[SOLVED] BIOS won't post

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n_cruz

Jun 10, 2021
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Specs:

Mobo: MSI B550A PRO pro series
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800x
Ram: 16GB 4400 Mhz Crucial Ballistic Max
HDD: 2TB blue disc
SDD: 1TB Samsung 980 nvme
GPU: AMD radeon RX 5700 XT

So, I just realized that I had my ssd (which has my windows on it) in my M2_2 slot. Preventing me from utilizing my other pcle 3.0 x 4 slot. So I partitioned my HDD and installed windows on that, Reformatted my SSD, removed my SSD from my m2_2 slot and inserted it into my m2_1 slot.

When I went to boot up my PC, my BIOS wouldnt even Post. Okay interesting. I reset my CMOS. Still nothing. So I have a spare nvme 250gb ssd lying around and I thought ...I dont know why but maybe this will work. Inserted it into my m2_2 slot. Boom. Bios is posting and windows boots normally. So I decided to install windows on my 1 TB ssd in my m2_1 slot and delete the partition that currently has windows on it afterwards to regain my HDD space. And as I was expecting, the same issue occured when I tried to post bios when the 2nd SSD wasn't in my m2_2 slot. MIND YOU, this second 250gb ssd isn't doing anything. It isn't formatted. It isn't even populated. But for some reason it is preventing my bios from Posting. I cleared my CMOS again and still nothing. However when inserted the bios posts and windows boots and operates as normal with my new installation on my ssd in the m2_1 slot.

Now this is incredibly bad on my part but after my computer was booted I even removed my 2nd ssd in m2_2 (since it literally wasnt doing anything but tricking my bios to post) and nothing happened and in fact my pc began to recognize my el gato 4k60 pro in my pcle 3.0 x4 slot....which it previously wasn't since the m2_2 slot was filled.

I should also add that during the failed bios posts my pc LEDs and fans were on and I/Os briefly turn on before failure and reattempts...

Does anyone have any idea what is going on here? Is it a bios driver issue? Is there a way to clear the memory in m2_2 that the bios evidently thinks it has? I'm literally at a loss and I promise never to remove my nvme while my pc is on again
 
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Solution
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"Are you saying I should remove all drives but the m2_1 ssd and reinstall windows onto it? "

Yes....whenever you do a clean install....only have the drive in the machine you intend to install Windows to connected. Have no other drives connected.

After you are finished installing Windows.....and you are happy it's running well.....then power down....and add the other drives.

If you have other drives connected when you installed Windows.....things like what you are seeing can happen.
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jay32267

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" So I partitioned my HDD and installed windows on that "
Was the SSD installed when you did this?

" So I have a spare nvme 250gb ssd lying around "
This spare had Windows already on it I assume. Was the Windows that is on it installed on this machine with this SSD being the only drive it it at the time?

"So I decided to install windows on my 1 TB ssd in my m2_1 slot "
What drives were in the machine when you did this?

Your story gets somewhat confusing....but I think you are installing Windows with more than one drive in the machine and I think this may be your problem.
 
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n_cruz

Jun 10, 2021
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jay32267 said:
" So I partitioned my HDD and installed windows on that "
Was the SSD installed when you did this?

" So I have a spare nvme 250gb ssd lying around "
This spare had Windows already on it I assume. Was the Windows that is on it installed on this machine with this SSD being the only drive it it at the time?


"So I decided to install windows on my 1 TB ssd in my m2_1 slot "
What drives were in the machine when you did this?

Your story gets somewhat confusing....but I think you are installing Windows with more than one drive in the machine and I think this may be your problem.
Click to expand...

I partitioned my hdd and installed windows on it while my original ssd was still in my m2_2 slot with windows on it but I immediately reformatted it afterwards and moved it from m2_2 to m2_1. I assumed this would be an issue and that's why I cleared my cmos when the bios didn't post. Unfortunately that didn't resolve the problem. However the 250 gb ssd was completely empty of data when I inserted it into m2_2 which seemed to of tricked my mobo into posting bios.

This same problem occured after I installed windows back onto the 1tb ssd (now in the m2_1) slot and reformatting the partition that I had put windows on in my HDD. But when I used the 250gb blank ssd as a pseudo placeholder again. The bios posted and windows booted like normal from the 1tb ssd now in the m2_1 slot.

