[SOLVED] How can I fix Boot Order for Boot Manager M.2 Not Appearing?

xZGxFire

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Aug 20, 2016
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So I bought an M.2 SSD which I did install fresh windows 10 and everything, downloaded everything I needed, etc.

I'm booting correctly to the M.2 SSD only because everytime I turn on the pc I get asked which volume of OS to choose and I pick the one of the M.2, but I got 2 other storage devices.
Another SSD (through Sata)
An old HDD (through Sata)

The second ssd has windows os in it, so everytime I turn on the PC I get asked which Volume to pick, I also set the M.2 Volume as Default.

My problem is that I want to wipe clean the second SSD and HDD, but I scared if I do that, my system won't boot and I'll explain why.

MSI Bios
In Bios:
I go to Settings>Boot>Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities
I get 3 Options because of the 3 drives
Boot Option #1 M.2 SSD
Boot Option #2 SSD
Boot Option #3 HDD

You can see that the order is correct, theres no problem there but...

in Settings>Boot
Under Fixed Boot Order Priorities
Boot Option #1 Windows Boot Manager (HDD)

Theres the problem, I managed to change it to SSD but after exiting the BIOS, I got prompt to insert Bootable Media as if I needed to boot from usb to instanl an OS.

I really would like to fix that, I got pictures but I don't know where to post or link them. I want to format/delete all the contents of the HDD and SSD while having the OS on the M.2.

Background:
I had an OS on the HDD, then I bought the SSD and install the a "fresh" Windows 10 on the SSD. Apparently I never changed the Boot Drive on the bios but I kept booting normally to the SSD. Now I have a M.2 SSD (with also "fresh" Windows 10 ) alongside both normal SSD and HDD.

I was suggested to remove the HDD and see if I could boot like normally. Well, I can't, says to put boot device so I can't boot without the HDD connected. I also tried switchting from Legacy+UEFI to UEFI and nothing works, I can't select the M.2 as Boot Manager (it is recognized in the bios)

What can I do? Remove all drives and just perform yet again a clean windows 10 install on the M.2?
 
Solution
take the other drives out of PC

Boot the computer using the Windows 7/8/8.1/10 installation media.
  • On the first screen, press SHIFT+F10 to bring up the command prompt.
  • Run the following commands at the command prompt.
diskpart
list disk
select disk #
Note: Select the disk where you want to add the EFI System partition.
list partition
select partition #
Note: Select the Windows OS partition (# number) or your data partition.
shrink desired=100
create partition efi size=100
format quick fs=fat32
assign letter=s
list partition
list volume
Note: Note the volume letter where the Windows OS is installed.
exit

bcdboot X:\windows
/s S:
Note: Replace "X" with the volume letter of...

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
what motherboard is it?

can you go into windows
right click start
choose disk management
open it up so it shows all the columns in top and bottom rows
take a screenshot and upload to an image sharing website and show link here

It could be the boot partition is on the hdd since thats is where the Windows Boot Manager was pointing.
If everytime you installed windows the hdd was in PC, it sounds like the boot partition is on the hdd.
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
if its mbr and the boot partition is on the hdd, its likely there is only 1 partition on the nvme, and you may well need to clean install win 10 on it , as you can only resize partitions in 1 direction, you can't make space before the partition, only after. And mbr boot partitions need to be first.

If PC can run UEFI boot you should let win 10 install itself as UEFI boot

Ideally if you clean install win 10 it helps to only have 1 drive attached at the time, or it can put its boot partitions on other drives. Especially if there already is a boot partition
somewhere. it would fix your bios booting issue as well
 

xZGxFire

Honorable
Aug 20, 2016
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4
10,535
what motherboard is it?

can you go into windows
right click start
choose disk management
open it up so it shows all the columns in top and bottom rows
take a screenshot and upload to an image sharing website and show link here

It could be the boot partition is on the hdd since thats is where the Windows Boot Manager was pointing.
If everytime you installed windows the hdd was in PC, it sounds like the boot partition is on the hdd.

Already posted the picture, the mobo is
MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC LGA1151 (Intel 8th and 9th Gen)
 

xZGxFire

Honorable
Aug 20, 2016
94
4
10,535
Thanks for the replies.
View: https://imgur.com/a/ia1JpMp

That is my Disk Management.
Disk 0 SDD
Disk 1 HDD
Disk 2 (Main (C:) is the M.2)

I want to try to create bootleader on M.2 manually if possible.


Edit: Found this online
  1. Created an 100 MB partition in the front of C: disk using the "MiniTool Partition Wizard". The actions were: shrink, move, allocate, format, assign letter, set "active" label
  2. Created a Rescue Media DVD using the Macrium Reflect (amazing tool)
  3. Booted from the Rescue Media using the "Macrium Reflect" tool
  4. Fixed all boot problems with "Fix boot problems" letting all 4 options enabled
  5. Validated that the system boots with only the M2 SSD connected (disconnect all other disks, set boot priority on BIOS)
  6. Checked that the "System" label has been moved from the F: disk to C: using the "MiniTool Partition Wizard"
  7. Backup, format and restore the data on D: and F: disks to get rid of the "active" labels
  8. Checked that the BitLocker is enabled for all 3 disks C: D: and F:
  9. Upgraded Windows and BIOS to their latest versions
He was doing the same as me, but his Disk Management looked different because has Systems in 1 Disk and Boot on another.

