C:

Also boots just fine with 2 old data-only HDD's (a 4Tb and a 2Tb) installed, so it's not trying to boot to a HDD.

Have been advised to change SATA from RAID to AHCI, but it gives me a warning message "Warning! Changing this setting may prevent your operating system from booting or require a reinstall"

So I left it alone - at least for now.

THEN,

I can put the same 10Tb HDD in my old Dell XPS (maybe 15-20 years old now..) Windows 7 Pro machine.

Windows Disk Management and CMD prompt both report that it is on-line and a healthy drive.

But, I cannot initialize it into either MBR or GPT option - I/O error.

CMD "Create Primary Partition" also returns I/O error.

The driver is up to date.

Event Log, for every attempt, reports Virtual Disk Management - Error 10.

The Microsoft site for Code 10 is for a different issue, but I ran the "fix" code anyway.

The code ran successfully, but does not correct my issue.

ALSO,

I can take an existing WD 4Tb from the Windows 7 machine, as well as a very old 2Tb (from storage) previously in the Windows 7 machine and put them in the Windows 11 machine and all is fine.

Because of this, My gut tells me if we could initialize in Windows 7 it might transfer ok to Windows 11 ??

Whatever the fix, as I can get these installed in the new Windows 11 machine I am good. I don't care about 10Tb in the Windows 7 machine, I only need them in the Windows 11 machine.

Have tried everything I can find on-line.

WD Drive Utilities does not see the 10Tb when it's in the Windows 7 machine.

WD has authorized return and replacement - but I don't think the drives are the issue.

Have NOT called Dell - yet.

Have posted to a Microsoft group. Their advice and results are included in the information above.

If I can't get these installed I will need to return the unit to Dell.

JOcean · Answer

This YouTube video shows very clearly how to switch to AHCI without having to reinstall Windows. And the procedure for Windows 10 and 11 is the same.

redxps630 · Answer

how to switch from RAID to AHCI and boot successfully

Run cmd as administrator
Copy-paste this command, which will start Windows in Safe Mode the next time you reboot:
```
bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal
```
Restart the computer and enter UEFI/BIOS setup.
Change the SATA operation mode from RAID to AHCI.
Save changes and exit Setup and Windows will automatically boot to Safe Mode.
Launch cmd again, as in step #1.
Copy-paste this command, which will start Windows in Normal Mode the next time you reboot:
```
bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot
```
Reboot and Windows will automatically start with AHCI drivers enabled.

txfromwi · Answer

Well...

It was a long nasty trip.

Used CMD to set safe mode boot.

Then the issues started - Windows could not find my required PIN and the PIN re-set was a Do-Loop.

After a call to Dell and several hours I managed to get to the BIOS and then changed to ACHI.

Which Bricked it - dead, dead, dead.

Not sure what happened but on the eleventy-hundredth cold-discharge boot I somehow got F12 to function, went to the Dell tools and did a complete wipe, format and re-install.

OK, so now it seems OK (at least for right now..)

Boots in ACHI.

Finds the 10Tb in Disk Manager - so some progress...

Attempt to Initialize to GPT - error! I/O error, Event Log says Code 10.

From my work yesterday I know I cannot locate a solution.

I am hoping you have a solution for me !!

JOcean · Answer

Try this page at EaseUS. Also this page at AOMEI Partition Manager. As you are probably aware you need GPT for drives over 2TB I believe. I have used the AOMEI software and it works like a charm.

txfromwi · Answer

I am ready to concede defeat....

Downloaded AOMEI, very nice software...

AOMEI cannot initialize the disk, reports their error code 45.

The description says - unknown error - initialize in Windows.

Which of course is not working.

Is it because:

the drives are 10Tb

because they are WD black - is that not a good color

because it's a Dell version of Windows

Do I get smaller drives, 8Tb is smallest useful size

Do I get WD some other color

Do I get a private version of Windows

Do I get an external cage and run the drives via a USB

Do I just send it all back and give up

As always, Many Thanks!

redxps630 · Answer

my goodness this does sound like a frustrating experience.

while many experienced member recommend third party tool I personally prefer Windows non-third party tool. HDD size is not relevant. there is no max limit.

Re:

went to the Dell tools and did a complete wipe, format and re-install.

OK, so now it seems OK (at least for right now..)

Boots in ACHI.

that is good so far

connect the new 10 TB hdd, go inside disk management (search in Settings)

do you see any drive other than C: listed?

