Can't install Windows 10 on Samsung SM951 M.2 SSD

[KiahAMA]

Pretty sure it's the SSD now, although I'll give you guys all the info I have.

 

Built my new PC today, specs are as follows:

 

i7-5820k

ASUS X99-a

GTX 980ti

16gb 2400mhz crucial ddr4

Samsung m.2 ahci SM951 ssd

 

Installing my retail copy of 8.1 works fine (everytime), upgrade to 10, get stuck on a black screen after first reboot, let it sit for and hour, force reboot, get stuck on Just a Moment, with no animation.

 

Other things I've tried since are: Download and mounting install media for 10 onto a USB and installing directly from that, skipping key for now. Same results. Installing it with internet and updates, and without the internet plugged in at all, and a couple other things I can't remember, EVERY way I've tried has some combination of black screens and stuck on just a moment. I've yet to get into Windows 10 at all on this machine. -- I've also done an 8.1 install, set the entire thing up, all updates, with all the correct drivers, flashed updated bios, everything, still nothing, but, I actually got an error that time after it brought be back to my previous installation, check this out: http://i.imgur.com/gW7A6yb.jpg

 

I've been at this for over 10 hours now, downloading, mounting, installing, redo.

 

Hope to hear from y'all soon,

 

K.

[scottyseng]

 

Pretty sure it's the SSD now, although I'll give you guys all the info I have.

 

Built my new PC today, specs are as follows:

 

i7-5820k

ASUS X99-a

GTX 980ti

16gb 2400mhz crucial ddr4

Samsung m.2 ahci SM951 ssd

 

Installing my retail copy of 8.1 works fine (everytime), upgrade to 10, get stuck on a black screen after first reboot, let it sit for and hour, force reboot, get stuck on Just a Moment, with no animation.

 

Other things I've tried since are: Download and mounting install media for 10 onto a USB and installing directly from that, skipping key for now. Same results. Installing it with internet and updates, and without the internet plugged in at all, and a couple other things I can't remember, EVERY way I've tried has some combination of black screens and stuck on just a moment. I've yet to get into Windows 10 at all on this machine. -- I've also done an 8.1 install, set the entire thing up, all updates, with all the correct drivers, flashed updated bios, everything, still nothing, but, I actually got an error that time after it brought be back to my previous installation, check this out: http://i.imgur.com/gW7A6yb.jpg

 

I've been at this for over 10 hours now, downloading, mounting, installing, redo.

 

Hope to hear from y'all soon,

 

K.

 

 

You are doing a clean install using the USB install media? Or an upgrade? I would say do clean install (Completely delete the existing drive partitions)

[KiahAMA]

You are doing a clean install using the USB install media? Or an upgrade? I would say do clean install (Completely delete the existing drive partitions)

I've done both just incase, I've tried upgrading from 7, upgrading from 8.1 and doing a clean install from it's own usb on a formatted drive.

 

Nothing.

[scottyseng]

I've done both just incase, I've tried upgrading from 7, upgrading from 8.1 and doing a clean install from it's own usb on a formatted drive.

 

Nothing.

 

Dang, that is quite bizarre. Yeah, I have no clue if the clean install for Windows 10 did not work.

[KiahAMA]

Dang, that is quite bizarre. Yeah, I have no clue if the clean install for Windows 10 did not work.

Someone on the reddit thread I posted about this is apparently having the same issue with this SSD, but when I google Windows 10 Samsung SM951, nothing!

[Tazberry]

update ur bios.

[KiahAMA]

update ur bios.

As I wrote in the OP, I have tried this, I'm on the latest version, still no effect.

[Tazberry]

odd i got mine to work. didnt have to do anything complicated.

[KiahAMA]

odd i got mine to work. didnt have to do anything complicated.

What are your other specs?

[Tazberry]

which specs are you referring too?

[KiahAMA]

Oooooof, LTT was down for me for a little bit there.

 

which specs are you referring too?

Your PC, motherboard, video card. If the upgrade worked for you on this SSD and not for me, I want to find out why, compare, contrast.

 

Did you change anything in the BIOS to get the install to work? I know I had to change stuff to get the first 8.1 to work.

[Tazberry]

my specs are on my profile lol. I did have to make a few changes in bios also u have to make sure you're installing windows 10 threw uefi usb.

[CasualClark]

Letting the OP know he isn't alone.

 

Same Samsung drive, slightly different config:

 

MSI X99S XPOWER AC (latest BIOS)

i7-5690x

EVGA 980Ti x 2

32GB Corsair Vengeance

Other drives:

 - 1TB Samsung EVO Pro SSD

 - 4TB WD Hybrid Drive

 

I tried the install clean to start with, got a "storahci.sys" BSOD error (DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (storahci.sys)) which would not let me proceed.  There are no forum posts out there I can find that connect that error with the SM951.

 

Then decided to install Win 7 again and install all drivers, did a system backup, etc. then did the Win 10 install from a folder on the Desktop keeping all files as the install option.  This time, didn't get the 'storahci.sys' error and was able to get to the Win 10 desktop, but rebooting took me to a locked up login screen multiple times (greyed out password field).  Finally, after a few more reboots, I got the storachi.sys BSOD and decided that was that.  Restored the prior Win 7 install and system has been running flawlessly.

 

Since the M.2 drive does not require the Storahci.sys driver, I was wondering if that could be a problem between the M.2, BIOS and Windows 10. There is some code that perhaps thinks the M.2 needs the driver, but it doesn't need it.  Perhaps there is a BIOS setting I'm overlooking.  Perhaps there is a bad batch of these M.2 drives out there?

 

Or, since I'm a novice at the UEFI tech, its possible its related to that.  If I have in the BIOS 'Legacy + UEFI' turned on (which permitted me to see the drive in BIOS), could that be causing the Storahci.sys error?  If I need to install with just UEFI turned on, how does the BIOS find the M.2 drive, etc.?

 

Anyway, glad to see someone else is feeling my pain (and sorry about that).

 

Curious to hear others thoughts.

[Curufinwe_wins]

Get rid of the legacy support. It is known to cause some issues. Once you do that let us know what happens.

Btw that legacy support is only for drives that are like 10+ years old.

[Tazberry]

I linked a video somewhere for people trying to use the drive with windows 7/8/8.1/10.

[alexnt]

I had once the same problem with 8.1. Black screen after the first reboot but I could install win 7 normally. I had tried everything then, mainly settings in UEFI. It turned out to be a faulty iso. When I downloaded a new one everything was ok. The point is that I had used the same iso loaded on usb the previous day on another computer without any issues.

[Tazberry]