[SOLVED] Why won't SSD show in OS boot manager?

[Praetor350]

So I've added an SSD to a HP Envy 15 (15-j021tx) which currently runs off a 1tb HDD. I wanted to run windows OS off the SSD. Since the laptop is somewhat old, I decided to clean install onto the SSD, first having removed the HDD, with plans to then wipe the HDD for regular storage.
Using a USB to install windows, the first hiccup was the infinite boot loop. Not a big deal, I've dealt with this before by moving USB boot priority to first place in BIOS and removing the USB once the installation restarts. However, this would send my to the no detectable boot drive screen. After several more attempts and changing boot priorities, changing to legacy, just about every combination.. no dice. Either loops or no bootable OS.
I though well maybe the BIOS is trying to look for bootable files in the HDD slot (slot 0), even though initial setup files are on the SSD (slot 1). I tried looking for my SSD in the boot order options, but its not there. All that's listed is:

https://imgur.com/QS3h5Q2

View: https://imgur.com/QS3h5Q2

1. OS boot Manager
2. Internal CD/DVD ROM Drive

3 USB Diskette on Key/USB Hard Disk
4 USB CD/DVD ROM Drive
5 Network Adapter

I saw in another post somewhere that the OS boot manager is supposed to have a dropdown/submenu that lists the bootable drives (where my ssd should be), but there is no dropdown marker and nothing happened when I select it. I though perhaps with a single drive installed, it would default to that drive. But I can't tell if it is still trying to load from the non-existent HDD/port 0.

So I decided on another rout. I removed the SSD, put my HDD back in and ran a fresh install of windows. No boot loop, no issues. I then reinstalled the SSD, which was showed up as available storage just fine. I duplicated the OS onto the SSD with non issue. Now that the same version of the OS is on both drives, I went to boot up windows and choose a boot drive.
Hitting f9 takes me to select boot drive, but all that appears are 'notebook hard drive' and "boot from EFI file". It doesn't say what notebook hard drive refers to, but selecting it boots with the HDD.

https://imgur.com/n9veYxT

View: https://imgur.com/n9veYxT

Ok, so off to the the bios again. Surely the OS boot manager will detect both drives now right? Well still no dropdown option for OS boot manager. I know it can at least detect both drives, because they both show up in the raid setup menu.

https://imgur.com/OvWJvAL

View: https://imgur.com/OvWJvAL


Ok, well lets try removing the HDD, now that SSD has boot files. This worked fine, windows booted off the SSD with no issue (only in legacy mode, but still). Plug the HDD back in, only boots to HDD. I then removed both HDD and SSD and booted into BIOS to let it detect nothing and maybe reset something. Then restart with SSD only. Boots fine. Add HDD, only boots to HDD - no options for selecting SSD.

Ok it wants to be stubborn, I then plugged the HDD in another computer, wiped it, and then plugged it back into the laptop, with the hope that with no boot files on the HDD, it will default to SSD boot. No luck. Just takes me to "no boot drive detected" screen or the "windows file repair" screen. Again, take out HDD, and boots just fine from SSD.

So I'm at a loss for options. How can I get the BIOS to default to my SSD? Why can't I see the SSD in boot select, or OS boot manager/order in BIOS? It detects it just fine, but no options to prioritise SSD/port 1 over port 0.

BIOS is InsydeH2O Rev. 3.7 F.65

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

first thing i would attempt, possibly again for you, is;
formatting both drives,
remove the HD,
determine if your laptop has a specific OS drive location(some have had auto-boot priority set to a certain SATA port),
connect the SSD to the needed SATA port,
perform a fresh install to the SSD.

after having boot into the OS and successfully setup and exited,
plug the HD back in to a different SATA port,
reboot and see if it functions correctly.

if still no good you could always purchase an external USB dock to use the HD and any other separate drives with.

not much new here but can help with some issues:

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Praetor350]

first thing i would attempt, possibly again for you, is;
formatting both drives,
remove the HD,
determine if your laptop has a specific OS drive location(some have had auto-boot priority set to a certain SATA port),
connect the SSD to the needed SATA port,
perform a fresh install to the SSD.

after having boot into the OS and successfully setup and exited,
plug the HD back in to a different SATA port,
reboot and see if it functions correctly.

if still no good you could always purchase an external USB dock to use the HD and any other separate drives with.

not much new here but can help with some issues:

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

That is something I would have tried, but the HD has a sata connection and the SSD is an mSATA in the m.2 slot. I don't have any adaptors to test swapping them around, so kind of stuck on where they slot in. I am testing installing windows on the SSD on a separate computer to bypass that first boot loop issue, since that seemed intrinsic to this laptop. Maybe that will somehow be different to cloning across from the laptop HD.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

i would just contact laptop manufacturer tech support and check their web forums.
if this is a common issue users have been running into wanting to upgrade you will see at least a few threads about it there and hopefully some solutions or at least bypasses.