The laptop displays a blue screen following a BIOS update, and Windows 11 fails to recognize the SSD.
The laptop displays a blue screen following a BIOS update, and Windows 11 fails to recognize the SSD.
Hello!
I just set up a new MSI Thin 15 B12VE Laptop (this one) and everything functioned perfectly right away. It came with a 512GB NVMe drive, so I replaced it with a 2TB NVMe. I performed a fresh Windows 11 Pro installation, which worked flawlessly. I updated all the latest Nvidia drivers and was ready to use. I also installed the newest BIOS updates from the version I had (version 504) to the newer one released in December 2024 (version 509). I’ve upgraded BIOS several times before without any issues, so I decided to upgrade to version 509 (E16R8IMS.509).
The upgrade process went smoothly, and after restarting, I encountered a Windows 11 blue screen stating "Inaccessible Boot Device." This was expected since I had previously reset the BIOS to legacy mode. After installing Windows 11 in UEFI, I noticed it defaulted to a Chinese BIOS setting. I managed to switch it back to English and restarted successfully. In the BIOS, my NVMe 2TB SSD is listed, but I still get the blue screen when attempting to boot from it. When I try to boot from the Windows 11 USB drive, it works fine. However, the 2TB NVMe is no longer visible in the system. There’s no option to choose between Legacy and UEFI settings—only UEFI is selected, which matches my preference.
I can’t reinstall Windows 11 because the 2TB NVMe isn’t detected anymore. I only see the USB stick listed as the boot source for installation. I’m confused about why Windows 11 won’t recognize the drive properly. I tried downgrading back to version 504, but the issue persisted, suggesting a possible reset. Going back to version 509 left me stuck. I can revert to version 504, but that’s not the core problem. The W11 USB installation no longer recognizes the 2TB NVMe SSD. Help needed!
So I might have solved my own problem. The unusual part is that updating to 509 introduced an option I hadn't seen before—Intel Rapid Storage Technology now appears under the BIOS Update section. It wasn't there in the 504 version either, and even after downgrading back to 504, it remained. I ended up going back to 509 again.
So I might have solved my own problem. The unusual part is that updating to 509 introduced an option I hadn't seen before—Intel Rapid Storage Technology now appears under the BIOS Update section. It wasn't there prior. Even after reverting back to 504, it remained available. So I went back to 509 again.
When Windows 11 boots from USB, the NVME slot disappears. That made me think the driver might be necessary. I searched online and downloaded the appropriate driver. After unpacking the zip onto the W11 USB drive, I tried the installation again.
Only the USB drive showed up in the list of drives. I clicked Load Driver at the top. I had to narrow down to the specific folder inside that driver folder, and it found the correct one. There were two entries, but I selected the first one. Instantly, everything was set. The 2TB NVME and all its partitions from the initial W11 installation appeared. I deleted the partitions, and only the unallocated 1.8TB drive remained. It's now reinstalling W11 again. I'll share the results if it worked and whether I'm still free of the blue screen. Personally, I wasn't worried about data loss since this was a fresh install. I don't know what others would do to recover lost data.
I'll update later to let you know how it went. Thanks!
Turn off secure boot.
Ensure the SATA controller uses AHCI (disable Intel RST).
Install nvme drivers during setup.
You can obtain nvme drivers from Gigabyte's Windows USB tool.
The NVME driver is generic and not specific to Gigabyte. It functions in Windows 11 as well as Windows 7.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Support/Utility?kw=windows&p=1
Yes, upgrading to 509 even after going down to 504 made Intel Rapid Storage Technology activate, causing the 2TB NVME SSD Drive to vanish. I didn’t have a way to switch back to ACHI mode instead of Intel Rapid Storage Technology. Going to 509 probably removed that option. My only solution was to accept it and install the Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver from MSI (as suggested earlier) so I could reinstall W11 without worrying about data loss. Everything now works properly.
Point:
Avoid updating BIOS unless necessary—things can change and you might get stuck. Thanks for the advice and suggestions! I truly appreciate it! This was a real challenge!