During a fresh setup of Windows, the NVMe SSD appears as zero bytes.
During a fresh setup of Windows, the NVMe SSD appears as zero bytes.
I’m setting up my first desktop PC. I got a used Dell Precision 5820 Workstation from the lab, which already had Windows 10 installed and some specialized software. The BIOS doesn’t show any password, so I’m planning a clean Windows 11 installation to reset everything. I updated all the drivers from Dell’s site and used Rufus to make a USB boot drive. The machine came with a 1TB NVMe SSD and two 4TB HDDs. I wanted to keep the SSD as the boot device, so I powered it off and removed both HDDs. After restarting, I accessed the boot menu (pressing F12 during the Dell logo) and chose the USB drive. I went through all the language options and accepted the setup until the screen asked where to install Windows 11. The issue is that on this screen I don’t see the SSD listed. The disks aren’t named, so I’m using size instead; the biggest one is a 32GB USB stick I used for booting. There’s an “Unallocated Space” labeled Disk 0, but it shows 0 bytes and free space. I assume this is the NVMe SSD, yet when I try to bring it online it reports an error: “There was an error performing the disk operation.” I’m puzzled because the SSD seems functional—I can exit Windows 11 and the PC works fine without the HDDs. I’ve attached photos of the installation screen and the error message when trying to restore Disk 0. Could anyone help identify the problem or suggest a solution? My system specs are: Dell Precision 5820 Tower Windows 10 Pro for Workstations (latest BIOS), Intel Xeon W-2245 @ 3.90GHz, 4x16GB RAM (brand unknown), NVIDIA RTX A4000 (16GB), PC801 NVMe SK HDD (954GB) as boot drive, plus two 4TB HDDs (not connected yet), and an unknown power supply.
Review your drive sizes; it looks like your boot drive is just 32GB. To install Windows 11 you’d likely need a minimum of a larger storage device, possibly an SSD or an HDD. Alternatively, you could install Windows on one of the existing hard drives, though performance might be affected. Good luck!
Not at all, just wanted to check if you read the message. He’s aware it’s displaying the USB drive. The issue is it isn’t recognizing the SSD properly. @Herobrine0927 You might need to wipe or format the drive. Win 11 doesn’t support sharing with other operating systems.
With Windows 10 Pro already installed, I recommend restarting to verify BitLocker activation. It seems the installer isn’t detecting the partitions correctly, possibly because it thinks you’re using a different drive. You might be seeing three disks when only two should appear—this usually happens when the SSD is connected but not properly recognized. Check the SSD’s partition layout in Disk Management and confirm whether the Windows partition is encrypted. Decrypting it could resolve the issue. If that doesn’t work, consider using an external NVMe enclosure and cleaning the drive with DiskPart on another machine. If cleaning fails, the SSD may be faulty and you’ll need to replace it.
Dell employs F2 to access the BIOS. Verify if it selects ACHI or RAID, aiming for AHCI. Within "maintenance," you can erase the drive via "data wipe" or a comparable option—follow the instructions carefully. Be mindful, as it will erase all connected drives, so proceed with caution.
Reviewing Bitlocker configurations makes sense, though I'm not completely sure about all its details. The interface displays only two drives—Drive 0 is the SSD, while Drives 1 and 2 are connected via USB. You can infer this from the partition sizes. It looks like the USB partition was split into two separate disks, likely by a utility used during setup. They might be able to use a USB tool to erase the SSD without needing an external enclosure or another machine. If it was configured as a RAID array, removing drives shouldn't disrupt the array and prevent booting into Windows 10. Also, combining a single SSD with two HDDs in a RAID setup doesn't seem very reliable.
Dell frequently chooses to enable "Raid" mainly for IRST on its business devices. This usually needs a distinct driver during a fresh Windows setup. Make sure it’s configured as AHCI to improve the likelihood of a successful installation. A Windows update or drive reset will handle BitLocker automatically.
I wasn't familiar with that before. I've dealt with several mid-range Dell workstations in the past, but that situation wasn't common then.
When you click it, it indicates the drive is offline and needs to be reconnected. However, when attempting to restore it, an error message appears. If none of these steps work, I recommend installing Windows directly onto the HDD as you suggested. Appreciate your understanding. That makes sense. I plan to attempt your cleaning method on the SSD after exploring other options, though you might be right. Thank you for your assistance! I’ll verify if BitLocker is active. You’re right about the presence of multiple drives in the image—I mistakenly attached an incorrect one. The earlier picture showed a later attempt to install a second USB drive with SSD drivers, which didn’t succeed. That disk labeled 0 is the SSD displaying as zero bytes. I’ll check its encryption status to see if that’s the cause. Hopefully, the SSD isn’t damaged, but if all else fails, I’ll consider replacing it. Thank you! You’re correct that the SSD appears to be configured in RAID, which is unusual for a single unit. This could be the reason it doesn’t appear properly during Windows installation. I’ll try changing it to AHCI via BIOS, as suggested. Please check if BitLocker is enabled. You’re correct again about the extra drive in the photo—Drive 1 and 2 are separate USB sticks. I added the wrong image when trying to load drivers for the SSD, which showed up as disk 1. Apologies for the confusion. It seems the SSD is indeed in RAID mode, which is odd given there’s only one SSD. The system still functions with Windows 10 using both drives removed. Could the RAID configuration be interfering with Windows installation? I’ll try setting it to AHCI. From what I’ve read online, this should be possible in the BIOS. Once I switch to AHCI, will the driver still be needed for a fresh install? Thank you for your guidance! I’ve attached a screenshot of the disk management showing disk 0 as the 1TB SSD. I’ll look into its encryption status. Hopefully, this will resolve the issue!
F2 to start the BIOS setup. On a Dell laptop (likely the same desktop), navigate to "System Configuration" and find "SATA Operation." Adjust it to AHCI if needed. If already set to AHCI, the problem may differ. In BIOS, check "Maintenance" for "Data Wipe." When using the Windows install USB, you can also remove partitions.