m.2 ssd M.2 Installation Help

[Bob Q Kazoo]

Hello I was just looking to get help with the installation of my M.2 SSD. Now I don't mean hardware-wise because I already did that in the motherboard is detecting the SSD I'm trying to install Windows 7 on the SSD. The SSD is an Intel SSD 6 in the motherboard is in Asus x99a. I've followed several tutorials online on the set up but have had zero luck and I was just looking if someone could help me on a one-on-one basis. Thanks!

 

-BobQ

[Badger906]

easiest way is to detach your old HDD with windows on it. then just treat it as a new setup. the windows wizard should auto detect your SSD

[Mira Yurizaki]

Windows 7 has no native support for PCIe/NVMe SSD booting. You're going to have to find drivers to preload at the Windows installation.

[Bob Q Kazoo]

6 minutes ago, Badger906 said:

easiest way is to detach your old HDD with windows on it. then just treat it as a new setup. the windows wizard should auto detect your SSD

Yeah that's what I thought but it doesn't. I know it works because I can pick the SSD as a boot option in my BIOS but it's an empty drive so that obviously doesn't do anything.

[Bob Q Kazoo]

3 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

Windows 7 has no native support for PCIe/NVMe SSD booting. You're going to have to find drivers to preload at the Windows installation.

What kind of drivers, like M.2 compatibility drivers? Where would I look for that?

[Badger906]

oh plumbs sorry i didnt realise it was an nvme drive.

heres a guide based on another mobo.. will be basically the same for you

EVGA m.2 slots that use a PCI m.2 will only work with PCI m.2 drives. If you have a Sata m.2 drive it will not work or function in a PCI m.2 slot. m.2 M key is suitable for m.2 ssd drives however m.2 E key is not. Please make sure to check your motherboard manual before making purchases http://www.evga.com/support/manuals/ First make sure that your EVGA motherboard bios is up to date ( Motherboard bios can be downloaded here http://www.evga.com/support/download/ ) If you plan to install windows 7, you will want to download the driver for your Samsung 950 pro. Unzip the folder and put it on a usb thumb drive ( For Samsung 950 pro you can get the driver here http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/minisite/SSD/global/html/support/downloads.html ) **( THE M.2 DRIVER IS ONLY NEEDED FOR INSTALLING WINDOWS VERSIONS PRIOR TO 8.1 )** Now, go into bios and enable the following settings: 1) Advance Tab > Onboard Device Configuration > M.2 Socket - Enable 2) Windows 7 Installation - Enable **( ONLY IF YOU ARE INSTALLING WINDOWS 7 AND THE OPTION IS AVAILABLE )** 3) Boot Tab > Boot mode - UEFI 4) CSM Configuration > a) Network - UEFI *This is not on option on X99* b) Storage - UEFI c) Other PCI device - UEFI d) PXE OpRom Policy - UEFI *This option is only on X99* e) You may also completely disable CSM if you are on Windows 8.1 or 10 *Do not disable CSM for Windows 7* **( IF THERE ARE OTHER CSM OPTIONS IT IS BEST TO SET THEM ALL TO UEFI TO AVOID CONFLICT )** 5) Now, save and exit the bios by hitting F10. 6) Once the bios restarts please go back into bios and set your first Boot Priority to the Windows install disk or usb (whichever install method you are using) F10, save and exit again. 7) Windows installer should start and eventually bring you to the drive selection of the install. Select your M.2 drive and then select "Load Driver". Navigate to the usb drive that contains the Samsung 950 pro driver or other m.2 NVME driver that you downloaded earlier and load the driver into the windows 7 installer. Windows should now be able to continue on with the install like normal. For windows versions 8.1 & 10 you can skip steps 3 and 7 as these Windows versions do not require the driver to be manually slip-streamed into the install.       EDIT***  driver list

[Bob Q Kazoo]

20 hours ago, Badger906 said:

oh plumbs sorry i didnt realise it was an nvme drive.

