I've recently installed a new 2TB M.2 drive and created a bootable USB to install Windows 11 using Rufus. After a clean install on the new M.2 disk, I went into the BIOS to adjust the boot order but couldn't find the M.2 drive listed. The only option available is my 64GB USB stick. Despite this, when I access Easy Mode in the BIOS, I can see both of my M.2 drives (1TB and 2TB), so they're recognized in that mode. They were both functioning well before the OS install. I can also see both disks when I boot from the USB to the Windows install menu.
Here's what I've tried so far:
- Disconnected all drives except the 2TB M.2
- Tested both M.2 slots
- Adjusted Secure Boot settings (ON/OFF)
- Set SATA mode to AHCI
- Converted my M.2 to GPT using CMD
- Ensured the boot mode is set to UEFI (though it's grayed out so I can't change it)
Any suggestions on what else I can do?
1 Answer
In UEFI mode, the boot priority usually lists bootloaders rather than individual drives. Check to see if there’s an entry labeled something like 'Windows Bootloader' or similar. If it’s not showing up, you might need to ensure that the drive is properly formatted as GPT and that the UEFI settings are configured correctly.
I had a similar issue before. Make sure your BIOS is set to boot from UEFI first and not in Legacy mode. Sometimes that can prevent the drive from appearing correctly.