I recently moved into my own place and brought my PC with me. Since then, it boots straight into the BIOS and reports that no storage device is present. I reseated the SSD in case it came loose during the move, but the drive still isn't detected. What should I check to figure out whether the problem is the drive, the connection, or something else?
3 Answers
For a standard SATA SSD, check both the data and power cables, then try different cables and another SATA port on the motherboard. Since the problem started after moving the PC, a loose connection or damaged cable is a likely possibility. M.2 drives don’t use those cables, so their seating and the motherboard slot would need to be checked instead.
A missing drive in BIOS usually points to a hardware detection problem rather than Windows or its boot files. If the SSD is visible in BIOS but the computer still won’t boot, then the bootloader or Windows installation could be corrupted. If it isn’t visible in BIOS at all, concentrate on the SSD, its slot, and the motherboard before trying to reinstall the operating system.
If it’s an M.2 SSD, remove it and reinstall it carefully, making sure it’s fully inserted and secured with the proper screw. You can also check the BIOS storage or NVMe section to see whether the drive appears at all. If possible, test the SSD in another compatible computer or with an external enclosure to determine whether the drive itself has failed.
It’s an M.2 drive, so there aren’t separate SATA cables to replace. I’d focus on reseating it, checking whether the BIOS detects the NVMe device, and testing it elsewhere if possible.