PC with w10 after installing sysprep does not restart

Question

Hello, I have loaded a sysprep on a model computer (hp 8200 usdt), and after updating and entering a domain it has a problem. If you turn off the computer, it turns off correctly, but if I press restart, it does not restart, the screen remains black and the PC has a power LED on but the hard drive LED is off.

Any help on why this PC works this way and if it could be corrected in some way? Thanks for the answers in advance.

Answer 1

This sounds like a low-level hardware or driver issue triggered by the restart process. Here are some steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Check BIOS Settings:

• Fast Boot/Quick Boot – Disable this option in BIOS if enabled.
• Wake-On-LAN/USB – Disable these temporarily to rule out conflicts.
• Virtualization – Sometimes enabling/disabling Intel VT-x can affect restart behavior.
• SATA Mode – Ensure it's set to AHCI (not IDE or RAID unless specifically required).

2. Update BIOS Firmware:

• Check HP’s website for the latest BIOS update for the HP 8200 USDT.
• BIOS updates can resolve unexpected power and restart issues.

3. Driver Issues:

• Update the chipset and management engine drivers.
• Specifically, update Intel Management Engine (ME) firmware and driver, as it handles low-level power management.

4. Power Management (OS Level):

• Go to Device Manager → System Devices → Right-click Intel Management Engine Interface → Properties → Power Management → Uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
• Also check the Network Adapter and disable any power-saving options.

5. Test Without Domain Policies:

• Some group policies may interfere with restart behavior. Test by temporarily removing the system from the domain and see if the restart issue persists.

6. Event Viewer Check:

• After a failed restart, check Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System for any critical errors or warnings around the time of restart.

7. Hardware Diagnostics:

• Run HP’s built-in hardware diagnostic tool (press F2 during boot) to rule out any hardware faults.

8. Sysprep Image Issue:

• If the issue only appears after imaging, the sysprep image may have a misconfigured driver or incomplete installation. Test by installing a clean OS directly from media and see if the problem persists.

Let me know if you want more details on any step! This sounds like a low-level hardware or driver issue triggered by the restart process. Here are some steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Check BIOS Settings:

• Fast Boot/Quick Boot – Disable this option in BIOS if enabled.
• Wake-On-LAN/USB – Disable these temporarily to rule out conflicts.
• Virtualization – Sometimes enabling/disabling Intel VT-x can affect restart behavior.
• SATA Mode – Ensure it's set to AHCI (not IDE or RAID unless specifically required).

2. Update BIOS Firmware:

• Check HP’s website for the latest BIOS update for the HP 8200 USDT.
• BIOS updates can resolve unexpected power and restart issues.

3. Driver Issues:

• Update the chipset and management engine drivers.
• Specifically, update Intel Management Engine (ME) firmware and driver, as it handles low-level power management.

4. Power Management (OS Level):

• Go to Device Manager → System Devices → Right-click Intel Management Engine Interface → Properties → Power Management → Uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
• Also check the Network Adapter and disable any power-saving options.

5. Test Without Domain Policies:

• Some group policies may interfere with restart behavior. Test by temporarily removing the system from the domain and see if the restart issue persists.

6. Event Viewer Check:

• After a failed restart, check Event Viewer → Windows Logs → System for any critical errors or warnings around the time of restart.

7. Hardware Diagnostics:

• Run HP’s built-in hardware diagnostic tool (press F2 during boot) to rule out any hardware faults.

8. Sysprep Image Issue:

• If the issue only appears after imaging, the sysprep image may have a misconfigured driver or incomplete installation. Test by installing a clean OS directly from media and see if the problem persists.

Let me know if you want more details on any step!

Answer 2

Hello

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

Here are some steps you can try:

1. Try using the force shutdown command before running Sysprep. Open Command Prompt and type:

shutdown -s -f

This forces the system to shut down completely before you run Sysprep.

2. Look at the logs in C:\Windows\Panther and C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Panther directories. These logs can provide clues about what might be causing the issue.
3. If you have a working Sysprep template from another machine, try using that. Sometimes, copying a known good configuration can resolve issues.
4. If you're using an unattend.xml file, double-check it for any errors or misconfigurations. Errors during the specialize pass can cause restart issues.
5. Remember that Windows can only be sysprepped a limited number of times (usually three). If you've exceeded this limit, you might need to start with a fresh Windows image.

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Daisy Zhou

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