[SOLVED] New build won't boot to windows

Apr 22, 2021
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Hi everyone,

I recently bought some new hardware and migrated over components from my previous build. Some of the components that came over from my previous build are my hard drives including (2) m.2 drives and (2) 2.5 inch ssds. One of the m.2 drives had the windows install from my old build, in my new config I only get to the bios. I can't load up windows from the m.2 drive that has it installed already and if I boot from a usb drive it only shows my m.2 that has windows to do a fresh install onto. At the current time I'm not looking to format as I don't want to lose the data.

I'm running
corsair 4000x case
intel i910900k cpu
gigabyte z590 ultra
32 gb corsair vengeance ram
corsair 1000w psu
970 evo m.2
850 evo m.2
860 evo 4tb ssd
850 evo 1 tb ssd

I took the psu, ram, video card and hard drives from the old build. I've tried running with my video card and without (integrated graphics) and still can't get passed the bios. Any advice would help, thanks.
 
Solution
10th gen don't have enough cpu lanes for pci-estorage. All pci-e lanes for storage with 10th gen cpu comes from the chipset
Not quite sure that's correct, if you look at Any prior generation that has nvme compatibility all the way back to Z68's, they all use cpu lanes as well as chipset lanes.

11th gen has 20 pcie4.0 cpu lanes and 24 pcie3.0 chipset lanes, 10th Gen has 16 pcie3.0 cpu lanes and 24 pcie3.0 chipset lanes. There's plenty to go around for both pcie x16 dedicated gpu slot and pcie storage or not a single motherboard could use any cpu lanes at all for storage. And yet they do.
Apr 22, 2021
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Ahh thanks that explained my initial problem. Yesterday I had the m.2 in the top slot and it didn't read it at all. Now I have it in the second slot and it shows in the bios but still won't boot to windows. When I insert the windows usb drive I can see my m.2 with 1.1 tb free so the data is still there yet I can't access it....

However my other m.2 with just videos etc is in the 3rd slot and it won't read either, only showed up when it was in the 2nd slot.
 
Apr 22, 2021
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I'm trying that also, my 850 evo 2.5 inch ssd is empty. I'm trying to do a clean install onto that and then I can put my other drives back in later and drag and drop files as necessary but this drive isn't visible in the windows install...only in the bios. At this point I've removed my (2) m.2 drives and my 4tb ssd and only have the blank drive connected but still can't do anything.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I'm trying that also, my 850 evo 2.5 inch ssd is empty. I'm trying to do a clean install onto that and then I can put my other drives back in later and drag and drop files as necessary but this drive isn't visible in the windows install...only in the bios. At this point I've removed my (2) m.2 drives and my 4tb ssd and only have the blank drive connected but still can't do anything.
If you want Windows on one of the M.2 drives, then you need to do THAT.
Not move things around later.

Reduce the system to minimally operable config.
 
Apr 22, 2021
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Yes but the problem is at this current time I'm not willing to format those devices without accessing the data first. My plan is to install windows onto this blank ssd if I can't just boot straight to my existing install and then I can clone the ssd to the m.2.

Also my pc is currently at a minimally operative state. My video card, sound card, and m.2 drives are not connected, just (1) 850 evo 2 tb that's blank.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Yes but the problem is at this current time I'm not willing to format those devices without accessing the data first. My plan is to install windows onto this blank ssd if I can't just boot straight to my existing install and then I can clone the ssd to the m.2.

Also my pc is currently at a minimally operative state. My video card, sound card, and m.2 drives are not connected, just (1) 850 evo 2 tb that's blank.
OK...
And you're booting from a properly created Win 10 USB?

I won't even et into the issue of those drives being the only repository for your data.
 
Apr 22, 2021
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OK...
And you're booting from a properly created Win 10 USB?

I won't even et into the issue of those drives being the only repository for your data.
Yes I created the windows install media in my old build 2 days ago and yes my copy of windows 10 is legit and paid for.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
It boots to the USB but only gives me the option to install, I can't access my existing installation or install onto the other drives.
And that is exactly what it is supposed to be doing.

