Question Samsung 990 Pro NVME not listed in boot order

[Itscokezero]

I just recently purchased an Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2023 laptop. It came with a 1TB NVME SSD. I purchased a 2TB and a 4TB Samsung 990 Pro to put in this laptop.

Laptop: https://rog.asus.com/us/laptops/rog-strix/rog-strix-scar-16-2023-series/
SSD#1: https://www.samsung.com/us/computin.../990-pro-pcie-4-0-nvme-ssd-2tb-mz-v9p2t0b-am/
SSD#2: https://www.samsung.com/us/computin.../990-pro-pcie-4-0-nvme-ssd-4tb-mz-v9p4t0b-am/
OS: Windows 11

What I've done:
- inserted ssd into second m.2 slot
- tried to install windows from usb
- problem: can't find drive to install on
- open up bios & its listed as drive 0
- problem: not listed in boot order

If I load into the Windows 11 installer from my USB drive I made I can enter command prompt and get to disk part. Neither SSD (working and nonworking) are listed in disk part during this part. Just the USB flash drive.

I've reformatted the drive in disk utility and assigned it to drive "D".

I've gone through my bios. It's the latest bios, 318. I don't have any options to turn on or off EUFI/CMS even in advanced.

I'm pulling my hair out. This was just a small side project that was supposed to be done last weekend.

I have the same issue with the 4TB drive as I do with the 2TB drive. It doesn't matter which m.2. slot I put it in. I cannot get them to appear in boot order or for windows installer to recognize them. Please, help.

 

[Aeacus]

The probability that both Samsung drives are DOA, is slim to none. Thus, haul your laptop and both M.2 drives to PC repair shop and pay for diagnostics. They have the means to find out why M.2 drives won't work.

 

[Itscokezero]

The probability that both Samsung drives are DOA, is slim to none. Thus, haul your laptop and both M.2 drives to PC repair shop and pay for diagnostics. They have the means to find out why M.2 drives won't work.

I'd rather just RMA it back to Asus. The problem, though, isn't the drives or the ports. I suspect it's a setting somewhere that I am just not seeing or clicking with. I'm going to give it five more days of good investigation before I RMA it.

It appears there are issues with Windows 11 seeing nvme ssd's in the first place and it also appears that samsung 990 pro's have had issues being seen.

It has to be a setting if it's showing up in bios/disk management/samsung magician, right?

 

[Aeacus]

It has to be a setting if it's showing up in bios/disk management/samsung magician, right?

No.

BIOS is pure hardware, 0 to do with Windows (or any OS in that matter). If BIOS can't see the drive, none of the OS (Win or GNU/Linux in that matter) won't be able to see the drives either.

When BIOS can't see the drive, it is either:
* dead drive
* dead M.2 slot

Simple as that.

 

[Itscokezero]

No.

BIOS is pure hardware, 0 to do with Windows (or any OS in that matter). If BIOS can't see the drive, none of the OS (Win or GNU/Linux in that matter) won't be able to see the drives either.

When BIOS can't see the drive, it is either:
* dead drive
* dead M.2 slot

Simple as that.

The BIOS does recognize the drive, though. It just doesn't put it in boot order for me to choose. I'm unsure if it's a formatting issue, a driver issue, a hardware issue.

 

[Aeacus]

Since the manual on BIOS description is poor, i can't guide you regarding boot order. But in some BIOSes, only one type of a drive can be included in boot order. Meaning that when you have more than same type of drive (M.2, SATA SSD or HDD), you can only choose one of the same type.

As of other fixes; does your MoBo has latest BIOS? If not, then one option could be updating BIOS. On some laptops, this is needed to enable support for M.2 drives.

Your Disk Management shows 2 drives; C: drive with 960GB (1TB) and D: drive with 1860GB (2TB). Your laptop has two M.2 slots. So, where do you even install the two new drives you bought? Or are those drives replacement for your current drives?

 

[Itscokezero]

Since the manual on BIOS description is poor, i can't guide you regarding boot order. But in some BIOSes, only one type of a drive can be included in boot order. Meaning that when you have more than same type of drive (M.2, SATA SSD or HDD), you can only choose one of the same type.

As of other fixes; does your MoBo has latest BIOS? If not, then one option could be updating BIOS. On some laptops, this is needed to enable support for M.2 drives.

Your Disk Management shows 2 drives; C: drive with 960GB (1TB) and D: drive with 1860GB (2TB). Your laptop has two M.2 slots. So, where do you even install the two new drives you bought? Or are those drives replacement for your current drives?

D volume is the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB that I want to install the OS.
The Samsung 990 Pro 4TB will replace the non Samsung Pro SSD ocne all this is figured out.

I believe I have already checked to confirm it is the latest BIOS but I could also be a complete moron. I'm going to do that now. I'm also going to remove the original SSD again and try to install Windows and see if that works.

I will update here shortly with the results.

 

[Aeacus]

D volume is the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB that I want to install the OS.

I've reformatted the drive in disk utility and assigned it to drive "D".

If you formatted it, then how come this drive is still BitLocker Encrypted (as seen in your Disk Management)? Since as long as there is BitLocker Encryption on the drive, you can not install Win on it. Drive encryption stops it.