Computer does not post when a second drive is installed. Model: Predator PH315-54

Hardware Model: Predator PH315-54

Firmware Version: V1.15

I have 2 drives that I wish to use in my system. A 2.5 inch sata ssd by crucial and the stock 512GiB nvme m.2 ssd that comes with this craptop. After installing the drive the first time with my computer off, I noticed that it did not post, it would not let me into the bios or go to grub, it simply would not post and it gave no error code either, just a black screen. I then unplugged the drive and booted my system and it worked just fine. I then plugged the drive in, in the same way while the computer was running and the drive popped up like normal, and I could do r/w and anything else I wanted to. I rebooted to make sure it wasn't a fluke and it wasn't the system refused to post. I then uninstalled my main m.2 drive and it booted straight to uefi as the 2.5 inch drive had no os on it at the time. Why the **** is this happening? Both drives work just fine just not together when booting? And they both run at the same time post boot. I should also note that when the 2.5 inch drive is connected over usb when booting, it posts just fine. The 2.5 inch drive now has windows to go on it, and the m.2 drive has my current Archlinux install (I swear if you **** say anything about this being Linux's fault (which it isn't because it doesn't even post))

Disk info:

NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda 8:0 0 232.9G 0 disk
├─sda1 8:1 0 260M 0 part
├─sda2 8:2 0 128M 0 part
└─sda3 8:3 0 232.5G 0 part
nvme0n1 259:0 0 476.9G 0 disk
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1 0 1G 0 part /efi
├─nvme0n1p2 259:2 0 55G 0 part /
└─nvme0n1p3 259:3 0 420.9G 0 part /home

Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 476.94 GiB, 512110190592 bytes, 1000215216 sectors
Disk model: SAMSUNG MZVL2512HCJQ-00BT7
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: 826A3596-E6BC-4DA0-BD40-4D17E0288000

Device Start End Sectors Size Type
/dev/nvme0n1p1 2048 2099199 2097152 1G Linux filesystem
/dev/nvme0n1p2 2099200 117442559 115343360 55G Linux filesystem
/dev/nvme0n1p3 117442560 1000214527 882771968 420.9G Linux filesystem

Disk /dev/sda: 232.89 GiB, 250059350016 bytes, 488397168 sectors
Disk model: CT250MX500SSD1
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: E34A68F5-936F-44CD-A2C1-E44F83052BA6

Device Start End Sectors Size Type
/dev/sda1 2048 534527 532480 260M EFI System
/dev/sda2 534552 796695 262144 128M Microsoft reserved
/dev/sda3 796696 488397095 487600400 232.5G Microsoft basic data

[Edited the thread to add model number to the title]

Accepted answers

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1351488#Comment_1351488

Yes, its the same with my Nitro AN515-56 as it doesn't work and its frustrating, with my Nitro, I had 1x 1TB boot M.2 SSD and 1x 2TB slave M.2 SSD all PCIe 3x4 type drives and I bought a brand new Seagate Barracuda Green mechanical 2TB SATA 3 HDD, and I tried everything to connect this dreaded 2.5" SATA 3 drive with its Acer provided SATA 3 mobo clip on plug and cable into that fiddly poor excuse for a SATA plug that Acer provides, and nothing worked, and I got no boot and completely black screen every time with all these drives.

So the only alternative that I had, as I had an external 2.5" case, is that I put the Seagate Barracuda Green mechanical 2TB HDD in that USB 3.2 cabled case and it works 100% and perfectly now, and really, its allot better that I put the 2.5" mechanical drive into that external case (maybe an SSD is lighter) as the mechanical drive is too heavy and adds allot more wight to the laptop and it would have made it heavier. So do that, as that is the only and best alternative if you can connect your 2.5" HDD. Good luck.

If this answers your question and solved your query please "Click on Yes" or "Click on Like" if you find my answer useful👍

All comments

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/728046/computer-does-not-post-when-a-second-drive-is-installed

Hey fake_name, Acer community is not ACER or the official Acer Tech Support in your country or any country, we are users of Acer products just like you that are on this forum asking about problems of our Acer products and are exchanging solution just like you, please don't write posts on this community with an abusive tone or be abusive, as we are here to help each other out😀 as I understand your frustration.

Now, the symptoms that you are getting with your PH315-54 laptop could be because you are NOT connecting the 2.5" SATA drive FFC CABLE FOR HDD properly into its SATA mobo slot, as these laptops have a very awkward plug that has a top locking part that needs to lock into the bottom of the plug tightly and snuggly, so that it makes a 100% connection and both the SATA flat cable pins and the mobo plug pins, make 100% contact, otherwise the laptop will not boot and you will get the symptoms that you are getting.

Try all this and get back to us, as and if the 2.5" drive is connected to the mobo SATA plug properly and 100% both M.2 with the Arch Linux and the 2.5" HDD with Win-11 24H2 version will work and boot 100%. Good luck.

Note: I've had this same problem with a Nitro laptop 2.5" HDD and its SATA cable to the mobo SATA plug, so I know all the symptoms of what happens above, as its the same as in your Predator laptop below. Also, DO NOT connect M.2 SSD and 2.5" drives to the laptop when the battery and the adapter is plugged in or the laptop is powered on and the laptop has power, (you were lucky that nothing happened before) as you will damage the laptops power rail and/or its BQ or EC chips, which will be a major repair bill.

Make sure that you are using this exact PH315-54 laptops Acer part number SATA cable below, as that is very important that its the right cable thickness, as if its too thick the mobo SATA plug will not lock the end of this cables pins into the mobo SATA plug properly and you will not have a proper connection.

