Question Windows won't boot from M.2 SSD ?

[suchproxdd]

I disconnected my other HDD, installed Windows via usb. The motherboard recognizes the M.2 SSD, but when I try to boot of it, it says: "Please insert proper Boot device"
I already tried to update the BIOS but it didn't help.

Can somebody pls help me?

 

[Darkbreeze]

You "tried" to update the BIOS, or you updated the BIOS? Because they are not the same thing. What is the CURRENT motherboard BIOS version that is installed according to the BIOS itself?

What is the model of the SSD?

Are you certain you disconnected the HDD entirely, as in, removed both power and data cables from it, BEFORE you installed Windows on the SSD? Because often what happens is people install Windows on one drive when it already exists on another drive, then disconnect that original drive just to find out that Windows saw a boot partition on the old drive so it didn't bother to create a new one and now you do not have a legitimate boot device once that older drive is disconnected.

Also, you might want to try the installation again but this time make sure you have all of the full UEFI features enabled in the BIOS including secure boot, etc.

What version of Windows are you trying to install?

 

[TerryLaze]

I disconnected my Other HDD, installed windows via usb.

If you changed the boot order from within bios to make the usb the first boot device then windows installed the boot info to the usb, (if you stick the usb back in and it boots it would be a counter check on it) you have to use the boot menu or the boot override to only boot from the usb once.

 

[Darkbreeze]

But if the USB drive is removed, it should automatically move to the next available legitimate boot device which should be whatever drive you installed Windows on. I've never seen any Windows installation where the boot partition was created on the thumb drive used to install from. It's always either installed on the target drive or not installed at all if it already sees one on another drive.

 

[TerryLaze]

or not installed at all if it already sees one on another drive.

That's what happens if you boot with the installation media as the first boot device, the install sees a valid boot method on the first drive that the bios lists so it doesn't do anything to the os drive, you remove the stick and on reboot the bios switches to the next device on the list which is the os drive only that it doesn't have any boot info.

 

[suchproxdd]

So yes I did update the BIOS to the newest available version. Yes I completely unplugged the HDD. I did Enable all the UEFI Features and the Boot order should also be correct because it only shows my SSD there. I tried deleting windows and reinstalling it a few times I tried to switch some settings and tried it over and over it just doesn't seem to work. In my BIOS there is an option to test the SSD I tried that and it passed the test. My mainboard is the GIGABYTE B550M S2H and the SSD is the P1 SSD 2280 by crucial. I am trying to install Windows 10 Pro

 

[Darkbreeze]

That's what happens if you boot with the installation media as the first boot device, the install sees a valid boot method on the first drive that the bios lists so it doesn't do anything to the os drive, you remove the stick and on reboot the bios switches to the next device on the list which is the os drive only that it doesn't have any boot info.

No it doesn't. I've left the thumb drive as the boot device I don't know how many times and forgot to remove it before Windows restarted and it has never not installed the boot partition on the target drive, it simply starts the installation process all over again BUT if you cancel the installation process before it gets to the point where you actually begin installing Windows and remove the thumb drive, the Windows installation is totally fine. It doesn't magically not have the boot partition unless there was another drive with a WINDOWS boot partition on it already (And even then, not in EVERY case) connected to the system that you failed to disconnect.

I've have never, in hundreds and hundreds of Windows installations since the release of Windows 7, ever seen what you are saying, happen. And I've set plenty of BIOS configurations with the USB source drive as the primary boot device while preparing for a Windows installation because there were quite a few BIOSes that didn't HAVE the one time boot override feature or refused to list the flash drive on the boot override menu option in the BIOS and you HAD to set it as the primary boot device if you wanted to boot from USB flash media. In none of those cases did it ever fail to create the boot partition on the target drive unless there was some other issue at play, like an existing Windows partition on another different drive. Maybe you've worked with some other kind of hardware that I haven't I guess.

 

[Darkbreeze]

So yes I did update the BIOS to the newest available version. Yes I completely unplugged the HDD. I did Enable all the UEFI Features and the Boot order should also be correct because it only shows my SSD there. I tried deleting windows and reinstalling it a few times I tried to switch some settings and tried it over and over it just doesn't seem to work. In my BIOS there is an option to test the SSD I tried that and it passed the test. My mainboard is the GIGABYTE B550M S2H and the SSD is the P1 SSD 2280 by crucial. I am trying to install Windows 10 Pro

Read this guide through, SEVERAL times, and then advise as to whether you are following the EXACT process that is outlined there.

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

 

[suchproxdd]

Ok so I read the Guide u sent, and I can tell that I won't get to step 9. I did everything just like it says in the Guide. But after part 8 my pc just turns black for a second and then tries to boot from the ssd.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Which parts are you calling..........................eh, I see I need to fix that by breaking it down into actual sections, but, which parts are you calling 8 and 9? Because, you don't actually say so I am not good at clairvoyance.

Do you mean the problem occurs as soon as you are waiting to move forward after the expected processes for "Section II" to begin, or something else?

 

[Moonstick2]

Are you definitely installing Windows as GPT, and not MBR?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Right, and good point, but if we're talking about a secure boot partition, which we HOPE is what is going on, it HAS to be GPT because MBR is not FULLY supported for UEFI configurations. Only for partial configurations and mostly those aren't even "partial", they are just more like "can support a FEW UEFI features" and not much more than that. Anything that has been CLEAN installed in the last five years, on most any consumer Windows machine, SHOULD almost by default be UEFI, secure boot, plain Jane "GPT" partitioning. Unless of course somebody thought they were old school knowledgeable and created and partitioned their drive themselves, instead of just letting windows do it to a bare drive with no remaining partitions on it. In which case, all bets would be off.

 

[suchproxdd]

The following part I don't get. Before that it says it needs to restart and that's it. After that I get the error message: Please insert proper boot device.

9. After the core installation files have finished installing you will advance to the configuration portion of the installation and Cortana will make her introduction. Cortana is the Windows "digital agent" and is intended to help you get things done and make navigating the remainder of the Windows installation, and Windows in general, easier.

 

[suchproxdd]

Ok so I now tried a different USB stick for installing. The Boot order is correct, but if I install it will again go till it restarts, after that the installation menu just opens again from the beginning. if I force to boot from the ssd the same error shows up. I am thinking what will happen if I try to migrate the hdd on the ssd, but I fear I can't boot then too and all my data is lost so I don't really wanna do that.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Ok, I might be getting confused, but you DO realize (And perhaps I haven't made it clear enough in my guide and might have to take another look at that) that once you get to ANY point in the installation where Windows wants to restart AFTER you've gone through the basic part of the installation AFTER the "Custom" step, you need to pull the flash drive out if you designated it as the primary boot device in the BIOS boot order. Or, you need to use the one time boot override option in the BIOS and make sure that the device you are installing Windows ON, is designated as the primary boot device so that when it restarts it boots the temporary Windows boot partition and not the boot partition on the USB drive.

Otherwise, it will just install, and install, and install, and install.......................................

 

[Moonstick2]

I am thinking what will happen if I try to migrate the hdd on the ssd, but I fear I can't boot then too and all my data is lost so I don't really wanna do that.

You should as a minimum have some form of external backup of your data. Basically if one day your PC went boom, you'd have a backup of your data for the replacement PC.

If you haven't got an external backup, get one made before you carry on with this, otherwise you risk accidentally losing everything.