Serious trouble installing Win11 to a new SSD.
Posted by PinchePepsi@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 8 comments
So, Im trying to install windows to my new SSD WD SN850X gen 4. I've used one before in this laptop, so i know it's a compatible PCIe Gen 4 drive. Currently have a failing samsung SSD indicated by SMART and windows is laggy as hell.
When I boot to a Win11 USB, start setup, the drive doesn't show up. It shows in BIOS and when I boot to windows on the old drive, Disk Management sees it fine. I can partition it. etc, etc.
One Caveat, is that while screwing with it, I did a MBR partition. I have already used DISKPART to CLEAN and CONVERT back to GPT. Still the drive never even shows up during setup as an option for install while booted to the USB. It's driving me mad. Brand new harddrive.
When looking at it in Disk Management, the option to turn it back into a MBR drive is there so I know the DISKPART removed the MBR. If I leave the drive completely blank and no partitions or even if I do a basic NTFS partition, either way the drive will NOT show up during setup off the USB.
Im totally lost at this point.
Denman20@reddit
What processor you got? Might need VMD or NONVMD drivers to load for the drive to show up. Who’s the manufacturer of the laptop?
PinchePepsi@reddit (OP)
ASUS TUF Gaming FX506H. Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
I know im not suppose to do laptops in here but im lost. It is a backup computer but none the less. Wanted to get it working again with a new drive.
PinchePepsi@reddit (OP)
In Disk Management I currently have Disk 0: whole drive is Unallocated. When I right click, convert to MBR is an option so I know I got rid of that.
I am trying a different USB stick now.
thefuzzylogic@reddit
Go into the EFI setup (aka the BIOS) and see if there's a Secure Erase page. Secure Erase the drive so that you know it's completely empty. Then check that the motherboard RAID features are switched off and the drive is detected as NVMe only. Then try installing again.
PinchePepsi@reddit (OP)
I know I fuked up but jeezus christ how is it not reversible? This is fukn nuts.
Checked for that in BIOS already. I dont have the option. I dont have any mention of EFI and I also updated the BIOS yesterday. Neither version had anything about EFI.
HankHippoppopalous@reddit
Wait, DISKPART off the USB Stick sees it, but the Windows Install doesn't? I've never in my years seen that, the install pulls data the same way, even if the drive had 0 partitions on it, the install would see it.
PinchePepsi@reddit (OP)
Yeah and the only drive that shows up for install options is the USB itself. How nuts is that? I've wiped the USB several times and redownloaded the media creation tool.....Recreated the USB. Maybe I need to diskpart the USB itself? which i haven't tried. im freakin lost. The setup does mention that the drive (the USB stick) cannot be used because it's a MBR...but obviously im not trying to install to the USB. Maybe the USB stick is a MBR when it isn't suppose to be? idk. All the MBR shit has thrown me off big time. I didn't know MBR is such a fuckin issue with uEFI. and I don't have the option to turn on legacy support in BIOS for the uEFI shit.
jasons7394@reddit
Try this...
Check the controller settings for storage in Bios, if you see it set to Intel RST, VMD or something similar with Intel in the name, disable it or change it to AHCI and windows installer will detect the SSD