Question Samsung M.2 SSD

[Caora Dubha]

Hello folks...

Just built a new PC using the GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 Samsung 500GB 970 NVMe M.2. Its plugged into the M.2 slot on the board.


When I booted from the win 8.1 USB install it found the M.2 drive (no other drive connected) but told me it couldn't install because it was of the GDP type. So I used Rufus.ie and created a bootable USB install from my Win 8.1x64 iso and when I ran setup it installed, or so it says but it just keeps going back to the windows setup.

When I connected my old Hardrive my windows 8.1 loaded and the Samsung was there as an extra disk. I was hoping to have the OS on the SSD.

I would appreciate any help especially what I should have enabled in the Bios (ver F6)


Thanks for reading.

 

[Traditore]

Did you remove the USB drive after install?

 

[SkyNetRising]

It may be necessary to change boot settings in BIOS.
After installing windows in UEFI mode, first entry in boot order list needs to be Windows Boot Manager.

 

[Caora Dubha]

Yes I tried that once it rebooted and no bootable device, as far as I know the key is needed to finish windows setup. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Caora Dubha]

After I first fitted the M.2 and booted to the BIOS I could find no sign of the SSD or boot device. I went ahead and tried installing from the USB and it did see the drive but could not install. Then I used Rufus to make a bootable USB from the win 8.1 iso and it tells me its installed but reboot only brings you to the install again. If the key is removed you get the No Bootable device found.

Do I need to disable CSM in the BIOS before trying to install 8.1?

 

[SkyNetRising]

Adjust boot priority settings.
Most likely - currently you're booting from USB in UEFI mode, from HDD in legacy mode.

 

[Caora Dubha]

Just after trying again and here's what I did.

I used Rufus to make a bootable USB selecting GPT partition scheme for UEFI.
Booted to BIOS and disabled CSM, saved and exited.

Windows install went ahead and it saw the SSD, but when it reboots to finish install it just goes back to the "install windows screen again"
If I remove the USB key after the install, when it reboots I get the No Bootable device. When I check the BIOS there's only UEFI 8.07 and clicking on it says No Bootable Device Found.

So I plug in my Hard Disc and it boots to windows no problem with the SSD showing up as an extra drive.

Thanks for taking the time to help...

 

[SkyNetRising]

In this screen - set Boot option #1 to Windows Boot Manager.

 

[Caora Dubha]

Thanks for replying....

That list/options only shows up if I have my standard Hard Disk plugged in and windows boot manager is selected. If disconnect it and boot to the BIOS the options are not listed and no sign of the SSD.

I just connected the Hard Drive again and windows did (the files are there) install to the SSD but its not listed in the BIOS, only the Standard Hard Drive

After installing the SSD in the M.2 slot was there some other setting in the BIOS I should have enabled/tweaked?

 

[SkyNetRising]

Can you boot into windows and show screenshot from Disk Management?

 

[Caora Dubha]

Can you boot into windows and show screenshot from Disk Management?

Couldn't attach so I put them here... https://postimg.cc/gallery/27c3nwzcq/

 

[SkyNetRising]

Looks good.
Adjust boot settings in BIOS:

Boot Option #1 - Windows Boot Manager​

Boot mode selection - UEFI only​

Storage Boot Option Control - UEFI​

Other PCI Device Rom Priority - UEFI​

BTW - preferred image hosting site is imgur.com (postimg.cc gets blocked by some providers)

 

[Caora Dubha]

Looks good.
Adjust boot settings in BIOS:

Boot Option #1 - Windows Boot Manager​

Boot mode selection - UEFI only​

Storage Boot Option Control - UEFI​

Other PCI Device Rom Priority - UEFI​

BTW - preferred image hosting site is imgur.com (postimg.cc gets blocked by some providers)

Thanks I will try that, and thanks for the heads up on image linking posting

 

[Caora Dubha]

No Joy again...

Selected settings as above saved and exited the BIOS, rebooted and it loaded windows from the Hard drive. So I shut down and unplugged it and booted off the install USB and same old story, goes thru installation, reboots and back we go to the install windows screen.
With/or without the Hard Drive plugged in the SSD does not list in the BIOS like the Hard Drive does.

I am beginning to wonder if I am flogging a dead horse

 

[SkyNetRising]

Sequence of actions is a bit off.
1 - remove HDD;
2 - Check BIOS settings - Hard Drive BBS Priorities.

Your Samsung 970 evo has to be listed there. If not, then enable it.​

3 - Fast Boot - set to disabled;
4 - Peripherals section in BIOS

SATA configuration - set to AHCI​

NVME configuration - check if your Samsung 970 evo is listed there.​

--------
If nothing else works and you intend to continue using HDD anyway, then you can set up
system boot from HDD (bootloader stays on HDD) but
windows is loaded from SSD.
To do that, boot from HDD and execute from elevated command prompt:

diskpart​

list disk​

(select HDD)​

select disk 0​

list partition​

(select 500MB system partition (partition number either 1 or 2, probably 2)​

select partition 2​

assign letter=H​

exit​

bcdboot D:\windows /s H:​

​

That's it.
Now after reboot, you'll have option to boot from 2 windows instances (one on HDD, other on SSD)

 

[USAFRet]

DO you have the most recent BIOS update for that motherboard?
Z97 systems often cannot boot from an m.2 drive in their original condition.

Also, the M.2 port will NOT run that Samsung drive at its full capacity. Z97 boards were released on the cusp of m.2 drives becoming mainstream. As such...they don't really know what to do with them.
At best, you'll get about 1/2 performance out of it.

"M.2 for SSDs drives with up to 10 Gb/s data transfer "
That is PCIe x2.

A new motherboard will be PCIe x4.

 

[Caora Dubha]

Thanks for all the help and I do appreciate your patience...

I unplugged the Hard drive as suggested and loaded BIOS

Hard Drive BBS Priorities no such listing I can find.

Fast Boot Disabled: Yes

SATA Config set to ACHI : Yes

NVME Configuration: No such listing?

And now for a really stupid question Under normal circumstances when you plug in a m.2 SSD (nothing else) will it be listed in the BIOS.
About the only thing I have not done is flash the BIOS with ver F8 I have F6. I'm reluctant to do so as its a real Butt-Clincher moment.

The command prompt is a good idea I will keep it as a last resort as I was planning on keeping the old drive as storage.

 

[Caora Dubha]

Thanks everyone for all the help but it's time to eat and it's been 48hrs of head scratching. Any how here's a bad pic of my rig. Have a good day/evening folks.


New Build

 

[Caora Dubha]

A BIOS up date did the trick (hangs head in shame) I couldn't use Q-Flash as it did not like my Fat32 USB key. So I download the @bios program for windows ran it and held my breath.
The PC rebooted and promptly shut down before booting up and windows was installed in my SSD. Whoooo Hooooo...em, excuse me.
I haven't looked at the BIOS yet as I am busy getting back to normal.

Thank you all once again for taking the time to help me. Best of luck to you all.