Create a bootable USB drive with the OS you need and use it to restore files from your M.2 storage.
Create a bootable USB drive with the OS you need and use it to restore files from your M.2 storage.
It can be achieved on any Linux distribution, though I’m not certain about Windows. Another option is to use an NVMe to USB adapter, making your drive appear as an external one.
The issue I notice is that typically if the operating system can be repaired, the data should still be accessible. If it’s completely damaged and unrecoverable, the information is likely lost. This is just my observation—consider confirming the extent of the OS failure before spending resources on data recovery tools.
I've experimented with various methods but none resolved the issue. The drive appears in the bios, boots into a blue screen, and the repair option fails. I used a USB with Windows Media Creation Tool, which also didn't work. Tried different commands in the CMD prompt without success. It seems the OS got mixed up with another M.2 drive I installed after setting up Windows 10.
Try to save money by not spending unless necessary. I don’t know much about Linux distributions or which ones are best.
For a relatively new Windows setup, using the GPT scheme for the drive is recommended. This involves an EFI partition acting as the connection between UEFI and the operating system. I've experienced the EFI partition disappearing or becoming corrupted on several occasions, and also issues with proper cloning during clones or restores. You may need to perform a restore and also run SFC, DISM, chkdsk on the OS if corruption exists alongside a damaged EFI partition. All these tasks can be executed from an ISO you've already prepared, using the boot environment provided by the media creation tool. You might already be using CMD to carry out many of these operations. The way the system responds during boot is also important—it provides specific feedback about what it encounters. I recommend first confirming the EFI partition exists and works, then observing its behavior during boot attempts. In short, most problems stem from a readable drive with a faulty boot, and the fix usually lies in restoring the EFI partition or addressing OS corruption via winPE.
They’re free to use. Just take Rufus and an easy Linux distro like PopOS, Linux Mint, or CachyOS. Create a bootable drive, install it in your BIOS, and you’ll be able to access your storage. If you’re unsure about what to do next, consider making a Windows installation media using a functional PC instead of Linux. But if you have another machine available, connecting your drives will make the process much easier.
This is what I usually do occasionally. I already have the right USB stick since I often install Linux. You’ll need another computer to access it.
1.) Transfer Linux Mint .iso to the download folder on your computer (a convenient spot). Version 21.3 works well.
2.) On the Windows machine, use Rufus to write the iso file onto the stick.
3.) Insert the stick into your computer and possibly enter BIOS settings to recognize it first.
4.) Once started, navigate to the Computer section to view the connected drives.
5.) Locate the Windows installation media and folders, then explore them. Now you need to decide where to copy the files and folders—another stick, an SSD with a SATA-to-USB cable?
Keep in mind, if the computer you’re burning the iso to is running Linux, right-clicking the iso will show a "Make bootable USB stick" option. It’s that easy.