Unable to start Windows after installing Windows 11 on a Samsung 980 Pro 1TB SSD?
Unable to start Windows after installing Windows 11 on a Samsung 980 Pro 1TB SSD?
Hello, I've encountered similar problems in other discussions, but the solutions provided haven't resolved my situation.
My system configuration includes: AMD Ryzen 5800X3D, EVGA GeForce 3060Ti with 8 GB RAM, MSI B450 Gaming Plus motherboard, Crucial Pro 32GB DDR4 3200Mhz RAM, an EVGA 750 GA 80+ Gold PSU, a 120 GB SSD (MBR), a Samsung 870 2 TB SSD (MBR), a Seagate 1 TB HDD (MBR), and a Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB NVME M.2 (GPT). The BIOS is up to date, version 7B86v1J1.
Summary: I attempted a clean Windows 11 installation via a bootable USB on my 980 Pro 1 TB NVME M.2 storage. I was using Windows 10 on an older SSD that boots with CSM. I followed the instructions precisely, ensuring no other drives were installed during the Windows 11 setup. Despite careful steps—such as disabling secure boot, manually creating partitions, and trying to boot through CSM—I consistently reached step 8 or beyond without success.
Instead of progress, I either restarted and returned to Windows Setup or unplugged the USB after a reboot, then adjusted the BIOS settings to disable the flash drive. In both cases, the system would display the "reboot and select proper boot device" screen.
One attempt was to perform a secure erase on the 980 Pro, but I couldn't complete it because my Samsung Magician doesn't recognize the drive, even though Windows does. The issue remains unclear, possibly related to the drive itself.
I used Rufus to generate the bootable USB from the official Windows 11 ISO, and I'm thinking about trying the Windows Media Creation tool, though online reports suggest it may not help much.
Thank you for your assistance! Please feel free to share any additional details or documentation.
When every drive is unplugged and you possess just the NVMe unit, you must remove all partitions shown in picture 3 (assuming it's your NVMe). Ensure Rufus is configured for GPT with UEFI (not CSM).
I verified that Rufus configured the boot USB with GPT using UEFI. The NVMe was also set to GPT, and no partitions existed on the drive prior to installation. After restarting the setup, I removed the USB and checked the BIOS to confirm the boot sequence and that secure boot was enabled in UEFI mode. The BIOS displayed "Standard" for secure boot, which aligns with expectations. During save/reboot from BIOS, the system restarted into BIOS. Attachments provided for your reference. Thank you.