[SOLVED] M.2 SSD not showing in BIOS or Disk Management ?

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

Hello, I'm a long time lurker but a new person here.

I have this issue with a recently bought m.2 WD Blue SSD 2280, it refuses to show up in either BIOS or in Disk Management ?

My Motherboard is Asus ROG STRIX B365-F GAMING, the latest BIOS.

My CPU is Intel Core i7 9700 @ 3.00GHz

If it helps, I have changed my boot drive to GPT and used Firmware TPM 2 in preparation for Win11. UEFI only BIOS as well.

Also, my BIOS thinks my Seagate HDD is an M.2 drive due to where it is connected. This is the only time the M.2 part of my BIOS even shows anything connected to it.

Things I have done;

• Put the M.2 in slot 1, as stated in the manual to be the SATA port. No show.
• 
  
• Removed all SATA connections to see if the M.2 would show up, no dice.
• 
  
• Tried to install windows with all SATA connectors removed, nope.
• 
  
• Changed BIOS to accept CSM, nope.
• 
  
• Reset BIOS to default. Nope.

Basically, I'm utterly at loss here.

 

[popatim]

Which WD blue M2 did you get? There is a Sata version as well as an NVME.
A Sata M2 drive would have to go in the M2_1 socket to work and the Sata 6G_2 port needs to be empty and you may need to set the into x2 mode in the bios.<see below>

From your specs:
CPU:
1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices support (SATA & PCIE 3.0 x 4 mode)*4
Intel® B365 Chipset :
1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices support (PCIE 3.0 x 4 mode)
Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10


*1 DP 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport compliant, supports DP 1.2 monitor daisy chain up to 3 displays.
*2 The PCIEX16_2 slot shares bandwidth with PCIEX1_1 and PCIEX1_2 slots. When PCIEX1_1 and PCIEX1_2 slots are occupied, PCIEX16_2 slot runs at x2 mode.
*3 The M.2_1 socket shares bandwidth with PCIEX1_4
*4 The M.2_1 socket shares bandwidth with SATA6G_2 port when using M.2 SATA mode device. Adjust BIOS settings to use X2 mode (PCIE only). The M.2_1 socket shares bandwidth with PCIEX1_4

 

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

BIOS settings to use X2 mode

I don't see any M.2 settings in my BIOS Onboard devices at all.

Which WD blue M2 did you get? There is a Sata version as well as an NVME.
A Sata M2 drive would have to go in the M2_1 socket to work and the Sata 6G_2 port needs to be empty and you may need to set the into x2 mode in the bios.<see below>

It is this one: https://shop.westerndigital.com/en-ie/products/internal-drives/wd-blue-sata-m-2-ssd#WDS500G2B0B

It sits snugly in M.2_1 socket, as instructed by the manual.

When I tried to have port 2 empty, it did not show the SSD at all. I read the manual again and tried SATA6G_1 too, no change.

 

[SkyNetRising]

It is this one: https://shop.westerndigital.com/en-ie/products/internal-drives/wd-blue-sata-m-2-ssd#WDS500G2B0B

That is SATA M.2 drive.
Which M.2 slot did you install it in?

Only upper M.2 slot (M2_1 - behind Republic of Gamers heatsink) supports sata M.2 drives.
Lower M.2 slot (M2_2) doesn't support your M.2 drive.

 

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

That is SATA M.2 drive.
Which M.2 slot did you install it in?

Only upper M.2 slot (M2_1 - behind Republic of Gamers heatsink) supports sata M.2 drives.
Lower M.2 slot (M2_2) doesn't support your M.2 drive.

As per the manual, I inserted it in M2_1.

 

[SkyNetRising]

As per the manual, I inserted it in M2_1.

Can you show BIOS screen with SATA ports listed?
Advanced/PCH Storage Configuration.

It may be necessary to set SATA6G_1 to disabled for M2_1 slot to switch into SATA mode.
If you have any other SATA drive (SSD or HDD), then do not connect it to SATA6G_1 port. Use a different SATA port instead.

Also make sure SATA controller is set to AHCI mode (not Intel RST).

 

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

Can you show BIOS screen with SATA ports listed?
Advanced/PCH Storage Configuration.

It may be necessary to set SATA6G_1 to disabled for M2_1 slot to switch into SATA mode.
If you have any other SATA drive (SSD or HDD), then do not connect it to SATA6G_1 port. Use a different SATA port instead.

Also make sure SATA controller is set to AHCI mode (not Intel RST).

All right, here are my screenshots;

The system storage situation pre-disabling Sata6_1:

The Advanced/PCH Storage:

Advanced-cont.

I tried to disable SATA6_1, results:

PCH Storage:

 

[SkyNetRising]

Are you sure M.2 drive is installed properly?
Can you show a photo, how it looks (with heatshield removed) ?

 

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

Are you sure M.2 drive is installed properly?
Can you show a photo, how it looks (with heatshield removed) ?

Here it is, sorry for blurriness;

 

[SkyNetRising]

Can you make a better photo? (Higher resolution and zoom out a bit)

The important thing is, if gold contact pins on M.2 drive are visible.
If the drive is properly inserted, then contact pins should not be visible at all.

 

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

Can you make a better photo? (Higher resolution and zoom out a bit)

The important thing is, if gold contact pins on M.2 drive are visible.
If the drive is properly inserted, then contact pins should not be visible at all.

Here we go:

After that picture was taken, I tried few times reinserting it so the pins disappeared for sure and still nothing.

 

[SkyNetRising]

The drive looks properly installed.

Check BIOS
Advanced/Onboard devices configuration/M.2_1 Configuration.
Should be set to SATA mode.

 

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

The drive looks properly installed.

Check BIOS
Advanced/Onboard devices configuration/M.2_1 Configuration.
Should be set to SATA mode.

See, here's a bit of an issue with that.

I have no M.2 settings in my Onboard Devices.

 

[SkyNetRising]

What are available choices under Advanced?
Do you have anything related to NVME? Like NVME configuration?

 

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

What are available choices under Advanced?
Do you have anything related to NVME? Like NVME configuration?

Here's the list:

Misc settings

So, no NVME at all.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I guess - you'll have to check all available options in BIOS for anything related to M.2_1 slot.

BIOS version of your board has switched things around. Doesn't correspond to user manual anymore.
Are you sure - it's proper BIOS versison for your board? May be you have BIOS of some other board flashed in?
What BIOS version is it BTW?

 

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

I guess - you'll have to check all available options in BIOS for anything related to M.2_1 slot.

BIOS version of your board has switched things around. Doesn't correspond to user manual anymore.
Are you sure - it's proper BIOS versison for your board? May be you have BIOS of some other board flashed in?
What BIOS version is it BTW?

I checked all about the BIOS, no hide or hair of M.2 settings.

I'm pretty sure its a legit BIOS. I update it whenever the new version arrives. Its currently at 2208 version.

I get the update here, from the support page of my board: https://rog.asus.com/fi/motherboards/rog-strix/rog-strix-b365-f-gaming-model/helpdesk_bios

 

[SkyNetRising]

Which bios version do you have currently?

 

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

Which bios version do you have currently?

2208, the latest available.

 

[ReikijajaKoiranruhoja]

I've returned the M.2, but I just want to thank everyone here for the help.