Initial NVME requires the second NVME to be connected for Windows to start properly.
Initial NVME requires the second NVME to be connected for Windows to start properly.
I encountered an unusual issue where my PC won’t boot into Windows unless the second NVMe drive is connected. After installing Windows on the new NVMe (NVME1) and formatting the other (NVMe2), I removed NVMe2 and tried booting from NMV1. Instead of recognizing the OS, it jumped straight to the BIOS. When I reinserted NVMe2, it somehow managed to start Windows despite being formatted. Once inside, I saw a Windows folder with specific files and strange text documents. The setupact.txt file contained a link to a Pastebin page. Someone might need help interpreting those files or understanding what’s happening with the boot process.
Did you set up Windows on the machine with both drives connected? If yes, the installer probably placed the EFI/boot section on your second drive since Windows Installer can be a bit clueless. You can check this by taking a screenshot of the Disk Management tool displaying both disks during startup into Windows. Although you’re sure you could move that partition to your primary drive where Windows is installed, I often find myself having to reinstall without any drives connected except the one I want Windows on at that moment—it’s much simpler that way.
It seems a repair installation should resolve the boot issue without damaging your existing setup.