I completed the setup, yet the M.2 SSDs aren't showing up in BIOS.
I completed the setup, yet the M.2 SSDs aren't showing up in BIOS.
I just completed assembling my PC with these components: CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 3.9 GHz 6-core; CPU cooler – Noctua NH-D12L; Motherboard – Gigabyte B850I AORUS PRO Mini ITX AM5 (rev 1.1, BIOS v2); RAM – G.Skill Flare X5 32GB (16GB×2) at 6000MHz DDR5; Storage – two Western Digital Black SN7100 1TB M.2 NVMe drives and one Seagate BarraCuda 2TB; Video – Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC SFF GeForce RTX 5070; Case – Cooler Master MasterBox NR200 Mini ITX; Power supply – Corsair SF750 (2024).
The problem is my two NVMe WD Black drives aren’t showing up in UEFI or during Windows 11 setup. The BIOS lists are blank, and the installer refuses to recognize them. It’s possible both SSDs are faulty or incompatible with the current firmware. I tried updating to BIOS v5.1 but it didn’t help. On the motherboard’s storage support page, my specific SSD model (WDS100T4X0E-00CJA0) isn’t listed, though similar drives are supported. The 500GB and 2TB variants are present, which is confusing.
I suspect a BIOS update might resolve this, but I’m not sure if it covers storage issues. I’ve ordered a Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB SSD (MZ-V9S1T0BW) from the support list in case it appears in future updates. Hopefully, that will help get it recognized.
It's normal, and there wouldn't be any issues. Regarding the boards supporting page, I don't expect much concern. These Sandisk drives are still emerging, similar to RAM QVL models; board manufacturers aren't always eager to refresh compatibility lists for every available drive or kit. Have you reset the CMOS or upgraded to a newer BIOS version? Also, check if CSM is enabled—turning it on might resolve the problem. On modern systems with new drives, it should turn off automatically. I'd like to verify detection on another machine and look for firmware updates if needed.
It's typical for the Windows installer to struggle with multiple drives. The usual suggestion is to disconnect all connected drives and connect just one intended drive along with the USB installer. I faced the same problem during a reinstall, which resolved only after removing every drive except the one you want to use.
If the system isn't appearing in the BIOS setup, the Linux boot process won't work.
Typically, when users mention drives missing in BIOS, it means they aren't listed as boot devices on the main screen—this is typical because no operating system is installed yet. Finding them can be uncommon, though some BIOS versions might display them occasionally.