NVME not recognized in BIOS

[dagassa]

Hello!

My sons Alienware X51 R3 just died on him. Looks like the mobo went away. I picked up a new mobo, case and power supply and then transferred everything over to it. The computer starts up fine but it sends me straight to the Gigabyte setup screen where the Gigabyte H110-D3A mobo/BIOS doesn't recognize the The Toshiba NVMe 256 SSD.

Since the Alienware didn't have a traditional HDD, everything is on the Toshiba SSD. I was hoping to be able to boot from that just as we did in the Alienware machine. Any ideas? Thanks!!!

 

[USAFRet]

Hello!

My sons Alienware X51 R3 just died on him. Looks like the mobo went away. I picked up a new mobo, case and power supply and then transferred everything over to it. The computer starts up fine but it sends me straight to the Gigabyte setup screen where the Gigabyte H110-D3A mobo/BIOS doesn't recognize the The Toshiba NVMe 256 SSD.

Since the Alienware didn't have a traditional HDD, everything is on the Toshiba SSD. I was hoping to be able to boot from that just as we did in the Alienware machine. Any ideas? Thanks!!!

Your motherboard will not, under any circumstances, recognize an NVMe m.2 drive.

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-H110-D3A-rev-10#sp
"1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2260/2280 SATA SSD support)"


You need to get a refund, and purchase a SATA m.2 drive.
Samsung 850 EVO, perhaps.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=9SIA3ER6NT3706

 

[USAFRet]

And what do you mean by "and then transferred everything over to it" ?

'everything' = what, precisely?

 

[dagassa]

I guess the guys at Fry's gave me some bogus info! :-/ Rather than purchase a new SATA m.2 drive, would another reasonably priced mobo work with our current drive? reason I ask is because all of his info and OS is on that drive. Thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

I guess the guys at Fry's gave me some bogus info! :-/ Rather than purchase a new SATA m.2 drive, would another reasonably priced mobo work with our current drive? reason I ask is because all of his info and OS is on that drive. Thanks!

Yes, the guy a Frys was clueless.

But...with a new motherboard, either the one you have OR a whole new one...this is likely to need a full OS reinstall anyway.

You've taken the OS, etc from the original AlienWare and moved it to the new drive.
Then, putting this drive into a whole new system (new motherboard).
This is unlikely to work.

And may even need a whole new OS purchase, depending on what OS we're talking about and where it came from.


What specific CPU and RAM are we using here? New motherboard might not be compatible with what you have.
Or, be 'older', out of production, and thereby more expensive.

 

[dagassa]

And what do you mean by "and then transferred everything over to it" ?

'everything' = what, precisely?

Sorry! Video card, RAM etc.....

 

[dagassa]

I guess the guys at Fry's gave me some bogus info! :-/ Rather than purchase a new SATA m.2 drive, would another reasonably priced mobo work with our current drive? reason I ask is because all of his info and OS is on that drive. Thanks!

Yes, the guy a Frys was clueless.

But...with a new motherboard, either the one you have OR a whole new one...this is likely to need a full OS reinstall anyway.

You've taken the OS, etc from the original AlienWare and moved it to the new drive.
Then, putting this drive into a whole new system (new motherboard).
This is unlikely to work.

And may even need a whole new OS purchase, depending on what OS we're talking about and where it came from.


What specific CPU and RAM are we using here? New motherboard might not be compatible with what you have.
Or, be 'older', out of production, and thereby more expensive.

CPU is Intel Core i5-6400 2.7Ghz
Video card is PNY GTX970
RAM is DUAL IN-LINE MEMORY MODULE, 8GB, 2133, 2RX8, 4G, DDR4, NU

 

[USAFRet]

OK.
There is a strong probability of the original Alienware OS not booting up in whatever motherboard you end up with.
What OS is it?

 

[gingerrankin]

Your motherboard only supports sata m.2 drives. It does not support m.2 nvme ones.

 

[dagassa]

OK.
There is a strong probability of the original Alienware OS not booting up in whatever motherboard you end up with.
What OS is it?

I should mention that we bought the Alienware used 2 years ago. The OS is Windows 10 and the previous owner told me it was installed after the fact. The only drive in the Alienware was the Toshiba SSD/NVMe.

 

[USAFRet]

OK.
There is a strong probability of the original Alienware OS not booting up in whatever motherboard you end up with.
What OS is it?

I should mention that we bought the Alienware used 2 years ago. The OS is Windows 10 and the previous owner told me it was installed after the fact. The only drive in the Alienware was the Toshiba SSD/NVMe.

OK then.