heres a guide based on another mobo.. will be basically the same for you

EVGA m.2 slots that use a PCI m.2 will only work with PCI m.2 drives. If you have a Sata m.2 drive it will not work or function in a PCI m.2 slot. m.2 M key is suitable for m.2 ssd drives however m.2 E key is not. Please make sure to check your motherboard manual before making purchases http://www.evga.com/support/manuals/ First make sure that your EVGA motherboard bios is up to date ( Motherboard bios can be downloaded here http://www.evga.com/support/download/ ) If you plan to install windows 7, you will want to download the driver for your Samsung 950 pro. Unzip the folder and put it on a usb thumb drive ( For Samsung 950 pro you can get the driver here http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/minisite/SSD/global/html/support/downloads.html ) **( THE M.2 DRIVER IS ONLY NEEDED FOR INSTALLING WINDOWS VERSIONS PRIOR TO 8.1 )** Now, go into bios and enable the following settings: 1) Advance Tab > Onboard Device Configuration > M.2 Socket - Enable 2) Windows 7 Installation - Enable **( ONLY IF YOU ARE INSTALLING WINDOWS 7 AND THE OPTION IS AVAILABLE )** 3) Boot Tab > Boot mode - UEFI 4) CSM Configuration > a) Network - UEFI *This is not on option on X99* b) Storage - UEFI c) Other PCI device - UEFI d) PXE OpRom Policy - UEFI *This option is only on X99* e) You may also completely disable CSM if you are on Windows 8.1 or 10 *Do not disable CSM for Windows 7* **( IF THERE ARE OTHER CSM OPTIONS IT IS BEST TO SET THEM ALL TO UEFI TO AVOID CONFLICT )** 5) Now, save and exit the bios by hitting F10. 6) Once the bios restarts please go back into bios and set your first Boot Priority to the Windows install disk or usb (whichever install method you are using) F10, save and exit again. 7) Windows installer should start and eventually bring you to the drive selection of the install. Select your M.2 drive and then select "Load Driver". Navigate to the usb drive that contains the Samsung 950 pro driver or other m.2 NVME driver that you downloaded earlier and load the driver into the windows 7 installer. Windows should now be able to continue on with the install like normal. For windows versions 8.1 & 10 you can skip steps 3 and 7 as these Windows versions do not require the driver to be manually slip-streamed into the install.       EDIT***  driver list

So where do I execute the drivers you had generously linked me (seriously thank you lol) Do I load it up at the windows installation page where it displays all the drives and such?

[Bob Q Kazoo]

22 hours ago, Badger906 said:

oh plumbs sorry i didnt realise it was an nvme drive.

heres a guide based on another mobo.. will be basically the same for you

EVGA m.2 slots that use a PCI m.2 will only work with PCI m.2 drives. If you have a Sata m.2 drive it will not work or function in a PCI m.2 slot. m.2 M key is suitable for m.2 ssd drives however m.2 E key is not. Please make sure to check your motherboard manual before making purchases http://www.evga.com/support/manuals/ First make sure that your EVGA motherboard bios is up to date ( Motherboard bios can be downloaded here http://www.evga.com/support/download/ ) If you plan to install windows 7, you will want to download the driver for your Samsung 950 pro. Unzip the folder and put it on a usb thumb drive ( For Samsung 950 pro you can get the driver here http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/minisite/SSD/global/html/support/downloads.html ) **( THE M.2 DRIVER IS ONLY NEEDED FOR INSTALLING WINDOWS VERSIONS PRIOR TO 8.1 )** Now, go into bios and enable the following settings: 1) Advance Tab > Onboard Device Configuration > M.2 Socket - Enable 2) Windows 7 Installation - Enable **( ONLY IF YOU ARE INSTALLING WINDOWS 7 AND THE OPTION IS AVAILABLE )** 3) Boot Tab > Boot mode - UEFI 4) CSM Configuration > a) Network - UEFI *This is not on option on X99* b) Storage - UEFI c) Other PCI device - UEFI d) PXE OpRom Policy - UEFI *This option is only on X99* e) You may also completely disable CSM if you are on Windows 8.1 or 10 *Do not disable CSM for Windows 7* **( IF THERE ARE OTHER CSM OPTIONS IT IS BEST TO SET THEM ALL TO UEFI TO AVOID CONFLICT )** 5) Now, save and exit the bios by hitting F10. 6) Once the bios restarts please go back into bios and set your first Boot Priority to the Windows install disk or usb (whichever install method you are using) F10, save and exit again. 7) Windows installer should start and eventually bring you to the drive selection of the install. Select your M.2 drive and then select "Load Driver". Navigate to the usb drive that contains the Samsung 950 pro driver or other m.2 NVME driver that you downloaded earlier and load the driver into the windows 7 installer. Windows should now be able to continue on with the install like normal. For windows versions 8.1 & 10 you can skip steps 3 and 7 as these Windows versions do not require the driver to be manually slip-streamed into the install.       EDIT***  driver list

