Read this detailed post of step-by-step tutorial to learn how to solve the problem of M.2 SSD not detected in Windows 10/11. Learn more about the causes of this problem and the 11 ways to fix it, as well as an easy way to migrate your system to an M.2 SSD.
“I have just built my brand new PC and installed 1 TB of Samsung Evo plus 970 SSD. into my motherboard. It Is detected in bios and is activated/initialized. The secure boot is off by the way (I tried both sb on and off). I load in and it says it can't recognize a driver. I have one other SSD that I could plug into my motherboard but I wanna do it with this one since that one is only 550 GB. PLEASE HELP.”
– Microsoft Community
Solid-state drives (SSDs) mainly use flash memory to provide excellent performance and durability. Compared with traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), SSDs have obvious advantages in read and write speed, power consumption, noise, etc.
The two most common cases are M.2 SSDs not showing up in the BIOS and M.2 SSDs not being detected in Disk Management. If you have similar troubles, please read the following content in detail to understand the reasons for these two situations and the corresponding solutions.
7 solutions for M.2 SSD not showing up in BIOS
4 solutions for M.2 SSD not detected in Disk Management
Before we delve into the solutions of M.2 SSD not being detected in Windows 10/11, I want to bring up an all-in-one clone software. If you want to completely migrate your system to a new M.2 SSD without reinstalling the system, it is recommended to use AOMEI Backupper Professional for system cloning. This method saves time compared to reinstalling the system.
AOMEI Backupper Professional can provide you with professional system cloning services and support Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP and other system versions. That is, with just a few clicks, you can clone all data from the source system partition containing the OS, software, and applications to the new M.2 SSD. This saves the time of reinstalling the Windows system and also preserves the original data of the system partition. Here are the detailed steps of system cloning, but before that, you need to make the following preparations.
◐ The software uses Intelligent Clone by default, which means you need to check the two disk storage spaces involved in system cloning. Make sure the destination disk is greater than or equal to the used space of the source disk, otherwise, cloning may fail. ◐ A System Clone overwrites the partitions of the target disk. If the target disk has multiple partitions, please use the Partition Backup function before system cloning to back up the important data needed to prevent data loss. ◐ Download and install the AOMEI Backupper Professional 30-day trial version.
Note✍: Please note that System Clone can only be demonstrated in the trial version, and cannot be performed. If you're satisfied after the demo, upgrade to the pro version before cloning the system.
Note✍: If you want to make a complete copy of the entire sector, you can check the Sector By Sector Clone checkbox. This function needs to ensure that the storage space of the target disk is greater than or equal to the storage space of the source disk.
Note✍: The different formats of the computer disk partition style will directly affect the System Clone. If it is an MBR disk, only the system partition and the system-reserved partition will be transferred. In the case of a GPT disk, the EFI system partition and the MSR partition will also be transferred to the new hard disk at the same time. It is worth mentioning that AOMEI Backupper Professional allows you to transfer the system between MBR and GPT disks without converting partition styles.
In addition to this, AOMEI Backupper Professional can provide you with other features that may be of interest.
BIOS, the Basic Input/Output System, is used to initialize and test hardware components, load boot programs from mass storage devices (hard disks), and then load the operating system. Normally, after a fresh install of an M.2 SSD on the motherboard, you can see it in the BIOS. But in some cases, you may encounter the problem that the M.2 SSD not showing up in BIOS. So, how should this problem be solved? First, you need to understand the cause of the problem.
Usually, this problem is caused by a variety of reasons, the following are common.
If you are at a loss for the problem of M.2 SSD not appearing in BIOS, please try the following 7 methods in order, I believe they can help you solve the problem.
When you encounter the problem that Windows 10 does not recognize M.2 SSD, you should first check and confirm whether M.2 SSD is enabled in BIOS, it is a method worth trying.
✍ Note: Please note that the keys for entering the BIOS are different for motherboards of different brands. Please check the motherboard manual or seek help from the motherboard manufacturer.
If you have not installed the M.2 SSD correctly, then you may also have the problem that the M.2 SSD does not appear in the BIOS. At this point, you can check and reinstall the M.2 SSD, which will help you solve the above problem.
