NVME SSD Drive Help

[sleepsurfer7]

Hi!

 

I need help adding a new NVME M.2 SSD drive onto my computer. I already installed the drive on the motherboard, but my PC cannot seem to find the drive. My intention is to use this SSD as a boot drive for my computer. I have looked for information on how to do this but always seem to get confused. I have tried to boot my PC and enter the BIOS, I have an ASUS ROG motherboard, which has a system to load new NVME drives, but it does not find any drives. When the PC is running the drive flashes a green light consistently. If there is anyone that can help me find and use this drive I would greatly appreciate it. Thank You!

[minibois]

Just now, sleepsurfer7 said:

I need help adding a new NVME M.2 SSD drive onto my computer. I already installed the drive on the motherboard, but my PC cannot seem to find the drive. [...] I have an ASUS ROG motherboard, which has a system to load new NVME drives, but it does not find any drives.

What motherboard exactly are you using?

What drives, other than the M.2, do you have in the system?

[sleepsurfer7]

10 minutes ago, minibois said:

What motherboard exactly are you using?

What drives, other than the M.2, do you have in the system?

Thank You!

 

I have an ASUS ROG Strix Z390-H Motherboard. The only other drive I have is a 2tb hard drive. 

(just in case, don't know if this is useful, the SMBIOS Version is 3.1 & and the BIOS Mode is "UEFI") 

 

[minibois]

5 minutes ago, sleepsurfer7 said:

I have an ASUS ROG Strix Z390-H Motherboard. The only other drive I have is a 2tb hard drive. 

(just in case, don't know if this is useful, the SMBIOS Version is 3.1 & and the BIOS Mode is "UEFI") 

The motherboard should see the SSD, but it's possible the menu you're opening is the boot menu, which wouldn't show the SSD because it's 'empty'. There is no Windows install on it yet.

You should get a Windows USB drive and install Windows from that, of course choosing the M.2 SSD when installing Windows (you can unplug the hard drive for the time being, so you know for sure you're installing Windows to the right drive).

[sleepsurfer7]

2 minutes ago, minibois said:

The motherboard should see the SSD, but it's possible the menu you're opening is the boot menu, which wouldn't show the SSD because it's 'empty'. There is no Windows install on it yet.

You should get a Windows USB drive and install Windows from that, of course choosing the M.2 SSD when installing Windows (you can unplug the hard drive for the time being, so you know for sure you're installing Windows to the right drive).

It could be I am opening the incorrect thing. I have already built my pc (about a year ago). Recently I purchased the SSD and added it to my system. I want my system to read the SSD and later I can figure out how to change boot drives without losing any information. It seems like I might have lead you to assume that I am building the system and installing windows now. 

[minibois]

Just now, sleepsurfer7 said:

It could be I am opening the incorrect thing. I have already built my pc (about a year ago). Recently I purchased the SSD and added it to my system. I want my system to read the SSD and later I can figure out how to change boot drives without losing any information. It seems like I might have lead you to assume that I am building the system and installing windows now. 

You basically have three options:

1. Use the SSD as a secondary drive

2. Reinstall Windows and all your programs

3. Clone your hard drive to your SSD

 

 

1.

If you want to use the SSD as a secondary drive, you don't have to bother with the BIOS at all.

Go into Windows, search for "Disk Management", open that program and it should show the drive as "unallocated".

Right click >  Simple Volume > Assign a letter to it > Ok

and now you can save stuff on this SSD.

 

2.

Create a Windows USB install disk, set that USB as your primary boot drive, install Windows

 

3.

You can clone a HDD to an SSD using a program such as Macrium Reflect, it is often recommended to reinstall though; as the way HDD's and SSD's save data is different and it might cause weird issues.

[sleepsurfer7]

2 minutes ago, minibois said:

You basically have three options:

1. Use the SSD as a secondary drive

2. Reinstall Windows and all your programs

3. Clone your hard drive to your SSD

 

 

1.

If you want to use the SSD as a secondary drive, you don't have to bother with the BIOS at all.

Go into Windows, search for "Disk Management", open that program and it should show the drive as "unallocated".

Right click >  Simple Volume > Assign a letter to it > Ok

and now you can save stuff on this SSD.

 

2.

Create a Windows USB install disk, set that USB as your primary boot drive, install Windows

 

3.

You can clone a HDD to an SSD using a program such as Macrium Reflect, it is often recommended to reinstall though; as the way HDD's and SSD's save data is different and it might cause weird issues.

Okay got you! For the time being I just want to be able to use the drive, so I would choose option 1. I did as you stated but the drive does not show up at all so I can allocate it.