You can't access the drives and data like that.
And the system won't simply boot up from your old drive and OS.

As said...new hardware usually means a fresh OS install.
On new hardware, and old drive_OS, there are 3 possible outcomes:
  1. It works just fine
  2. It fails completely, and needs a full fresh OS install
  3. It "works", but you're chasing issues for weeks/months.

You are at #2.
Install on one of the drives. This also means a reinstall of all your drivers and applications.
Reconnect the old ones later. Gain access to your personal data. Move it around as needed.
Wipe the old OS drive completely.
 
Apr 22, 2021
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I would like to install it onto the blank drive. I'll try removing my m.2s and only connecting the blank drive and see if that works this time.
Still not working, I only have the blank drive connected but the windows install media can't detect it but yeah in the bios it shows up under Sata p4
 
Apr 22, 2021
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Still not working, I only have the blank drive connected but the windows install media can't detect it but yeah in the bios it shows up under Sata p4
Ok it reads now but says windows can't be installed on drive 0 partition 1 which is the connected drive. Windows cannot be installed to thus disk. The selected disk has an mbr partition table. On efi systems, windows can only be installed to get disks. Anyone able to assist?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Ok it reads now but says windows can't be installed on drive 0 partition 1 which is the connected drive. Windows cannot be installed to thus disk. The selected disk has an mbr partition table. On efi systems, windows can only be installed to get disks. Anyone able to assist?
You delete ALL existing partitions on the drive.
That should allow you to continue.

Windows will format it as needed.
 
Apr 22, 2021
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I'm installing windows now. If this goes well and everything is successful can I add in my m.2 that has windows and drag over my personal files and then format that one?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I'm installing windows now. If this goes well and everything is successful can I add in my m.2 that has windows and drag over my personal files and then format that one?
Mostly, yes.

If those files are contained in the Libraries (Documents/Pictures/etc) you will have to delve into TakeOwnership to access those. They are permission restricted to the old user in that old OS.
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
Top slot will support pcie3.0 nvme or pcie4.0 nvme only, and pcie4.0 requires 11thgen cpu.
2nd slot supports pcie3.0 nvme only.
3rd slot supports pcie3.0 nvme or Sata3 ssd.

The 970 is pcie3.0 nvme so will work in any slot. The issues with the top slot are not uncommon, many times (Auto) gen settings default to pcie4.0 if it's available, and don't like to budge, requiring manually setting Gen3 for that port.

Also there can be an issue with nvme in general with CPU pcie lanes in bios settings. CSM must be disabled and boot must be set to Windows OS, not Other OS in the drive otherwise native windows nvme driver support doesn't get loaded and windows doesn't see the drive.

The second slot uses the Chipset pcie lanes, not direct Cpu lanes, so uses native motherboard nvme/raid drivers to detect the drive.
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
Exactly.
PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD support
Pcie4.0 is backwards compatible. It has support for pcie4.0 and that is supported only by 11th Gen processors. If you use a 10thGen processor, and try a pcie4.0 nvme, it'll only function as pcie3.0 as that's the limit of the cpu lanes. Pcie3.0 functionality is implied for that port, it's limited to pcie3.0 by chipset for the remaining m.2 ports.

It's like they say a pcie4.0 x16 as top slot and pcie3.0 for the others, they don't say any of the slots will use a pcie1.1 card if it's nvidia and pcie 2.3 card for amd. Backwards compatibility. You can use a Gen3 card in a Gen4 slot but you'll only get pcie3.0 out of it. If you use a Gen4 card in a Gen3 port, you get pcie3.0.

Just like every Sata port listed on any modern motherboard lists it as Sata6G or Sata3 port, they don't bother also saying you can use sata1 or sata2 drives also. Some older boards might list the ports as Sata6G* for the 2x Intel ports and sata3G for the chipset ports, but that's limitations, not 'onlys', and the '*only 3rd Gen cpus' applies in kind. Sandy-Bridge being limited to sata3G for the 2x Intel ports.
 
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