Installing Windows 10 to M.2 SSD using PCIe adaptor

[Baq99]

Hi folks,

I have a Samsung Evo 960 SSD, an ASUS Hyper M.2 X4 Mini adaptor (to PCIe) and my motherboard is the MSI X79A-GD45 Plus (With the BIOS flashed to the most recent version). (Note: my motherboard does not have an M.2 socket built in)

I am attempting to use the M.2 SSD as a boot drive. During the Windows installation, the SSD is visible and I can install windows to it. Once windows has been installed, the computer reboots and I remove the USB drive with the installation media on it and I get a message that I have no operating system. Is this because I am using the PCIe to M.2 adaptor and the computer cannot boot from this device? If so, is there any way around this?

Thanks to everyone who reads and responds in advance.

 

[marksavio]

you can use a m.2 to sata case adapter to cnnect thru one of you sata 6gb/s connector instead. in case your mobo doesnt support booting from a pcie slot/ check your motherboards specs in the support website. or youre just missing a update on the bios or a driver for the PCIE controller perhaps.

 

[alexoiu]

Hi, If the M.2 is not listed by BIOS among the bootable devices, I see no workaround. You can use it as data drive.

 

[Baq99]

Unfortunately this is the problem. I have the latest updates for the BIOS and have found no PCIe boot select. It would appear my options are to use it as a data drive (as windows finds the SSD with no issue) or to convert to SATA which defeats the point of getting an M.2 SSD in the first place. May as well spend less on the SSD and get the slower SATA version. My next step is to contact MSI and request a BIOS update but I severely doubt they will consider it.

 

[GhislainG]

This may help you: https://audiocricket.com/2016/12/31/booting-samsung-sm961-on-asus-p6t-se-mainboard/

 

[Baq99]

This may help you: https://audiocricket.com/2016/12/31/booting-samsung-sm961-on-asus-p6t-se-mainboard/

Perfect! This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. Pity I have to keep a USB plugged in the whole time but at least I can get the most out of the SSD! Thank you!!!

 

[Baq99]

OK so after hours of playing around with the suggested DUET loader I failed to make it work. I found a different thread which suggested using Clover to boot the installation. I tried to use clover but my antivirus software blocked it, so after whitelisting the exe I got it installed on a USB stick. Clover then worked but seemed to insist upon booting the CD or DVD.efi loader which was wrong seeing as I was trying to boot from a windows 10 USB installer. I used Clover to run UEFI command prompt and then used the command line "fs1:\EFI\boot\bootx64.efi" (you may have to change fs1 to fs0 if the computer has assigned them the other way around). This started the Windows install which found the M.2 solid state drive mounted in the PCIe adaptor. After the obligatory reboot during the windows installation, Clover loaded again giving me the option to boot windows from the solid state drive. All is now working absolutely brilliantly!

Many thanks to all the responders for your time and consideration. I couldn't have found the information I was looking for without you. The link to my solution is below.

https://www.win-raid.com/t2375f46-Guide-NVMe-boot-without-modding-your-UEFI-BIOS-Clover-EFI-bootloader-method.html

 

[USAFRet]

I'd be interested in seeing what performance benefit, if any, you gain over a standard SATA III SSD.

Not benchmark numbers, but actual user performance.