This is apparently a Win 10 that was upgraded from something else. Win 7 or 8.
Or purchased and installed by him
Or,...some other means of obtaining that WIn 10.

Did he give you the actual license key?
If it was an Upgrade from 7 or 8, he wouldn't have that.

That's for the OS licensing.
If the old system still worked, there is an easy means to transfer the license to new hardware. But...

But...that install on the Toshiba drive is unlikely to boot up in all new hardware.
A clean install is strongly recommended, often required.

In any case, you need a different motherboard than the Gigabyte you've bought.
Possibly this:
GA-Z270P-D3
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-Z270P-D3-rev-10#kf
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2V0AHI

It still may need/require a clean OS install on that drive.

 

[USAFRet]

And for future reference...for any used PC...you personally need to do a full wipe and reinstall. For your protection asw well as theirs.

 

[dagassa]

OK.
There is a strong probability of the original Alienware OS not booting up in whatever motherboard you end up with.
What OS is it?

I should mention that we bought the Alienware used 2 years ago. The OS is Windows 10 and the previous owner told me it was installed after the fact. The only drive in the Alienware was the Toshiba SSD/NVMe.

OK then.

This is apparently a Win 10 that was upgraded from something else. Win 7 or 8.
Or purchased and installed by him
Or,...some other means of obtaining that WIn 10.

Did he give you the actual license key?
If it was an Upgrade from 7 or 8, he wouldn't have that.

That's for the OS licensing.
If the old system still worked, there is an easy means to transfer the license to new hardware. But...

But...that install on the Toshiba drive is unlikely to boot up in all new hardware.
A clean install is strongly recommended, often required.

In any case, you need a different motherboard than the Gigabyte you've bought.
Possibly this:
GA-Z270P-D3
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-Z270P-D3-rev-10#kf
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2V0AHI

It still may need/require a clean OS install on that drive.

Would this work by chance? They have it in stock at my local Fry's.

https://frys.com/product/9353450?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

 

[dagassa]

And for future reference...for any used PC...you personally need to do a full wipe and reinstall. For your protection asw well as theirs.

Understood! Thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

Would this work by chance? They have it in stock at my local Fry's.

https://frys.com/product/9353450?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Yes.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-Z270XP-SLI-rev-10#sp
"1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 SATA and PCIe x4/x2 SSD support)"

 

[dagassa]

Would this work by chance? They have it in stock at my local Fry's.

https://frys.com/product/9353450?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Yes.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-Z270XP-SLI-rev-10#sp
"1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 SATA and PCIe x4/x2 SSD support)"

Thanks! I will return the one I have and grab the new one. Hopefully, it get's me a bit closer to where I need to be!

 

[dagassa]

OK.
There is a strong probability of the original Alienware OS not booting up in whatever motherboard you end up with.
What OS is it?

I should mention that we bought the Alienware used 2 years ago. The OS is Windows 10 and the previous owner told me it was installed after the fact. The only drive in the Alienware was the Toshiba SSD/NVMe.

OK then.

This is apparently a Win 10 that was upgraded from something else. Win 7 or 8.
Or purchased and installed by him
Or,...some other means of obtaining that WIn 10.

Did he give you the actual license key?
If it was an Upgrade from 7 or 8, he wouldn't have that.

That's for the OS licensing.
If the old system still worked, there is an easy means to transfer the license to new hardware. But...

But...that install on the Toshiba drive is unlikely to boot up in all new hardware.
A clean install is strongly recommended, often required.

In any case, you need a different motherboard than the Gigabyte you've bought.
Possibly this:
GA-Z270P-D3
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-Z270P-D3-rev-10#kf
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N2V0AHI

It still may need/require a clean OS install on that drive.

Would this work by chance? They have it in stock at my local Fry's.

https://frys.com/product/9353450?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Yes.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-Z270XP-SLI-rev-10#sp
"1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 SATA and PCIe x4/x2 SSD support)"

A quick update. I went and exchanged the mobo for the GA-Z270XP-SLI. I installed the new board, swapped in all the hardware and the system fired right up in to Windows. There were a few Dell/Alienware programs that I had to remove but other than that, the system runs like a champ! Thanks for all the suggestions! I do appreciate it!!!

 

[USAFRet]

A quick update. I went and exchanged the mobo for the GA-Z270XP-SLI. I installed the new board, swapped in all the hardware and the system fired right up in to Windows. There were a few Dell/Alienware programs that I had to remove but other than that, the system runs like a champ! Thanks for all the suggestions! I do appreciate it!!!

Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails completely.
You've found the good one.

 

[dagassa]

Nobody was more surprised than I was! Lol!

Thanks again for the help!