Question Installed Windows, then M2 disappeared

[MarCylinder]

I am working on a fresh build. Computer has an m2 and HDD. Configured the computer correctly to install windows from USB. Installed Windows 10 successfully onto the m2.

After windows updates, I turned off the computer, and plugged in the HDD as it was unplugged for the windows install. Computer would not boot again.

Unplugged HDD. Computer still will not boot. BIOS stopped recognizing the m2.

Switched the m2 over to a different port and the problem persists.

Plugging the USB back in doesn't work either. As long as the m2 is in the computer, it will not load the Windows installation utility.

Removing the m2 and plugging in the HDD allows the computer to boot the windows installation utility.

I'm at a loss right now. Any suggestions on how to remedy this? Motherboard is an MSI B550-A Pro.

 

[rgd1101]

what is this m.2?

 

[MarCylinder]

what is this m.2?

Western Digital SN850 500Gb

 

[SlavfromBulgaria]

I am working on a fresh build. Computer has an m2 and HDD. Configured the computer correctly to install windows from USB. Installed Windows 10 successfully onto the m2.

After windows updates, I turned off the computer, and plugged in the HDD as it was unplugged for the windows install. Computer would not boot again.

Unplugged HDD. Computer still will not boot. BIOS stopped recognizing the m2.

Switched the m2 over to a different port and the problem persists.

Plugging the USB back in doesn't work either. As long as the m2 is in the computer, it will not load the Windows installation utility.

Removing the m2 and plugging in the HDD allows the computer to boot the windows installation utility.

I'm at a loss right now. Any suggestions on how to remedy this? Motherboard is an MSI B550-A Pro.

Hello!

Windows can be a real headache sometimes. Last year I booted up my PC to get a random error that I had never seen and it was telling me Windows 10 was not detecting Windows. That's strange - you can boot into yourself and proceed to tell me you do not detect yourself? I just swapped the SATA cables of my HDD and SSD and it booted without an issue and since then I have disabled Windows Automatic Repair via CMD. As a rookie programmer I really wonder what people work at Microsoft...

Anyway, the best idea I have for your issue is to pull out the CMOS battery in your motherboard, keep it out for around 30 seconds and insert it back in and try to boot the PC with both the M.2 and HDD. Also, try to see if that M.2 actually hasn't died. If it boots up in another system with the fresh Windows install it should be fine.

Hope this helps!

 

[MarCylinder]

Anyway, the best idea I have for your issue is to pull out the CMOS battery in your motherboard, keep it out for around 30 seconds and insert it back in and try to boot the PC with both the M.2 and HDD. Also, try to see if that M.2 actually hasn't died. If it boots up in another system with the fresh Windows install it should be fine.

Unfortunately no other PC currently available to test the m2 inside of.

Clearing the CMOS did not alleviate the issue.

 

[TripleYoThreat]

Hm, that's wild. It honestly could be that the m.2 slot on the board is gone - is it a used board by any chance? Also try booting a linux USB, like opensuse, and see if the partition editor (or gparted) recognizes your m.2. You can make a bootable USB of openSUSE or Parted Magic too! In fact, my best recommendation would be Hiren's UBCD.

 

[MarCylinder]

Hm, that's wild. It honestly could be that the m.2 slot on the board is gone - is it a used board by any chance? Also try booting a linux USB, like opensuse, and see if the partition editor (or gparted) recognizes your m.2. You can make a bootable USB of openSUSE or Parted Magic too! In fact, my best recommendation would be Hiren's UBCD.

Ohhh, I forgot about UBCD. That's a great utility.

I don't think it's the slot, because both slots are causing the same issue. Board is new.

 

[MarCylinder]

Hm, that's wild. It honestly could be that the m.2 slot on the board is gone - is it a used board by any chance? Also try booting a linux USB, like opensuse, and see if the partition editor (or gparted) recognizes your m.2. You can make a bootable USB of openSUSE or Parted Magic too! In fact, my best recommendation would be Hiren's UBCD.

Update. In the interest of eliminating the USB drive as the issue, I used a new USB drive and put Windows 10 installation utility on that.

Booted from the USB drive no issue. Installed Windows no issue. However, if I remove the USB drive from the computer and attempt to restart, the computer hangs before Windows loads.

Reinserting the USB drive allows the computer to boot back to the installer, where Windows can be installed again. Rebooting with the USB drive in the computer and not removing it allows Windows to boot up again without re-installing.

I must now add for context, this is somewhere near the 30th PC build I've done, probably past that. I've been building PCs since Windows XP. I swear I'm not incompetent. What am I missing here?

And to answer the obvious, no I am not installing Windows onto the flash drive. It's not even an option. And any other storage device is diconnected at this time. To answer the less obvious, I have checked boot priority and available boot devices. Every option other than the USB and m2 is disabled. Disabling the option for USB boot device after installing Windows does not fix the issue.