I recently got a new SSD for my PC to help with storage issues, but unfortunately, my computer isn't recognizing it at all. I've got a motherboard that includes three SSD slots (one already has the main SSD), but every time I try to install the new SSD in any of the vacant slots, it doesn't get detected. I've looked in BIOS and disk management, but there's no sign of it. Any advice on what might be going wrong?
5 Answers
Just to double-check, are you connecting both a data cable from the motherboard to the SSD and a power cable from your power supply to the SSD?
That's a good spot! Sounds like you might have an M.2 SSD instead, which wouldn't use traditional SATA cables.
Make sure to check the PCIe lane support on your motherboard. Sometimes, older models have limitations on which slots can be used for NVMe drives.
It could also be due to all the PCIe slots being occupied. Check your motherboard manual to see how the lanes are set up. Additionally, make sure your BIOS isn't set to RAID mode; switching to AHCI might help!
Are you sure it's an NVMe SSD? If that’s the case, you might need to check if the NVMe ports are enabled in the BIOS. Sometimes, they can be disabled if there’s a PCIe lane sharing conflict. If you let us know the make of your motherboard, we might be able to help you out more!
Also, if it’s definitely an NVMe, just make sure all PCIe lanes aren't crowded. That's a common issue.
Yeah, it sounds like it could be related to port settings. If you find a video tutorial on how to enable the ports, that might clear things up!
It’s possible that your motherboard has mixed support for M.2 slots, where some are SATA and others are NVMe. I have an older ITX B450 board that had one NVMe and one SATA slot, and the SSD wouldn’t be recognized in the SATA slot.
There aren't any cables connecting to the SSDs, not even the main one. It looks like the only connections available are labeled cha_fan3 and cha_fan4.