Question Unable to boot from M.2 NVMe drive ?

[Cahl Wescitt]

So I’ve spent a lot of time trying to fix this and would really appreciate any help!

I have an ASUS PRIME Z390-P motherboard
Team TM8FP6001t 1tb M.2 NVMe SSD
Intel i7-9700k

This started a few days ago, I noticed my cpu was being power throttled while gaming at times so I decided to check if there was something in the bios I could adjust to help. I haven’t been able to boot windows since making changes, and resetting the bios to default settings didn’t help.

I think I may have accidentally made changes that caused problems reading my m.2 drive. I used the ASUS EZ TUNER at one point and clicked raid, which it looks like it applied. After whatever changes I made, I was getting an inaccessible_boot_device bsod. Currently after the steps I’ve taken, I now get a winload.efi basic with error code 0x000000f.

So far I have tried many different bios settings, formatted the m.2 and installed windows 10 using a usb external hdd(also tried with iso windows media tool), reseated the m.2 drive, attempted following guides for command prompt commands but am getting stuck.

Some info that might be helpful - if I keep settings for nvme m.2 RST controlled and raid on, then I see my m.2 and can boot to get the winload.efi error. If I change that setting to not rst controlled and sata mode to ahci, then I cannot locate my m.2. I don’t know why I would need raid with only 1 drive total. Windows repair always fails.

I would really appreciate any help with this, I just want to be able to boot and use my pc as it was! If there’s any useful info I can add I would be happy to. I’m willing to try anything at this point. Thank you

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

Try to set
Fast Boot to disabled,
Boot Device control - UEFI and legacy.
Save and reboot.

Did that, windows is now installing. I’m getting excited lol will update when done

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

Try to set
Fast Boot to disabled,
Boot Device control - UEFI and legacy.
Save and reboot.

https://imgur.com/a/c4vXMaf

so did that and booted from usb, selected install on drive 0 and waited. Windows installer counted down to reboot when done. I still do not see the drive as bootable or in the boot list. This is what I see if I open up the media tool and select install again. Gotta be close lol. Thank you again for all the help, I really appreciate it

 

[SkyNetRising]

After install is done, you have to remove install media and boot from internal drive.
You do not run install again.

In boot priority list set first device to Windows Boot Manager.

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

After install is done, you have to remove install media and boot from internal drive.
You do not run install again.

Oh I only went back into it so you could see the change after installing to the drive. Just removed the usb and rebooted, it only goes to bios. Still not seeing the drive as bootable or in the boot list. It’s so strange… the only thing I’ve done since this started that got it to show in the boot list was to have rst on, but it’s always been the only drive in this pc so idk why. And it with rst on trying to boot I was getting the windows.efi.

if there are any other settings or any info/pics you need let me know. Wish I had another m.2 to try. I’ve heard people talking about clearing cmos after some similar kinds of problems, any point in trying that? I tried the screwdriver to the 2 jumpers method but don’t think it worked. Didn’t pop out the battery since it’s under the gpu and it’s a bitch to get it out of this case

 

[SkyNetRising]

RST has to be off.
And you can't change this setting after OS is installed.

Set first boot device to Windows Boot Manager.

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

RST has to be off.
And you can't change this setting after OS is installed.

Set first boot device to Windows Boot Manager.

No worries, I haven’t touched it since the other day. Since you started working with me on this I haven’t done anything other than what you recommended, so all settings should be right. Still nothing as a bootable device though. Nothing in boot list, then when I go to advanced and boot it’s empty.
I’ve read someone said Intel Platform Trust Technology setting caused their board to not recognize nvme… worth trying to disable? I see it enabled currently

 

[SkyNetRising]

Can you boot from windows install media into command prompt
and show result of following commands:

diskpart​

list disk​

select disk 0​

list partition​

list volume​

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

Can you boot from windows install media into command prompt
and show result of following commands:

diskpart​

list disk​

select disk 0​

list partition​

list volume​

https://imgur.com/a/A20uSO3

 

[SkyNetRising]

Windows is installed in UEFI mode. Looks good.

Execute following:

diskpart​

list disk​

select disk 0​

list partition​

select partition 1​

(select 100MB bootloader partition)​

assign letter=H​

exit​

bcdboot c:\windows /s H: /f UEFI​

Last message should be "Boot files created successfully".
Show command output.

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

Windows is installed in UEFI mode. Looks good.

