I was recently using my computer when the game I was playing gave me several error popups, mostly referencing things on my C drive (which was an SSD.) It couldn't access them. I restarted my PC, and it refused to boot. It stuck on the MSI screen with a spinning dot underneath it until I turned it off.
After unplugging my SSD, it would boot to BIOS, which I took to mean my SSD had failed - this wouldn't be the first time that's happened and required a format and reinstall of Windows.
So I ordered a new SSD and plugged it in this morning, installed Windows to it.
It runs perfectly fine. I update Windows, install my GPU drivers, turn off my PC, and reconnect my storage HDD.
It does the same thing it did before: It refuses to fully boot, and stays on the MSI screen with a spinning set of dots beneath it until I turn it off.
If I disconnect the storage HDD entirely, the computer will boot from the SSD and run perfectly well.
I checked my boot order in BIOS with the storage HDD disabled, and see that my SSD is not on the top of the boot order anymore: It has changed to 'UEFI Hard Disk:Windows Boot Manager.' If I put my SSD - which does appear in the boot order beneath 'UEFI Hard Disk: Windows Boot Manager' - above UEFI Hard Disk:Windows Boot Manager, the computer doesn't boot and tells me to insert a proper bootable media.
I disabled Fast Boot in BIOS as well as 'Windows 8/8.1 Features' since I was using Windows 10, so that I could get to BIOS with the storage HDD connected. This changed my Boot mode select to 'LEGACY+UEFI' and added both regular and UEFI versions of everything in my boot order, to the boot order.
My current Boot order is
UEFI Hard Disk:Windows Boot Manager
USB Key
USB CD/DVD
USB Hard Disk
UEFI USB Key
UEFI USB CD/DVD
UEFI USB Hard Disk
UEFI Network
UEFI CD/DVD
CD/DVD
USB Floppy
Network
Hard Disk: Samsung SSD 860 Evo 250G
(Note that UEFI Hard Disk:Windows Boot Manager and my Samsung 860 Evo seem to be the same drive.)
When I do this with my storage HDD connected, it does NOT appear anywhere on the boot list, but does appear on the Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities, where it appears as Boot Option 2, beneath my SSD. However, it doesn't seem to be booting from the SSD, because if I check 'UEFI Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities' it only lists a single option, Windows Boot Manager.
Help please? I'm at my wit's end on this, I can't tell what's going on.
Edit: I have moved the SSD and HDD to different SATA ports, and the same issue persists. I have also swapped the SATA cables, and the same issue persists, so it isn't the ports or the cables.
If I disconnect my SSD but leave the HDD connected, I can boot to BIOS, but if I don't go into BIOS, I get a screen telling me to insert a proper boot disk. Okay, since this isn't a boot disk that makes sense.
If I disconnect my HDD but leave my SSD connected, I can load Windows 10 normally.
If I connect my SSD and HDD, the computer goes into one of three behaviors: It attempts to boot, but never makes it past the motherboard manufacturer's splash screen; it attempts to boot, momentarily flashes 'Preparing automatic repair' and then goes back to showing the manufacturer's splash screen; it attempts to boot, momentarily flashes 'Preparing automatic repair' and then a command prompt screen opens and closes too quickly to see what's on it, the screen goes black, and nothing else happens.
I would think 'Preparing automatic repair' would be a Windows process, not motherboard, so apparently Windows DOES start to boot, but only far enough that it thinks it detects an issue it can fix, and then stops the train when it can't.
Could this indicate HDD failure?
After unplugging my SSD, it would boot to BIOS, which I took to mean my SSD had failed - this wouldn't be the first time that's happened and required a format and reinstall of Windows.
So I ordered a new SSD and plugged it in this morning, installed Windows to it.
It runs perfectly fine. I update Windows, install my GPU drivers, turn off my PC, and reconnect my storage HDD.
It does the same thing it did before: It refuses to fully boot, and stays on the MSI screen with a spinning set of dots beneath it until I turn it off.
If I disconnect the storage HDD entirely, the computer will boot from the SSD and run perfectly well.
I checked my boot order in BIOS with the storage HDD disabled, and see that my SSD is not on the top of the boot order anymore: It has changed to 'UEFI Hard Disk:Windows Boot Manager.' If I put my SSD - which does appear in the boot order beneath 'UEFI Hard Disk: Windows Boot Manager' - above UEFI Hard Disk:Windows Boot Manager, the computer doesn't boot and tells me to insert a proper bootable media.
I disabled Fast Boot in BIOS as well as 'Windows 8/8.1 Features' since I was using Windows 10, so that I could get to BIOS with the storage HDD connected. This changed my Boot mode select to 'LEGACY+UEFI' and added both regular and UEFI versions of everything in my boot order, to the boot order.
My current Boot order is
UEFI Hard Disk:Windows Boot Manager
USB Key
USB CD/DVD
USB Hard Disk
UEFI USB Key
UEFI USB CD/DVD
UEFI USB Hard Disk
UEFI Network
UEFI CD/DVD
CD/DVD
USB Floppy
Network
Hard Disk: Samsung SSD 860 Evo 250G
(Note that UEFI Hard Disk:Windows Boot Manager and my Samsung 860 Evo seem to be the same drive.)
When I do this with my storage HDD connected, it does NOT appear anywhere on the boot list, but does appear on the Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities, where it appears as Boot Option 2, beneath my SSD. However, it doesn't seem to be booting from the SSD, because if I check 'UEFI Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities' it only lists a single option, Windows Boot Manager.
Help please? I'm at my wit's end on this, I can't tell what's going on.
Edit: I have moved the SSD and HDD to different SATA ports, and the same issue persists. I have also swapped the SATA cables, and the same issue persists, so it isn't the ports or the cables.
If I disconnect my SSD but leave the HDD connected, I can boot to BIOS, but if I don't go into BIOS, I get a screen telling me to insert a proper boot disk. Okay, since this isn't a boot disk that makes sense.
If I disconnect my HDD but leave my SSD connected, I can load Windows 10 normally.
If I connect my SSD and HDD, the computer goes into one of three behaviors: It attempts to boot, but never makes it past the motherboard manufacturer's splash screen; it attempts to boot, momentarily flashes 'Preparing automatic repair' and then goes back to showing the manufacturer's splash screen; it attempts to boot, momentarily flashes 'Preparing automatic repair' and then a command prompt screen opens and closes too quickly to see what's on it, the screen goes black, and nothing else happens.
I would think 'Preparing automatic repair' would be a Windows process, not motherboard, so apparently Windows DOES start to boot, but only far enough that it thinks it detects an issue it can fix, and then stops the train when it can't.
Could this indicate HDD failure?
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