I would use Windows disk mgmt to prepare the new hdd, all done by default settings. just right click "new volume" then keep pressing enter at each screen dialog. it ought to be a breeze

txfromwi · Answer

On the Windows 11 Home machine:

I can see both 10Tb disks in Windows Disk Management.

I can see that they are on-line, healthy and size reported is correct.

Cannot initialize - I/O error.

Event Log reports Error 10.

Cannot initialize using AOMEI - error code 45.

They say that 45 means: unknown error - use Windows

redxps630 · Answer

so when you right click New Simple Volume in the disk mgmt you got the cannot initialize error? can you send a screenshot?

prerequisite: you must delete all old volume of 10 tb hdd

the 10 tb hdd after delete of old volume should say unallocated with a raw concrete sign in disk mgmt, see below.

Open Computer Management by selecting the Start button. The select Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.
In the left pane, under Storage, select Disk Management.
Right-click an unallocated region on your hard disk, and then select New Simple Volume.
In the New Simple Volume Wizard, select Next.
Enter the size of the volume you want to create in megabytes (MB) or accept the maximum default size, and then select Next.
Accept the default drive letter or choose a different drive letter to identify the partition, and then select Next.
In the Format Partition dialog box, do one of the following:
- If you don't want to format the volume right now, select Do not format this volume, and then select Next.
- To format the volume with the default settings, select Next.
Review your choices, and then select Finish.

txfromwi · Answer

Please see attached.

These are brand new out of the box drives - never previously initialized or formatted.

Working on Disk 0

First step is to initialize, after that then partition.

Cannot initialize, I/O error

Event Log reports Error 10

Event Log timestamp matches time I attempted to initialize and the bottom right current time - accounting for the time it took me to assemble it all.

redxps630 · Answer

can not initialize new disk due to IO device error, someone suggested try safe mode.

try to enter disk mgmt in safe mode to see if the error goes away

to enter safe mode when boot into Windows next time

Run cmd as administrator
Copy-paste this command, which will start Windows in Safe Mode the next time you reboot:
```
bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal
```

to exit safe mode:

Launch cmd
Copy-paste this command, which will start Windows in Normal Mode the next time you reboot:
```
bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot
```

txfromwi · Answer

Because of a Windows/Dell software bug, using the CMD route to access safe mode is what bricked the machine yesterday. So not going to do that again.

But I could, eventually, get to safe mode via the Dell menu's and an undocumented key stroke that I got from Dell tech support yesterday.

SO

From Safe Mode:

Disk Disk Manager sees both 10Tb drives.

Cannot initialize, same I/O error, Event Log Code 10.

So what are my options - Would any of these actually work?

Do I get smaller drives, 8Tb is smallest useful size

Do I get WD some other color

Do I get a private version of Windows

Do I just send it all back and give up

redxps630 · Answer

your other option is to initialize the 10 tb hdd in another desktop running any recent Windows (can be 7, 8, 10) and when done move it to XPS 8960.

that is if you own a desktop. if you only have laptop, get an external hdd enclosure which you can connect to laptop via USB and do the initialization.

another test is to user an old used hdd to test the 8960 disk mgmt.

frankly I do not understand why this error occurs but I suspect it has nothing to do with 10 tb the size.

txfromwi · Answer

I have already checked those options

I can successfully run both a 4Tb and a 2Tb drive (one in each slot) in the Windows 11 (8960).

I can put either of the 10Tb drives in the old Windows 7 Pro machine and I receive the same error.

Cannot in initialize, I/O error. Event Log Code 10.

I have downloaded the WD Disk Diagnostics software and it see's both 10Tb disks.

When I run the SMART Diagnostic the action fails - maybe because the disks are not initialized?

redxps630 · Answer

in that case these two 10tb disks are faulty and should be returned.  you have spent enough time on them and the vendor should really give you two free replacements.

bradthetechnut · Answer

Storage options for the 8960 seem a little limited:

512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD
1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD
2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD
4TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD
512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD + 1TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD + 2TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD + 2TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD + 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD
2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD + 2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD
2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD + 4TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD
4TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD + 4TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD

XPS 8960 Spec Sheet.pdf

Some machines do accept more limitless storage, some don't. The above is what Dell tested to go with the 8960.

My experience is this forum has been one can exceed Dell's storage limits, but not by too far. There has been some exceptions as noted with limitless storage.

I think this explains why the smaller drives work.

XPS Desktops

XPS 8960, HDD install problem

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