[SOLVED] NVMe Drive not Recognized in BIOS, but fine in Windows

Apr 22, 2021
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I recently installed the SK Hynix P31 Gold 1TB M.2 drive as my 840 pro 256gb from ~2014 ran completely out of space. I would like to make it my boot drive and use the old SSD as spare storage. I managed to copy the entire old SSD onto the new one using AEOMI Backupper and I've already taken care of all of the partitions. The drive looks all good to go, but when I go to change the boot drive in BIOS, I don't see it anywhere. It's been a while since I've been huge into computers so help is much needed/appreciated. It may be worth noting that my NVMe drive is connected via an adapter to a PCIe x16 slot. It's a build from 2013/14 so the parts are a bit older. i7-3770k, ASUS P8Z77-M Pro mobo, 16gb RAM, 780ti, and aside from the 256gb 840 Pro SSD, there is also a 2tb WD HDD. And when I say there is no space on the current boot SSD, I mean it is non-existent (single or double digit MB free), so drivers are a pain to download. All help is appreciated, as I want my PC at its full potential as soon as possible. Thank you!
 
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Solution
I recently installed the SK Hynix P31 Gold 1TB M.2 drive as my 840 pro 256gb from ~2014 ran completely out of space. I would like to make it my boot drive and use the old SSD as spare storage. I managed to copy the entire old SSD onto the new one using AEOMI Backupper and I've already taken care of all of the partitions. The drive looks all good to go, but when I go to change the boot drive in BIOS, I don't see it anywhere. It's been a while since I've been huge into computers so help is much needed/appreciated. It may be worth noting that my NVMe drive is connected via an adapter to a PCIe x16 slot. It's a build from 2013/14 so the parts are a bit older. i7-3770k, ASUS P8Z77-M Pro mobo, 16gb RAM, 780ti, and aside from the 256gb 840...
I recently installed the SK Hynix P31 Gold 1TB M.2 drive as my 840 pro 256gb from ~2014 ran completely out of space. I would like to make it my boot drive and use the old SSD as spare storage. I managed to copy the entire old SSD onto the new one using AEOMI Backupper and I've already taken care of all of the partitions. The drive looks all good to go, but when I go to change the boot drive in BIOS, I don't see it anywhere. It's been a while since I've been huge into computers so help is much needed/appreciated. It may be worth noting that my NVMe drive is connected via an adapter to a PCIe x16 slot. It's a build from 2013/14 so the parts are a bit older. i7-3770k, ASUS P8Z77-M Pro mobo, 16gb RAM, 780ti, and aside from the 256gb 840 Pro SSD, there is also a 2tb WD HDD. And when I say there is no space on the current boot SSD, I mean it is non-existent (single or double digit MB free), so drivers are a pain to download. All help is appreciated, as I want my PC at its full potential as soon as possible. Thank you!
So i'm assuming you have gone through all the files in the boot section of the bios because the nvme wont always appear in the boot section right away. Unless it has a os then it will generally be in the storage area. "And sometimes rarely ever have been registered as ram do to faulty mobos i could only assume but still work in the end once you get everything proitized right.

If you have already double checked all this. And windows is already seeing the nvme dont stress unplugg the current boot drive and strat for stage one here. Get a bootable cd/usb "yes i said cd old school people still exist" and boot which ever you choose. Then install windows on nvme. Boot to bios staight after the pc request first reboot unplugging usb hopfully before it gets there.... And see if the nvme will be allowed to be set as boot priority.
 
Solution
It may be worth noting that my NVMe drive is connected via an adapter to a PCIe x16 slot. It's a build from 2013/14 so the parts are a bit older.
i7-3770k, ASUS P8Z77-M Pro mobo, 16gb RAM, 780ti, and aside from the 256gb 840 Pro SSD, there is also a 2tb WD HDD.
Your system is too old. It may not support booting from PCIE device.

You can try updating BIOS to latest version and see, if that fixes PCIE boot issue. But it may as well not.

Also - please show screenshot from Disk Management - to verify, system has been cloned properly.
(upload to imgur.com and post link)
 
Your system is too old. It may not support booting from PCIE device.

You can try updating BIOS to latest version and see, if that fixes PCIE boot issue. But it may as well not.

Also - please show screenshot from Disk Management - to verify, system has been cloned properly.
(upload to imgur.com and post link)
That's one reason im having him try this way from the sounds of it the original boot drive is still solid not formated or anything wrong so if he "can" install this way cloning the drive without os should be just as easy
 
Apr 22, 2021
4
1
15
So i'm assuming you have gone through all the files in the boot section of the bios because the nvme wont always appear in the boot section right away. Unless it has a os then it will generally be in the storage area. "And sometimes rarely ever have been registered as ram do to faulty mobos i could only assume but still work in the end once you get everything proitized right.

If you have already double checked all this. And windows is already seeing the nvme dont stress unplugg the current boot drive and strat for stage one here. Get a bootable cd/usb "yes i said cd old school people still exist" and boot which ever you choose. Then install windows on nvme. Boot to bios staight after the pc request first reboot unplugging usb hopfully before it gets there.... And see if the nvme will be allowed to be set as boot priority.
Your system is too old. It may not support booting from PCIE device.

You can try updating BIOS to latest version and see, if that fixes PCIE boot issue. But it may as well not.

Also - please show screenshot from Disk Management - to verify, system has been cloned properly.
(upload to imgur.com and post link)
Im at work right now but I’ll post my disk management and try updating bios once I get home. Really hoping that fixes it and I can boot off the NVMe.
 
Apr 22, 2021
4
1
15
So i'm assuming you have gone through all the files in the boot section of the bios because the nvme wont always appear in the boot section right away. Unless it has a os then it will generally be in the storage area. "And sometimes rarely ever have been registered as ram do to faulty mobos i could only assume but still work in the end once you get everything proitized right.

If you have already double checked all this. And windows is already seeing the nvme dont stress unplugg the current boot drive and strat for stage one here. Get a bootable cd/usb "yes i said cd old school people still exist" and boot which ever you choose. Then install windows on nvme. Boot to bios staight after the pc request first reboot unplugging usb hopfully before it gets there.... And see if the nvme will be allowed to be set as boot priority.
I’d have to dig around to find my copy of windows, but I was hoping I could transfer the OS to my new drive and avoid starting from scratch. I’m working right now but once I get back I’ll try the BIOS update. If that doesn’t work I guess my only option is a fresh windows install?
 
I’d have to dig around to find my copy of windows, but I was hoping I could transfer the OS to my new drive and avoid starting from scratch. I’m working right now but once I get back I’ll try the BIOS update. If that doesn’t work I guess my only option is a fresh windows install?
Well a fresh install of windows isn't a bad thing. It can actually help a lot. If the old copy of windows you have is corrupted at all this will correct it. As for saving all your data from orginal boot drive should be as simple as cloning the drive like you did the first time. "But without os this time" and you should be good to go
 
Currently looking for BIOS update.
It looks, cloning has been done properly.

If BIOS update doesn't add option to boot from PCIE device, then you can still use system on nvme drive.
You'd just have to use bootloader on old drive instead. Windows can be used from nvme drive.

To do this
  1. assign letter H: to System reserved partition on old drive disk 0 (if letter H: is not available, then use next free drive letter)
  2. execute from elevated command prompt
bcdboot E:\windows /s H:

This adds another boot entry to old bootloader. Next time, starting your pc, you'll have option to boot windows from old drive or new drive.
In BIOS boot priority - first drive remains your old drive.
Like this:

select-windows-os-at-boot.png


 
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