Question Can't get my 2nd SSD activated ?

[Keithisme123]

I bought and built this PC about 9 months ago and everything was perfect but I don't know how to activate my 2nd SSD (nor can i tell them apart of which one is actually doing all the work)

my SSDs are
Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1TB NVME M.2 2280
Samsung 870 EVO 1TB SATA6GB 2280

I tried going into disk management and it looks like both show up correctly but it's greyed out and idk what to do.. can't really find a guide specifically towards me online..

(also I guess I turned the active SSD into a simple volume and idk how to change that back or if it's even a big deal and i should just leave it.)

Imgur link for a few pictures of my disk management

https://imgur.com/a/oIAjmGA

View: https://imgur.com/a/oIAjmGA


thank you in advance.

 

[Lutfij]

I'd try and get EASEUS Partition Master and then convert the Dynamic drive to Basic. Make and model of your motherboard and the BIOS version for said motherboard at this moment of time?

 

[USAFRet]

What motherboard?

You have WIndows installed on the 970 EVO? Disk 1?

 

[Keithisme123]

I'd try and get EASEUS Partition Master and then convert the Dynamic drive to Basic. Make and model of your motherboard and the BIOS version for said motherboard at this moment of time?

I'd try and get EASEUS Partition Master and then convert the Dynamic drive to Basic. Make and model of your motherboard and the BIOS version for said motherboard at this moment of time?

Mobo is Asus ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming Wifi D4 ATX LGA1700
in bios i saw multiple version types but assume you are looking for either 0807 x64 or Version 2.21.1278 and not the EC version as I have no clue what that is

Also for EASEUS Partition Master do I really need to buy a $40 monthly license just to convert the dynamic drive to basic?? doesn't seem right but lmk please.

 

[Keithisme123]

What motherboard?

You have WIndows installed on the 970 EVO? Disk 1?

Mobo is Asus ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming Wifi D4 ATX LGA1700 and the version numbers are on my previous reply.
I believe windows is installed through the C: directory drive which is the 870 EVO SSD looking at it on EASEUS Partition Master.

 

[USAFRet]

Mobo is Asus ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming Wifi D4 ATX LGA1700 and the version numbers are on my previous reply.
I believe windows is installed through the C: directory drive which is the 870 EVO SSD looking at it on EASEUS Partition Master.

Power OFF.
Physically disconnect the 870 EVO
Power UP.

What happens?


Your Disk Management window is showing only one drive, a 1TB something.

 

[Keithisme123]

Power OFF.
Physically disconnect the 870 EVO
Power UP.

What happens?


Your Disk Management window is showing only one drive, a 1TB something.

Just tried and when I boot up the PC it just goes to BIOS automatically, exit BIOS and it boots right back to BIOS so I plugged back the 870 EVO SSD and exited BIOS again and Windows booted so I assume that answers the question that my 870 is the windows Bootdrive and the one doing the work.

Are u saying that the 970 m.2 nvme doesn't even appear on the disk management? In BIOS it shows both the 970 m.2 nvme 1TB and the 870 EVO 1TB in the boot section of BIOS (with the boot actually coming off the 870)

 

[USAFRet]

Just tried and when I boot up the PC it just goes to BIOS automatically, exit BIOS and it boots right back to BIOS so I plugged back the 870 EVO SSD and exited BIOS again and Windows booted so I assume that answers the question that my 870 is the windows Bootdrive and the one doing the work.

Are u saying that the 970 m.2 nvme doesn't even appear on the disk management? In BIOS it shows both the 970 m.2 nvme 1TB and the 870 EVO 1TB in the boot section of BIOS (with the boot actually coming off the 870)

OK, so it appears the OS is installed on the 870 SATA drive.

From your Disk Management window, the 970 does not appear at all.

Look in Windows Storage Spaces.

 

[Keithisme123]

OK, so it appears the OS is installed on the 870 SATA drive.

From your Disk Management window, the 970 does not appear at all.

Look in Windows Storage Spaces.

I have no clue about this so please walk me through this if needed. At least the 970 shows up tho

https://imgur.com/a/5gnw6Fg

View: https://imgur.com/a/5gnw6Fg

 

[USAFRet]

For the 970 - REMOVE

That is why it is not appearing anywhere usable.

 

[USAFRet]

After you remove it, does it appear in Disk Management?
Please show us the screencap of that.

 

[Keithisme123]

For the 970 - REMOVE

That is why it is not appearing anywhere usable.

Is there a way to maybe just disable window storages as a whole? would that cause any problems? I can't remove it because it says the data can't be allocated.. maybe you can walk me through how to delete whatever tiny amount of stuff its storing or something?

https://imgur.com/a/VXKZobS

View: https://imgur.com/a/VXKZobS

 

[Keithisme123]

Is there a way to maybe just disable window storages as a whole? would that cause any problems? I can't remove it because it says the data can't be allocated.. maybe you can walk me through how to delete whatever tiny amount of stuff its storing or something?

https://imgur.com/a/VXKZobS

View: https://imgur.com/a/VXKZobS

NVM... i just deleted the pool as a whole and it shows Disk 0 in my disk management now along with Disk 1 both at 931.5GB
Can you now help me activate this drive since its unallocated please?

 

[USAFRet]

From the previous screen, Delete Pool

 

[Keithisme123]

https://imgur.com/a/u2bfjpP

View: https://imgur.com/a/u2bfjpP

 

[USAFRet]

NVM... i just deleted the pool as a whole and it shows Disk 0 in my disk management now along with Disk 1 both at 931.5GB
Can you now help me activate this drive since its unallocated please?

There ya go.

In Disk Management, right click on the Unallocated space.
It should give you the option for New Simple Volume. Do that.

Then, Format, and give it a drive letter.

 

[Keithisme123]

There ya go.

In Disk Management, right click on the Unallocated space.
It should give you the option for New Simple Volume. Do that.

Then, Format, and give it a drive letter.

Cool tysm.. before I mark ur reply as best answer and end the helpful advice.. is my yellow C: on Disk 1 as a Simple volume a problem or should I just leave it as dynamic because I saw a reply earlier about a site making me pay just to convert and didn't know if a better option was available.

 

[USAFRet]

Cool tysm.. before I mark ur reply as best answer and end the helpful advice.. is my yellow C: on Disk 1 as a Simple volume a problem or should I just leave it as dynamic because I saw a reply earlier about a site making me pay just to convert and didn't know if a better option was available.

Ideally, your C should be not Dynamic.

 

[Keithisme123]

Ideally, your C should be not Dynamic.

I see.. is there an easy way to just convert it back to basic? when I right-click the disk 1 "convert to basic disk" is greyed out along with everything else except for properties and help.. is there a simple reason to why I can't? Same thing with right-clicking into the C: Yellow box, most menu items are greyed out like "delete volume" etc ?

 

[USAFRet]

I see.. is there an easy way to just convert it back to basic? when I right-click the disk 1 "convert to basic disk" is greyed out along with everything else except for properties and help.. is there a simple reason to why I can't? Same thing with right-clicking into the C: Yellow box most is greyed out like "delete volume"

Unsure, but I don't think there is an 'easy' way for this.

Possibly someone else will chime in.


Until then, just leave it.