[SOLVED] SSD not able to boot windows in a Dual Boot system

[ayaanfaraz]

So I recently built my first PC with an Asus Z370e motherboard, an m.2 nvme Samsung 970 Pro, and 2 4TB HDD. The m.2 drive is a boot drive for windows 10 with other files as well, and one of the 4 TB HDDs is dedicated for large files on windows I don't want on the SSD. In the remaining drive, I want to run EXSI for some networking projects. I have successfully managed this dual boot by turning off the secure windows only option in the bios and selecting boot from the HDD in the options, and setting back to windows and booting from SSD name for windows. Now for the issue, after a few days randomly I saw that Windows boot manager, my SSD, and my HDD were being listed as options so 3 options instead of 2. When running from windows boot manager it would say could not find boot drive and when clicking on SSD nothing would happen, causing me to lose all files because I had to reinstall windows again as I could find no way to access the windows on the SSD even though I could see the drive was filled and I had to revert back to single boot system. I don't understand why there would be any complications from running two different OS on 2 completely different drives which I choose which to run at boot time and how I can maintain a dual boot without the boot manager "separating" from my SSD. I want to install EXSI again on the empty drive but I am worried I will lose "access" to my windows as I dont know why the SSD sometimes is not able to boot to windows.

 

[karenjoly]

Try this.

Detach the two HDDs and install windows 10 on the ssd according to this procedure :

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

Get the boot up and running on the SSD.

Then add the second HDD and detach the SSD. Install the networking OS . Get it up and running.

Then add the SSD and storage HDD.