Bios fails to recognize the new M.2 SSD device.
Bios fails to recognize the new M.2 SSD device.
Following the replacement of the old HDD with an M.2 SSD, the laptop fails to boot from the SSD even after installing Windows. The system doesn't recognize the SSD during the boot process. The device is approximately 7-8 years old, and I believed a manual I found online confirmed compatibility. Model: N170SD. The used M.2 SSD is a crucial P2 1TB drive. Edited November 14, 2022 by Cheki added info
If you're around 8 years old, I think it's unlikely they can handle PCIe M.2 drives.
It confirms compatibility with version m.2, which explains my purchase decision. The m.2 model is also important as a P2 1tb storage option.
I've researched this and found that while yes, it does support M.2 PCIe SSDs, the only one I could locate that works—because it came from the OEM with that drive—is an AHCI PCIe M.2 SSD. It seems this type might no longer be available.
It seems the BIOS doesn’t support booting from an NVMe drive. You should use your M.2 SSD for storage and set up a 2.5" SSD for booting.
It's unusual when the installer shows Windows as being installed on volume 4 for a m.2 drive. If the BIOS doesn't recognize it, that could be causing issues.
A top-level operating system identifies the drive, the BIOS recognizes it, and supports booting from it are three completely distinct situations. Because it isn’t listed as a boot device in your BIOS, this indicates your system can reach it after drivers are installed, but the BIOS itself can’t initiate a boot from it. The only solution besides updating the BIOS to allow this would be using a third-party boot-loader like Clover to serve as a bridge. To the BIOS, this loader would appear as your boot device, while the actual loader would direct access to your SSD. I wouldn’t recommend that path, though it remains an option.
It's an outdated HDD, but I'm attempting to revive it. Unfortunately, that didn't work out, so I'll just send it back and order a 2.5 SSD.
I would first look for the "SATA Mode Operation" configuration in the UEFI BIOS settings.