F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop This setup isn't reliably detecting the boot drive.

This setup isn't reliably detecting the boot drive.

This setup isn't reliably detecting the boot drive.

W
Waltroft
Member
65
07-20-2021, 06:14 PM
#1
Hey there, I've been working through this problem for a few days now and things are still a bit confusing. I just visited MicroCenter and bought a pretty basic PC with almost no GPU. Everything seems normal except my motherboard isn't properly recognizing the new drive when Windows 11 is installed. I've checked all the BIOS settings I could find online, and the only solution that usually works is turning on CSM. Obviously, I don’t want CSM enabled on a gaming rig because I need ReBar active. So far, I’ve installed all components and everything boots fine—BIOS works, drives appear, games and software load correctly, drivers are updated, and the latest BIOS is applied. I also double-checked PBO, EXPO, save/restore, and even reloaded optimized defaults for the motherboard. Still no boot drive showing in M.2_1, but the storage drive in M.2_2 is fine. I’ve tried reinstalling the drive, using BIOS options, and ran diagnostics with BIOS, Samsung Magician, SFC/scannow via PowerShell, and everything checks out perfectly.

I’m wondering if there’s an issue with my drive itself, my motherboard, or even the CPU. My hair is starting to turn white, so I really appreciate any advice you can give. Thanks in advance for your help—I’d love to hear your thoughts!
W
Waltroft
07-20-2021, 06:14 PM #1

Hey there, I've been working through this problem for a few days now and things are still a bit confusing. I just visited MicroCenter and bought a pretty basic PC with almost no GPU. Everything seems normal except my motherboard isn't properly recognizing the new drive when Windows 11 is installed. I've checked all the BIOS settings I could find online, and the only solution that usually works is turning on CSM. Obviously, I don’t want CSM enabled on a gaming rig because I need ReBar active. So far, I’ve installed all components and everything boots fine—BIOS works, drives appear, games and software load correctly, drivers are updated, and the latest BIOS is applied. I also double-checked PBO, EXPO, save/restore, and even reloaded optimized defaults for the motherboard. Still no boot drive showing in M.2_1, but the storage drive in M.2_2 is fine. I’ve tried reinstalling the drive, using BIOS options, and ran diagnostics with BIOS, Samsung Magician, SFC/scannow via PowerShell, and everything checks out perfectly.

I’m wondering if there’s an issue with my drive itself, my motherboard, or even the CPU. My hair is starting to turn white, so I really appreciate any advice you can give. Thanks in advance for your help—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

P
primoalanchris
Member
137
07-20-2021, 08:00 PM
#2
You're right to consider that. I haven't tested swapping the two SSDs yet. It would be helpful to see if the issue continues with the other drive.
P
primoalanchris
07-20-2021, 08:00 PM #2

You're right to consider that. I haven't tested swapping the two SSDs yet. It would be helpful to see if the issue continues with the other drive.

L
Love_Trush
Member
51
07-24-2021, 03:17 AM
#3
I found something last night while swapping GPUs for game night on the old rig. Both drives functioned perfectly without the GPU installed, including the 9100 pro and slot 1 now holding the 990 pro. I’m planning to reinstall the GPU in this setup with its riser cable to check if the problem lies there. Could it be related to PCIe lane allocation? Or is the motherboard faulty?
L
Love_Trush
07-24-2021, 03:17 AM #3

I found something last night while swapping GPUs for game night on the old rig. Both drives functioned perfectly without the GPU installed, including the 9100 pro and slot 1 now holding the 990 pro. I’m planning to reinstall the GPU in this setup with its riser cable to check if the problem lies there. Could it be related to PCIe lane allocation? Or is the motherboard faulty?

A
Altijd_Scoepi
Member
183
07-24-2021, 06:19 AM
#4
The situation doesn’t appear to be a drive issue since the missing drive isn’t showing up in the other slot. Several restarts, BIOS updates, and disabling/activating ReBar have been tried. I plan to reinstall the GPU once the components are swapped again. If this causes problems, I’ll verify the CPU’s socket and mounting pressure first. If that doesn’t resolve it, it might point to a motherboard fault. Does this make sense? Or is there another step I should consider?
A
Altijd_Scoepi
07-24-2021, 06:19 AM #4

The situation doesn’t appear to be a drive issue since the missing drive isn’t showing up in the other slot. Several restarts, BIOS updates, and disabling/activating ReBar have been tried. I plan to reinstall the GPU once the components are swapped again. If this causes problems, I’ll verify the CPU’s socket and mounting pressure first. If that doesn’t resolve it, it might point to a motherboard fault. Does this make sense? Or is there another step I should consider?