Below is a caption from your PH315-54 service guide of the mobo SATA plug, that has to make 100% connection with every pin of the FFC SATA HDD cable for the 2.5" drive to work and when booting for both M.2 SSD drive and the 2.5" SATA drive to allow the laptop to boot.

If this answers your question and solved your query please "Click on Yes" or "Click on Like" if you find my answer useful👍

fake_name

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1351280#Comment_1351280

Thanks for your reply, as I stated in my original post, I have been able to get the ssd to work by plugging it in with the internal flex cable while my computer is running and it works fine then, but when I reboot without touching any of the internals, it then fails to post proving that there is nothing (At least noticeably) wrong with the cable or the ssd.

As per my language, it's just that I am incredibly frustrated with this computer as a whole. Windows, Linux, any of the other random os' I have tried, it's been a general pain.

Thanks for your reply though, this has already been infinitely more constructive than all my previous, I think like 3 threads I've made here and abroad trying to tackle this issue.

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1351366#Comment_1351366

Yes I realise that you are "able to get the ssd to work by plugging it in with the internal flex cable while my computer is running and it works fine" and all the frustrations involved, I had the same with my 2021 vintage Nitro AN515-56 which is the same year your PH315-54 was released and its the same with fitting an additional 2.5" SATA cable into the drives, as you really you need a microscope to connect this cable to its plug correctly. As Acer are fitting some really chap plugs into these laptops as they knew that they will be phasing the 2.5" HDD out, so that must be the reason, as all the new Acer laptops do not have an option for a 2.5" SATA drive.

But if the newly added 2.5" HDD is not showing up in the Linux system, it may be due to the following reasons, so do the following:

The hard drive is not properly connected: make sure the hard drive is securely connected to the motherboard and power supply, and all connection cables are firmly attached.
If the hard drive is not recognized: run the following command in the terminal to check if the new hard drive is recognized by the system: sudo fdisk -l

If the hard drive is not listed, it may be necessary to restart the system or reconnect the hard drive.

The hard drive is not mounted: If the hard drive is recognized but not showing up in the file system, it may be because the hard drive is not correctly mounted. Run the following command in the terminal to mount the hard drive: sudo mount /dev/sdX /mnt

/dev/sdX is the device name for the hard drive, and /mnt is the mounting point.

File system error: If the hard drive has been properly mounted but still cannot display, it may be due to a file system error. You can use the following command to repair the file system: sudo fsck /dev/sdX

Please note that the “/dev/sdX” in the above command should be replaced with the actual device name of the hard drive.

If the above methods still cannot solve the problem, it may be necessary to further check for hardware malfunctions in the hard drive or try connecting and testing the hard drive in another system.

Note: that connecting a 2.5" HDD or an M.2 drive while the laptop is operating and powered on, will cause damage to the laptop and you will be up for major chips and major repairs to your PH315-54, so its NOT recommended that you do that. Good luck and hope this helps you out.

If this answers your question and solved your query please "Click on Yes" or "Click on Like" if you find my answer useful👍

fake_name

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1351392#Comment_1351392

Again, the drive works completely fine. Both via usb and with the internal flex cable. I can read and write to it, reformat it and repartition it as much as I like. but if I try to boot my computer with both drives simultaneously installed, it fails to post. Removing either drive allows the computer to post again. It is not a problem with either of the drives but rather a problem with the computer itself. If I need to make a video to show you what I mean I will; but this third explanation should be satisfactory for you to understand what my issue actually is. I am legitimately wondering if you are actually reading my comments at all.

Thank you for your reply :)

fake_name

Just an extra addition here. The drive is properly connected to my system. I can make read and write from both devices. The issue is that the system refuses to POST (Power on Self Test) when both the 2.5 inch sata ssd and m.2 ssd are installed in the system simultaneously. I only tried connecting the second drive post boot to prove that the system could in fact handle them both at once which it can. It is simply an issue where it will not post. There is no error displayed on the screen when it fails to post, but rather just displays nothing.

StevenGen

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1351488#Comment_1351488

Yes, its the same with my Nitro AN515-56 as it doesn't work and its frustrating, with my Nitro, I had 1x 1TB boot M.2 SSD and 1x 2TB slave M.2 SSD all PCIe 3x4 type drives and I bought a brand new Seagate Barracuda Green mechanical 2TB SATA 3 HDD, and I tried everything to connect this dreaded 2.5" SATA 3 drive with its Acer provided SATA 3 mobo clip on plug and cable into that fiddly poor excuse for a SATA plug that Acer provides, and nothing worked, and I got no boot and completely black screen every time with all these drives.

So the only alternative that I had, as I had an external 2.5" case, is that I put the Seagate Barracuda Green mechanical 2TB HDD in that USB 3.2 cabled case and it works 100% and perfectly now, and really, its allot better that I put the 2.5" mechanical drive into that external case (maybe an SSD is lighter) as the mechanical drive is too heavy and adds allot more wight to the laptop and it would have made it heavier. So do that, as that is the only and best alternative if you can connect your 2.5" HDD. Good luck.

If this answers your question and solved your query please "Click on Yes" or "Click on Like" if you find my answer useful👍

fake_name

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1351517#Comment_1351517

Dаmn that absolutely sucks. It's a shame I'm out of my refund period because had I known of this glaring issue 3 years ago I absolutely would have not bought this piece of e waste.

Sorry if I gave you a hard time on this thread, but thank you for your time.

Maybe if they bothered updating the uefi for more than 3 bloody years they could've fixed this issue because I bet that that's where the issue is located.

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