Depending on the type of computer (desktop computer and laptop), the procedure will be different, please follow the steps below. If your motherboard has multiple M.2 slots, you can try to reinstall the M.2 SSD to another slot.
The BIOS of some motherboards has an M.2 slot mode, which usually defaults to automatic mode. But in some cases, this setting will cause the M.2 SSD not to be detected and cause the M.2 SSD not to display. Therefore, you need to check the M.2 setting in the BIOS.
According to feedback from some users, disabling Secure Boot in BIOS will help solve the problem of M.2 SSD not showing up in BIOS.
Note✍: Some motherboards only have Secure Boot but not Secure Boot Control, in this case, you just need to change the setting to Disabled in Secure Boot.
The main function of the Compatibility Support Module (CSM) is to detect compatibility mode at boot time. If you are installing an NVMe M.2 SSD and want to boot from this drive, then you will need to disable CSM and enable the UEFI option. This will help resolve the issue of M.2 SSDs not appearing in the BIOS.
Resetting the BIOS can fix many problems. When you encounter the problem of M.2 SSD not showing up in the BIOS, you can try to reset the BIOS to solve it.
An outdated BIOS version may also cause the M.2 SSD not showing up in the BIOS issue, at this point you can try to update the BIOS to fix the issue.
Note✍: During the BIOS update process, never power down or interrupt the update to avoid update failure and damage to the motherboard.
Disk Management is a system utility in Windows that allows you to perform advanced memory tasks. If you are troubled by the problem of M.2 SSD not being detected in Disk Management, please read the following in detail to try to solve this problem. But before that, you need to understand the cause of the problem.
Usually, this problem is caused by a variety of reasons, the following are common.
If you are at a loss for the problem of M.2 SSD not detected in Disk Management, please try the following 4 methods in order, I believe these methods can help you solve the problem.
Outdated M.2 SSD drivers may cause problems with M.2 SSDs not being detected in Disk Management, so you can try updating the drivers to fix the problem.
Based on feedback from some users, performing hardware and device troubleshooting will help resolve the issue of M.2 SSD not being detected in Disk Management.
In some cases, your M.2 SSD is properly connected to the computer, but the M.2 SSD is not detected in Disk Management due to the missing drive letter. To fix this, assign a drive letter to your M.2SSD.
In some cases, a brand new M.2 SSD is not initialized before being connected to the computer, resulting in the M.2 SSD not being detected in Disk Management. At this point, you need to initialize the M.2 SSD. Note that during initialization, you need to select an appropriate file system.
Note✍: MBR is an old specification that can only support up to 4 primary partitions and can only recognize hard drives with a maximum capacity of 2TB. GPT is a new version of the specification, which can support up to 18EB (1EB=1024TB=1048576GB) hard disk, and the number of partitions can be up to 128, but the motherboard must support UEFI.
1. Is my SSD dead if it's not detected?
If your SSD is not detected by your computer, try connecting it to a different computer or using another SATA cable or port. If the SSD is still not recognized, it may indicate physical damage. In such cases, these methods won't help, and you'll need to seek assistance from a local disk repair center.
2. Can an SSD suddenly stop working?
Yes, although SSDs are generally reliable, they can occasionally fail. To maintain optimal performance and longevity, follow best practices such as avoiding power surges, ensuring proper ventilation, and regularly updating firmware. Compared to traditional hard drives, SSDs have advanced technologies like wear leveling that significantly extend their lifespan.
3. What are the main causes of SSD failure?
SSD failures can result from several factors, including bad sectors, virus damage, short circuits, and corrupt data. Faulty wiring is also a common cause of SSD failure. Regularly checking and maintaining your SSD can help prevent these issues.
The problem that M.2 SSD is not detected in Windows 10 tends to cause you a lot of trouble, please read the above in detail and then solve it according to two different practical situations to make sure the M.2 SSD can be put into use as soon as possible.
Many users are used to using M.2 SSDs to store Windows systems because of the enhanced performance they can provide. If you want to migrate your system to the new M.2 SSD completely or upgrade your M.2 SSD without reinstalling the system, then you can use AOMEI Backupper Professional for system cloning, which will save you the time of reinstalling the system.