boot Just changed storage drive and I can't boot in Windows.

[OrpheuS_]

Guys I'm panicking a little bit. 

I recently bought a 4tb m.2 to replace 2 old HDD's and 1 SSD Nvme drive. I installed it in the remaining bottom slot of my Mobo and disconnected the HDD's. I did all this with power off and plug disconnected from the PSU. When turning on the computer it goes in diagnostic mode and doesn't boot in Windows, I didn't change anything regarding my boot drive, it's still in the same slot and hasn't been touched. In the BIOS, my 4 Nvme's are all detected but I can't select them in the boot order. What should I do ? Did I brick my PC and lost my data ?

[Hellowpplz]

8 minutes ago, OrpheuS_ said:

Guys I'm panicking a little bit. 

I recently bought a 4tb m.2 to replace 2 old HDD's and 1 SSD Nvme drive. I installed it in the remaining bottom slot of my Mobo and disconnected the HDD's. I did all this with power off and plug disconnected from the PSU. When turning on the computer it goes in diagnostic mode and doesn't boot in Windows, I didn't change anything regarding my boot drive, it's still in the same slot and hasn't been touched. In the BIOS, my 4 Nvme's are all detected but I can't select them in the boot order. What should I do ? Did I brick my PC and lost my data ?

Try removing all the ssd's except the boot drive.

[OrpheuS_]

Switched in CSM mode and now I can select a boot drive but when I select the drive I know is the one holding Windows, it just says "reboot and select proper boot device".. Fuck me what's happening.

I can't really remove all drives because one of them is under my GPU and I really don't want to disconnect it..

[Hellowpplz]

1 minute ago, OrpheuS_ said:

Switched in CSM mode and now I can select a boot drive but when I select the drive I know is the one holding Windows, it just says "reboot and select proper boot device".. Fuck me what's happening.

I can't really remove all drives because one of them is under my GPU and I really don't want to disconnect it..

Can you try the boot drive in another pc? Even a laptop would work to test it.

[OrpheuS_]

Wouldn't that mess with the drive letter or something ? I'm super paranoid about losing years of work here.

[OrpheuS_]

Ok so I removed 2 Nvme's and same issue .. reboot and select proper boot device. How can Windows get bricked by just changing a god damn storage drive it's driving me nuts.

[Hellowpplz]

30 minutes ago, OrpheuS_ said:

Ok so I removed 2 Nvme's and same issue .. reboot and select proper boot device. How can Windows get bricked by just changing a god damn storage drive it's driving me nuts.

Again the port couldve fried. Try the nvme boot drive in any other computer, even a laptop

[BoomerDutch]

Hold on, if something break put it back to it was before its possible that windows is installed on multiple devices and cannot boot without other drive. Even though whole windows is on the drive.

 

It is suggested to install windows with 1 drive then add drives and since then never the issue.

 

If you found that out then make backup as you can also you didn't lose data its still on there it just wouldn't boot without other drives for some reason 

 

Simply don't panic things wouldn't break so easily.

[OrpheuS_]

For context I'll name "storage nvme drive" the one that doesn't hold my Windows install (H:) and "main drive" the one that does (C:).

 

All right so I put back everything the way it was (it works again) and found out one of my storage nvme drive actually holds the windows boot manager because it was my previous boot drive I took from my laptop and put in my desktop. So even though my Windows install is on a separate nvme entirely, it won't boot without this specific drive installed. That's annoying. How would I prevent that from happening ? I can see the storage nvme drive holding an EFI partition but not my main boot drive.

 

@BoomerDutch That's exactly what's happening here, good call.

[BoomerDutch]

33 minutes ago, OrpheuS_ said:

For context I'll name "storage nvme drive" the one that doesn't hold my Windows install (H:) and "main drive" the one that does (C:).

 

All right so I put back everything the way it was (it works again) and found out one of my storage nvme drive actually holds the windows boot manager because it was my previous boot drive I took from my laptop and put in my desktop. So even though my Windows install is on a separate nvme entirely, it won't boot without this specific drive installed. That's annoying. How would I prevent that from happening ? I can see the storage nvme drive holding an EFI partition but not my main boot drive.

 

@BoomerDutch That's exactly what's happening here, good call.

Right now i would suggest to backup everything you need on one of drive.

 

Easy method is choose a drive you want as main drive that will stay longest then install windows on it without any drives connected that way you ensure windows will boot with one drive.

 

Once that's done you will have no longer issues for switching drives as long main drive stays.