Can't have SSD plugged in while booting off m.2.

[Ace McPlane]

Hi,

I got windows installed and everything on my new M.2 drive, but I can't install my old SSD to the system without it automatically booting to the old windows installation on it that I want to format. It doesn't matter what I do to the boot order, it always does this. Is there a setting in the bios I need to change other than the boot priorities?

 

If that's not it, I got an idea to use the windows installation USB to format it from there.

Do you think that'll work?

 

 

[paddy-stone]

Just create a bootable USB of linux or gparted etc. Then boot into the USB and wipe the drive, make sure to double check you're erasing the correct drive.

 

 

[Ace McPlane]

3 minutes ago, paddy-stone said:

Just create a bootable USB of linux or gparted etc. Then boot into the USB and wipe the drive, make sure to double check you're erasing the correct drive.

 

 

Hmm, I'll keep that in mind if nothing else works. I'll try the windows USB installer first since it allows you to format drives. I'm not home now so can't test anything. I still want more ideas so I'm not at this for hours like last night so keep them coming

[paddy-stone]

6 minutes ago, stateofpsychosis said:

Hmm, I'll keep that in mind if nothing else works. I'll try the windows USB installer first since it allows you to format drives. I'm not home now so can't test anything. I still want more ideas so I'm not at this for hours like last night so keep them coming

No worries, the windows USB will do it, but I just prefer the other methods as it takes a little while for the windows installer to get to that part. But then again, I have a bootable USB with loads of handy tools and installers for just those such things

 

[.Apex.]

@stateofpsychosis

You can enable Hot Plug in BIOS and boot your M.2 without the SSD plugged in and once you're in windows, you can plug it in.

 

I don't remember if i've ever tried that but it should work

 

Hot Plug means that you can replace Hard Drives / SSD's on the fly without rebooting

[Ace McPlane]

1 minute ago, syn2112 said:

@stateofpsychosis

You can enable Hot Plug in BIOS and boot your M.2 without the SSD plugged in and once you're in windows, you can plug it in.

 

I don't remember if i've ever tried that but it should work

 

Hot Plug means that you can replace Hard Drives / SSD's on the fly without rebooting

Cool, I'm super sketched out about doing that though so definitely a last resort. It should be fine, but I'm old school so hot plugging stuff feels so wrong  

[.Apex.]

1 minute ago, stateofpsychosis said:

Cool, I'm super sketched out about doing that though so definitely a last resort. It should be fine, but I'm old school so hot plugging stuff feels so wrong  

you can keep the Power plugged in into the SSD if you're afraid to damage anything but only unplug and replug the Sata cable, it doesn't carry any power lines.

[Ace McPlane]

4 minutes ago, syn2112 said:

you can keep the Power plugged in into the SSD if you're afraid to damage anything but only unplug and replug the Sata cable, it doesn't carry any power lines.

Good point.

[Ace McPlane]

So for the record, I'm a dummy today.. I kept trying to get the thumb drive working and it was a different thumb drive the whole time  Running on too little sleep.

 

Anyways, I did something to the boot order that made it stop defaulting to the SSD so it fixed itself. I have no idea what I did though.