A motherboard with options to turn off M.2 slots.
A motherboard with options to turn off M.2 slots.
Seeking a motherboard that allows disabling certain M2 connectors to block particular NVME devices. Intel or AMD options preferred. Best would be BIOS settings with specific slots turned off, so you can quickly switch profiles during boot (like in the startup menu). This could help isolate operating systems and prevent them from accessing each other's storage. Dual booting is just one possibility.
When discussing Linux/Windows dual-booting, using GRUB or keeping them on separate drives makes sense. Focus on the OS you'll use more often—Linux first, then Windows for example. When needing to boot into Windows, simply select the drive with Windows enabled. Disabling NVME drives seems unnecessary unless you're trying to avoid a specific issue; otherwise, it's safe as long as priorities are set correctly.
This situation occurred with me too. The system didn’t recognize the correct boot sequence, and the BIOS didn’t accept my Linux SSD as a valid start-up option. @Dunn I had to rely on Grub2Win, which was slower but helped resolve the problem temporarily. I’m not aware of any operating systems that block M.2 slots, though that would likely make things more complicated.
Setting up a SATA connection by plugging in a cable to an unused port can help manage which M.2 devices are active. This approach allows control over device activity without changing hardware settings directly.
I understand the topic well and I'm not focused on that. Let's keep the conversation on track. The original post was edited for clarity, and most people don't need this information. I noticed several requests for this feature, but currently only a Lenovo laptop seems to support it. Disabling individual SATA ports is a typical BIOS setting, though it isn't ideal.
Save this note for others who might find it helpful: turn off NVMe in BIOS settings – motherboard compatibility