I had followed all of the steps and still am not able to detect the M.2 SSD in the windows boot menu. What may I be doing wrong?

[Bob Q Kazoo]

22 hours ago, Badger906 said:

oh plumbs sorry i didnt realise it was an nvme drive.

heres a guide based on another mobo.. will be basically the same for you

EVGA m.2 slots that use a PCI m.2 will only work with PCI m.2 drives. If you have a Sata m.2 drive it will not work or function in a PCI m.2 slot. m.2 M key is suitable for m.2 ssd drives however m.2 E key is not. Please make sure to check your motherboard manual before making purchases http://www.evga.com/support/manuals/ First make sure that your EVGA motherboard bios is up to date ( Motherboard bios can be downloaded here http://www.evga.com/support/download/ ) If you plan to install windows 7, you will want to download the driver for your Samsung 950 pro. Unzip the folder and put it on a usb thumb drive ( For Samsung 950 pro you can get the driver here http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/minisite/SSD/global/html/support/downloads.html ) **( THE M.2 DRIVER IS ONLY NEEDED FOR INSTALLING WINDOWS VERSIONS PRIOR TO 8.1 )** Now, go into bios and enable the following settings: 1) Advance Tab > Onboard Device Configuration > M.2 Socket - Enable 2) Windows 7 Installation - Enable **( ONLY IF YOU ARE INSTALLING WINDOWS 7 AND THE OPTION IS AVAILABLE )** 3) Boot Tab > Boot mode - UEFI 4) CSM Configuration > a) Network - UEFI *This is not on option on X99* b) Storage - UEFI c) Other PCI device - UEFI d) PXE OpRom Policy - UEFI *This option is only on X99* e) You may also completely disable CSM if you are on Windows 8.1 or 10 *Do not disable CSM for Windows 7* **( IF THERE ARE OTHER CSM OPTIONS IT IS BEST TO SET THEM ALL TO UEFI TO AVOID CONFLICT )** 5) Now, save and exit the bios by hitting F10. 6) Once the bios restarts please go back into bios and set your first Boot Priority to the Windows install disk or usb (whichever install method you are using) F10, save and exit again. 7) Windows installer should start and eventually bring you to the drive selection of the install. Select your M.2 drive and then select "Load Driver". Navigate to the usb drive that contains the Samsung 950 pro driver or other m.2 NVME driver that you downloaded earlier and load the driver into the windows 7 installer. Windows should now be able to continue on with the install like normal. For windows versions 8.1 & 10 you can skip steps 3 and 7 as these Windows versions do not require the driver to be manually slip-streamed into the install.       EDIT***  driver list

Also steps 1 and 2 I was unable to do, there were no tabs in the BIOS labeled with Enabling the M.2 slot and Enabling Win 7