Storage drive switched recently but system won't start in Windows.
Storage drive switched recently but system won't start in Windows.
You're feeling a bit stressed about this setup. Let's go through what happened and what you can try next. First, it sounds like you installed the new drive correctly but didn't update your BIOS or boot settings properly. Since the system went into diagnostic mode without booting, it might be stuck in a failed state. Check if your motherboard supports 4x M.2 drives and ensure the slots are clean. Also, verify that the power supply is providing enough voltage for all components. If you're still having issues, try resetting the BIOS or consulting the manufacturer's support for guidance.
Changed to CSM mode now and I can pick a boot drive, but when I choose the one with Windows it just prompts to "reboot and select proper boot device." What's going on? I can't fully delete all drives since one is attached to my GPU and I don’t want to take it out.
Check if the boot drive functions on another computer, including laptops for testing purposes.
That could affect the drive letter or storage settings. I’m really worried about losing all my work.
You're experiencing a problem where changing the storage drives caused Windows to become unusable. It sounds like the system got corrupted or locked during the switch. Trying to fix it by rebooting and selecting the right boot device might not be enough if the damage is deeper. Consider using a factory reset or reinstalling Windows if the issue persists.
If something fails, revert to what was before it became possible that Windows might be installed on multiple devices and couldn't start without another drive. Even if the full Windows installation is on one drive, it's recommended to install Windows on a single drive first, then add additional drives. This avoids the issue entirely. If you discovered this, make sure to back up your data—there’s still a chance it wasn’t lost, but it won’t boot without other drives for some reason. Don’t panic; things are more resilient than they seem.
I've restored everything to its original state and confirmed it functions properly again. It turns out one of my storage NVMe drives actually contains the Windows boot manager since it was the previous drive from my laptop that I installed on my desktop. Even though my Windows installation is on a separate NVMe drive, it won't start without this particular one. That's quite frustrating. How can I avoid this situation? I notice the storage NVMe has an EFI partition but not my main boot drive. @BoomerDutch This is precisely what’s happening here, great decision.
Currently, I recommend saving all necessary files onto one drive. A simple approach is to select a drive as the primary one that lasts the longest, install Windows there without connecting any other drives, ensuring the system boots from just that single drive. After setting this up, you won’t face problems switching drives as long as the main drive remains intact.