Win 10 Pro install on NVME PCIE drive: My nightmare

Chrysalis · 04 Apr 2021

I think the most likely problem is the usb stick is formatted with MBR or at least formatted in a way that is incompatible with UEFI boot, I think the first replies are what I agree with, use rufus, format it to GPT, and then copy the iso files to it.

Or you may not even need to do that, look for a boot menu override on your bios, usually has its own key such as F11.

Then you may see the usb stick twice, if you see it twice one is likely prefixed with UEFI, select that option, then you should be able to install to NVME.

AddRAM · 04 Apr 2021

Example

3080FE · 05 Apr 2021

Thanks to all for your advices but unfortunately, none is working.

1) I've prepared a new USB flask drive with Rufus tool. No change w.r.t to the one prepared with Windows tool.

If CSM boot is disable, the M2 drive does not appears in the boot section

Win 10 Pro install on NVME PCIE drive: My nightmare-img_20210405_090503.jpg

If CSM boot is enable, the M2 drive appears in the boot section along the USB in both UEFI and normal mode

Win 10 Pro install on NVME PCIE drive: My nightmare-img_20210405_091233.jpg

Someone was mentioning the use of diskpart command. Indeed it can be useful if windows was able to "see" the M2 drive. The only disk it can see is the USB stick one.

Ghot · 05 Apr 2021

3080FE said:

Thanks to all for your advices but unfortunately, none is working.

1) I've prepared a new USB flask drive with Rufus tool. No change w.r.t to the one prepared with Windows tool.

If CSM boot is disable, the M2 drive does not appears in the boot section

If CSM boot is enable, the M2 drive appears in the boot section along the USB in both UEFI and normal mode

Someone was mentioning the use of diskpart command. Indeed it can be useful if windows was able to "see" the M2 drive. The only disk it can see is the USB stick one.

Mine is the same way. CSM has to be enabled and then under Boot Device Control, I have to choose: UEFI Only, if I want to boot from a GPT M.2 drive.
On my system, I'm booting from an MBR 2.5" SSD, so mine is set to Legacy OPROM Only.

Win 10 Pro install on NVME PCIE drive: My nightmare-image1.png

3080FE · 05 Apr 2021

Ghot said:

Mine is the same way. CSM has to be enabled and then under Boot Device Control, I have to choose: UEFI Only, if I want to boot from a GPT M.2 drive.
On my system, I'm booting from an MBR 2.5" SSD, so mine is set to Legacy OPROM Only.

Interesting so if you want to boot from a M2 drive formatted in:

MBR: you had to set your bios boot device control to Legacy OPROM only

GPT: you had to set your bios boot device control to UEFI only only

If I do the same:
BOOT>CSM>Launch CSM>Boot Device Control: UEFI Only --> M2 drive is NOT appearing as bootable device
BOOT>CSM>Launch CSM>Boot Device Control: OPROM only --> M2 drive is appearing as bootable device

Nevertheless I'm not facing this issue yet (your M2 drive is already formatted). My issue is that windows is not able to see/detect my new drive (out of the box, unformatted) when installing from the USB.

Win 10 Pro install on NVME PCIE drive: My nightmare-img_20210405_100023.jpg

The Drive 0 is the USB flash drive which disappear after refresh

Win 10 Pro install on NVME PCIE drive: My nightmare-img_20210405_100051.jpg

Ghot · 05 Apr 2021

@3080FE

Well, I'm on an ASUS x570 motherboard (AMD) and you're on an ASUS Z490 Intel board.
Maybe try UEFI and Legacy OPROM

/edit

Also...there is something you have to choose, when installing from a USB stick.
Namely UEFI or BIOS (MBR), and that has to match how your BIOS settings are set.

I install from DVD, so I don't have a screen shot for it.

See post #11 and the pic in post #12
When the Lexar flash drive was inserted and the comp was booted...they hit the F8 key.
The Lexar flash drive is listed TWICE. The one that says UEFI, will make GPT partitions during install.
The one that doesn't say UEFI will make MBR partitions.

If the settings in the BIOS are for UEFI, then you would need to choose the UEFI Lexar in the pic
If the BIOS is set to Legacy, then you would choose the Lexar without the UEFI.

I'm explaining this badly, but the boot menu doesn't "look" the same on all computers.
You WILL see the same USB flash drive listed TWICE... but they call them different things on different comps.

Sometimes one is called UEFI and the other is called BIOS. Sometimes one is called UEFI and the other has no prefix, etc.

TairikuOkami · 05 Apr 2021

Maybe use Linux/Ubuntu to format disk as GPT and then try to install Windows with UEFI on?

Ghot · 05 Apr 2021

@3080FE

So I think you need to do the following...

1. Set the BIOS so you can SEE the M.2 drive. Insert the USB flash drive and then exit the BIOS.
2. Hit the F8 key to bring up the boot menu.
3. You should see your USB stick listed twice.
4. One will work, the other won't. Choose the UEFI version.
5. If it doesn't work... do again and choose the other version.

I use dual layer DVDs so I don't have these issues.

@AddRAM

/edit

Here is the tutorial for creating the USB to install Windows 10, that will do either UEFI or Legacy...
[Option One or Option Two]

Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10

AddRAM · 05 Apr 2021

You shouldn`t, but you may need a M.2 driver added to the installer.

And in the Bios you should see a option that says Legacy & UEFI, so you don`t have to change it. Ghot already said that.

If there is the option, just set it to that and forget it.

Ghot · 05 Apr 2021

AddRAM said:

You shouldn`t, but you may need a M.2 driver added to the installer.

And in the Bios you should see a option that says Legacy & UEFI, so you don`t have to change it. Ghot already said that.

If there is the option, just set it to that and forget it.

His BIOS settings should look like this... he had to Enable CSM to SEE his M.2 drive.