Execute following:

diskpart​

list disk​

select disk 0​

list partition​

select partition 1​

(select 100MB bootloader partition)​

assign letter=H​

exit​

bcdboot c:\windows /s H: /f UEFI​

Last message should be "Boot files created successfully".
Show command output.

https://imgur.com/a/Vt2VIOc

all set. Try booting now or anything else needed first?

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

Windows is installed in UEFI mode. Looks good.

Execute following:

diskpart​

list disk​

select disk 0​

list partition​

select partition 1​

(select 100MB bootloader partition)​

assign letter=H​

exit​

bcdboot c:\windows /s H: /f UEFI​

Last message should be "Boot files created successfully".
Show command output.

Tried removing usb and rebooting after the last pic I sent, still not in boot list 😭

 

[SkyNetRising]

In BIOS
Boot/Secure Boot/OS Type - set to Other OS.

And show screenshot with available boot priority settings.

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

In BIOS
Boot/Secure Boot/OS Type - set to Other OS.

And show screenshot with available boot priority settings.

https://imgur.com/a/LV8xSfS

Secure boot was set to other os already, I sent those options and boot priority empty. In case it’s worth mentioning, at one point before I posted on here I followed a step to clear secure boot keys and load defaults. After doing that I set bios to all defaults. That was something I tried before you started working with me in this, might not matter but just wanted to throw that in.

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

In BIOS
Boot/Secure Boot/OS Type - set to Other OS.

And show screenshot with available boot priority settings.

https://imgur.com/a/BbnpKo2

Anything useful? Looks like everything’s good but it just won’t detect the m.2 idk

 

[SkyNetRising]

I asked for - Boot priority settings

Boot/Boot Option Priorities
Boot/Boot Override.

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

I asked for - Boot priority settings

Boot/Boot Option Priorities
Boot/Boot Override.

https://imgur.com/a/Lc7b2st

Sorry about that! They are both greyed out and I am unable to get into either of them. I’m not sure what could be causing that, will try to find out

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

When I look up the issue I see some things about disabling secure boot to be able to get into boot option priorities… not sure if that is a good idea or not so will leave things as is until I hear back from you

 

[SkyNetRising]

Secure boot should be off.
You can enable it later - after booting into windows has been sorted out.

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

Secure boot should be off.
You can enable it later - after booting into windows has been sorted out.

Ok will do. Just want to double check, I read to delete platform key (PK) to disable secure boot. On this board there is no option to just disable. Does that sound correct?

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

Secure boot should be off.
You can enable it later - after booting into windows has been sorted out.

https://imgur.com/a/1HWO29l

I cleared all secure boot keys and save+rebooted. Secure boot is now disabled, but still unable to get into boot priorities. Something to do with csm settings maybe? Unsure if something needs to be uefi or maybe I’m off.

 

[SkyNetRising]

You can try changing
Boot from storage devices to UEFI
Boot from PCIE devices to UEFI.

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

You can try changing
Boot from storage devices to UEFI
Boot from PCIE devices to UEFI.

Tried that and no change unfortunately. Can this be m.2 hardware failure even though we could install windows on it? Also strange because we moved it to another slot and no change. I can’t imagine what I did to cause this… slight cpu over clock and everything was good. Went in bios in hopes to get it to stop power throttling and somehow ended up here. If there’s anything else you recommend I’m happy to try. Thanks for all the help and time spent on this so far. Worst case I can buy a new m.2 but would hate to have the same issue and it turns out to be bios config lol

 

[SkyNetRising]

I can’t imagine what I did to cause this… slight cpu over clock and everything was good. Went in bios in hopes to get it to stop power throttling and somehow ended up here.

If you don't know, what you changed in BIOS, then
load safe defaults.

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

If you don't know, what you changed in BIOS, then
load safe defaults.

I’ve restored to defaults with f5 while in bios, is that the same thing or is there another way that’s recommended? I’m guessing with the pre build they made some adjustments, my cpu came over locked a bit so not sure if bios was changed when I got it

 

[Cahl Wescitt]

If you don't know, what you changed in BIOS, then
load safe defaults.

Just reset cmos with jumpers, confirmed settings changes in bios, definitely reset. Still not seeing my drive, still greyed out for boot option priorities and override. Looks like it disabled csm, enabled secure boot and fast boot… when I click “nvme controller and drive information,” the two options “nvme configuration,” and “no nvme device found,” are both greyed out still. Sata set ahci currently