Setting up a fresh SSD triggers the m.2 genie error.
Setting up a fresh SSD triggers the m.2 genie error.
Hello. I own the MSI MPG Z490 GAMING EDGE WI-FI motherboard. Recently I purchased a WD BLACK SN850x SSD for additional storage and mounted it on my board. Previously, my setup had an Intel SSD in the m2_2 slot and a hard drive in the SATA 2 port. After swapping, I moved the Intel SSD to m2_1 beneath the heatsink and placed my new SSD in m2_2. I also transferred the hard drive from SATA 2 to SATA1. When I powered on the PC, I encountered an M2 Genie error and couldn’t load Windows 11. The BIOS supports RAID and Genie features. I’ve attached a photo of my BIOS for reference. My goal is to install the new SSD smoothly without any problems or data loss.
raid is activated for performance reasons, but it mainly impacts the installation process. Disabling raid can prevent issues during expansion. When raid is off, you might need to reinstall Windows on the affected drive. This drive is likely secured in a specific slot, such as M.2_2, due to its RAID configuration. If it was originally RAID 1 and paired with another drive in M.2_1, the system would automatically reconfigure the drive when inserting a new one in M.2_2. RAID functionality works this way. Had RAID been enabled from the beginning, swapping drives would have been seamless.
I also experimented with the new SSD in M2_1 while keeping the old drive in M2_2, but it still triggered the same error. I think I also tried the old SSD in M2_1, which worked, though I’m uncertain because I’ve been up late. If reinstalling Windows is the only choice, can I make a system image, adjust the settings, and then restore the images for both drives? If yes, what steps should I follow in that sequence? Additionally, I don’t understand why RAID is enabled.
If you mount it on a single drive, you can always create a backup later... a RAID 1 (mirror) will essentially copy the data from one drive to another. However, I've encountered problems with RAID 1 on HDDs before, especially when gaming. NVMe drives should perform much better and won't have these issues. Personally, I'm using Windows on two Samsung 960 Pro laptops in RAID 0 for faster striped disk speeds. Also, I have an installation USB handy in case I run into problems during the setup. When selecting a disk to install on, you'll likely need AHCI or RAID drivers to properly load the RAID device. AHCI should work out of the box.
Consider installing only the new drive, disconnect both existing drives, and navigate to BIOS. If it doesn't appear, you probably have a damaged drive.
I resolved the issue. Navigate to bios settings, advanced mode, settings, advanced, and review the Intel storage technology page. Ensure your drives aren’t listed under non-RAID. If they aren’t, proceed: - In "SETTINGS \ Advanced \ Integrated Peripheral", turn on "M2.Genie" and confirm "SATA Mode" is set to "RAID/Optane Mode". - Launch Windows and open CMD with admin privileges. Type: bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal - Reboot and enter BIOS setup. In "SETTINGS \ Advanced \ Integrated Peripheral", switch off "M2.Genie" and set "SATA Mode" to "AHCI Mode". - Restart so Windows boots into safe mode and loads the AHCI driver. - Run CMD as Administrator. Enter: bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot - Connect all drives and begin Windows installation.