Are you saying I should remove all drives but the m2_1 ssd and reinstall windows onto it? Then reconnect my hdd?
 
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jay32267

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"Are you saying I should remove all drives but the m2_1 ssd and reinstall windows onto it? "

Yes....whenever you do a clean install....only have the drive in the machine you intend to install Windows to connected. Have no other drives connected.

After you are finished installing Windows.....and you are happy it's running well.....then power down....and add the other drives.

If you have other drives connected when you installed Windows.....things like what you are seeing can happen.
 
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Solution
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n_cruz

Jun 10, 2021
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jay32267 said:
"Are you saying I should remove all drives but the m2_1 ssd and reinstall windows onto it? "

Yes....whenever you do a clean install....only have the drive in the machine you intend to install Windows to connected. Have no other drives connected.

After you are finished installing Windows.....and you are happy it's running well.....then power down....and add the other drives.

If you have other drives connected when you installed Windows.....things like what you are seeing can happen.
Click to expand...

Okay I will try this and report back when I get home from work. Thank you!
 
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jay32267

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n_cruz said:
Okay I will try this and report back when I get home from work. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Something I just recalled that you might want to know.

On many motherboards....when you use an M2 slot....it disables some SATA ports.

Your motherboard manual will tell you if it does and it will tell you which SATA ports get disabled.

So if this is the case with your motherboard....don't let this confuse you.

I've seen lots of posts where people say...some of my SATA ports don't work after installing an M2 drive. This can be normal.
 
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n_cruz

Jun 10, 2021
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jay32267 said:
Something I just recalled that you might want to know.

On many motherboards....when you use an M2 slot....it disables some SATA ports.

Your motherboard manual will tell you if it does and it will tell you which SATA ports get disabled.

So if this is the case with your motherboard....don't let this confuse you.

I've seen lots of posts where people say...some of my SATA ports don't work after installing an M2 drive. This can be normal.
Click to expand...

Right. It's definitely not that since all of my drives work and double checking the mobo manual. It's just the bios wont post unless I have almost like a placeholder card in the m2_2 slot...even if it's blank. I'm worried that the same issue will occur when I disconnect my hdd and try to reinstall windows on just my 1tb ssd in the m2_1 slot. Im afraid I will not een get that far since my bios wont post without a card in the m2_2 slot for some reason. That is the issue.
 
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jay32267

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I would try and install Windows first....with just the SSD in the M2_1 slot.
I think it would be odd if you couldn't.
...but if it gives you trouble..
I would try to install Windows to the same SSD in the m2_2 slot (with ONLY that drive connected)
Also keep in mind that the M2_2 slot on your MB does NOT support SATA drives....only NVMe.
....and I'm glad you understand regarding the disabling of SATA ports by the M2 slots.
 
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n_cruz

Jun 10, 2021
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jay32267 said:
I would try and install Windows first....with just the SSD in the M2_1 slot.
I think it would be odd if you couldn't.
...but if it gives you trouble..
I would try to install Windows to the same SSD in the m2_2 slot (with ONLY that drive connected)
Also keep in mind that the M2_2 slot on your MB does NOT support SATA drives....only NVMe.
....and I'm glad you understand regarding the disabling of SATA ports by the M2 slots.
Click to expand...

Yeah. It was originally in the m2_2 slot with windows. But I learned that if there's NVMe hardware in the m2_2 slot it disables the pcle 3.0 x4 ...hence why I'm trying to move the ssd to the m2_1 slot. Anyways I'll know more later!
 
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n_cruz

Jun 10, 2021
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Well unfortunately my bios still wouldn't post...I even took out every drive and reset the cmos again just to be sure. It really doesn't make sense to me
 
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n_cruz

Jun 10, 2021
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jay32267 said:
You can't get the BIOS to POST now no matter what?
"Now this is incredibly bad on my part but after my computer was booted I even removed my 2nd ssd in m2_2 "
If you did this powered up you may have damaged the motherboard and/or the drive.
Click to expand...

It all works perfectly fine if I leave the blank ssd card in the m2_2 slot. Posts normal and boots off the ssd in m2_1 slot.

I can't seem to locate any settings that would make the bios reliant on memory in m2_2. It just believes it is there. And resetting my CMOS still does nothing. Either way I'm at a loss and am about to give up trying.
 
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