In my case, I only see Boot, but System doesn't appear on any Disk Drive or maybe its he Healthy (EFI System) on Disk 1 (HDD).
Also wanted to mention that the HDD was from an old prebuilt that I salvaged its HDD from like 10 years ago.
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
take the other drives out of PC

Boot the computer using the Windows 7/8/8.1/10 installation media.
  • On the first screen, press SHIFT+F10 to bring up the command prompt.
  • Run the following commands at the command prompt.
diskpart
list disk
select disk #
Note: Select the disk where you want to add the EFI System partition.
list partition
select partition #
Note: Select the Windows OS partition (# number) or your data partition.
shrink desired=100
create partition efi size=100
format quick fs=fat32
assign letter=s
list partition
list volume
Note: Note the volume letter where the Windows OS is installed.
exit

bcdboot X:\windows
/s S:
Note: Replace "X" with the volume letter of the Windows OS partition.

BCDBoot copies the boot files from the Windows partition to the EFI System partition and creates the BCD store in the same partition.

Remove the Windows installation media and restart the computer into your BIOS settings and set the SSD as the First Boot Device.

https://www.tenforums.com/installation-upgrade/52837-moving-recreating-efi-partition.html
 
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Solution

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
your system partition is on disk 1 right now, its the EFI 300mb - 2tb hdd
you should notice a difference booting directly off the nvme

once you do all those changes and add hdd back into pc, make sure the boot manager is not pointing at hdd again
 

xZGxFire

Honorable
Aug 20, 2016
94
4
10,535
take the other drives out of PC

Boot the computer using the Windows 7/8/8.1/10 installation media.
  • On the first screen, press SHIFT+F10 to bring up the command prompt.
  • Run the following commands at the command prompt.
diskpart
list disk
select disk #
Note: Select the disk where you want to add the EFI System partition.
list partition
select partition #
Note: Select the Windows OS partition (# number) or your data partition.
shrink desired=100
create partition efi size=100
format quick fs=fat32
assign letter=s
list partition
list volume
Note: Note the volume letter where the Windows OS is installed.
exit

bcdboot X:\windows
/s S:
Note: Replace "X" with the volume letter of the Windows OS partition.

https://www.tenforums.com/installation-upgrade/52837-moving-recreating-efi-partition.html
X with volume letter? My volumes are apparently numbers as in Volume 10 and volume 2
 

xZGxFire

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Aug 20, 2016
94
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Ok I got
Volume 0 C Main NTFS Partition 931 GB
Volume 1 D ESD-USB FAT32 Removable 14 Gb
Volume 2 S (Blank) FAT32 Partition 100Mb

which I choose for bcdboot?
Nvm the question, its the partition with the os.
 

xZGxFire

Honorable
Aug 20, 2016
94
4
10,535
Ok it worked, now I can just connect the other HDD and SSD and Wipe them clean? I mean I did boot up correctly without them. I'm just asking for reassurance lol, I was hella scared doing this, new uncharted territory for me.

Thanks so much, this was way easier than installing windows again and having to download everything again.
 
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Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
if you don't have anything on drives you want to keep
Boot from installer

On screen after language choice, pick repair pc, not install

Pick troubleshoot

Pick advanced

Pick Command Prompt

Type diskpart and press enter

Type list disk and press enter

This will show the list of drives currently attached to PC, make note of the drive number of the drive you want to wipe

If Disk 1 is the drive you want to clear, type select 1) and press enter. A message will confirm it is selected

Warning: Diskpart Erase/Clean will permanently erase/destroy all data on the selected drive. Please be certain that you are erasing the correct disk.

Once you sure its right disk, type Clean and press enter

The Command Prompt window will display the message "DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk". Close out of the Command Prompt window by clicking the red X in the upper right hand corner.

restart PC and then use disk management to format the drives so you can use them in windows. (create partitions in other words)
 

xZGxFire

Honorable
Aug 20, 2016
94
4
10,535
if you don't have anything on drives you want to keep
Boot from installer

On screen after language choice, pick repair pc, not install

Pick troubleshoot

Pick advanced

Pick Command Prompt

Type diskpart and press enter

Type list disk and press enter

This will show the list of drives currently attached to PC, make note of the drive number of the drive you want to wipe

If Disk 1 is the drive you want to clear, type select 1) and press enter. A message will confirm it is selected

Warning: Diskpart Erase/Clean will permanently erase/destroy all data on the selected drive. Please be certain that you are erasing the correct disk.

Once you sure its right disk, type Clean and press enter

The Command Prompt window will display the message "DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk". Close out of the Command Prompt window by clicking the red X in the upper right hand corner.
Ok will do eventually! Thanks again for all the help. :)