First time installing Linux in almost 20yrs.
Nabbed an older XPS 9550 4K - i7 6th gen, 960m, 16GB ddr4 2133, 256GB NVMe (have the smaller battery, going to pickup an 84wh version as I don't need a secondary drive).
I seemed to have gotten everything going (Audio & Mic took a bit of troubleshooting).
I'm honestly really, really enjoying it so far, except anytime a do a Restart (not powerdown, poweron). When I restart via the Zorin OS menu, when it starts back up, DELL's bios states "Hard Drive - Not Installed"
The resolution is to powerdown, and power up, where it starts without problem.
I've updated BIOS to the last version made, didn't help (1.14.0).
Prior to installation of Zorin I Disabled the two SATAs, but the NVMe I left checked, and I changed from the RAID (RST) to ACHI.
I left the rest untouched iirc. Pretty sure the NVMe is seated properly and retention screw is firm. I'd think if that were the issue, it'd be more of a vibration/movement issue and not triggered by a simple OS initiated Restart.
Zorin is a fork of Ubuntu 24.04 so I used this fact in search criteria. I use Mojeek search engine by default, but I usually opt for one of the other search engines which Mojeek makes available. My prime alternative is Bravw and the first result is an A.I. one.
This is the result:
" The issue on Dell XPS 15 9550 systems is typically caused by a firmware quirk where the NVMe SSD loses its PCIe link during a warm reboot due to aggressive power state transitions, or by BIOS SATA mode mismatches (e.g., switching between RAID/Intel RST and AHCI).
To resolve this, apply the following fixes:
Disable Deep Sleep for NVMe : Add the kernel parameter nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=4950 to your GRUB configuration. This prevents the SSD from entering the deepest autonomous power state that causes the link loss. Edit /etc/default/grub to include this in GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT , then run sudo update-grub .
Verify BIOS SATA Mode : Ensure the BIOS is set to AHCI mode. If Windows was previously installed, it may have forced the drive into RAID/Intel RST mode, which Ubuntu cannot detect. You must switch to AHCI in the BIOS (F2 at startup) to allow Ubuntu to see the drive.
Update BIOS : Check for the latest BIOS updates from Dell, as older versions (pre-1.6.1 or early 1.6.x) on the XPS 15 9550 were known to have bugs where the hard drive was not detected after a restart.
Alternative Reboot Method : If the above fails, perform a cold boot (shut down completely and power on) instead of a "restart" or "reboot" from within Ubuntu, as the power-on self-test (POST) initializes the drive correctly where a warm reboot fails.
In an old internet thread with that problem, it helped to set the kernel parameter reboot=e (e = efi). I'm not sure if that can help. You could test it by adding that parameter for one boot.
In grub menu select Zorin and then press e key to edit. Search for the line which begins with linux and after quiet splash add reboot=e
Then save/apply (I'm not sure).
Then press ctrl+x to close the program and boot.
After login you can test what happens when you select reboot.
If it doesn't help, the next boot is normal again. That setting is not permanent, unless you add the parameter to /etc/default/grub.
Secure Boot is Enabled, but Zorin OS supports Secure Boot iirc.
UEFI is selected, and it's not set to accept Legacy.
I cannot recall the partition type.
I used the tool the Zorin site recommended, just to keep in-line with supported methods.
Here you have a guide which helps a little bit that you can see what it looks like (similar). Zorin already has quiet and splash there, so add the new parameter behind those both.
I entered...
sudo nano /etc/default/grub
entered pw and hit enter
pasted in nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=4950 at the end of the entries
pressed Ctrl+X
hit enter to commit the changes to the /etc/default/grub file
sudo update-grub
and received the following message,
"sudo update-grub
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig: 44: /etc/default/grub: nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=4950: not found"
Do you think any part of the command is deprecated or for a different version?
But it should be at least worth a Try with disabled Secure Boot.
So, You used Etcher? The Tool is ... okay but the Experience here showed that it sometimes can lead to Issues.
If You should still have a Windows Machine, I can recommend Rufus. The good Thing about it: You can choose actively the Partition Sheme. So, because Your BIOS is in UEFI Mode, choose in Rufus GPT.
I had to place the nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=4950 as an entry in the quoted items after GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT
I was receiving the message about it not being found due to it being entered as an independent line.
Testing now...
I've used Rufus before and like it. I kinda wanted to see what it was supposed to be like to follow their steps as the role of any-other-user. swarfendor437's talk of the SSD's deep power save state ended up resolving the issue interestingly enough. I appreciate all the help though!!