I have an older motherboard that doesn't have a standard SSD slot, so I'm using a PCIe riser for an NVMe SSD. I'm resetting the entire PC since my brother is going to use it, but I'm having trouble getting Windows to install. It seems Windows doesn't recognize the SSD. I know the PC can boot from an old HDD that has Windows on it, but could the issue be related to how I'm trying to install Windows from a USB stick? I should mention that I'm trying to install Windows 10 64-bit since the hardware can't support Windows 11.
3 Answers
Good point about checking the BIOS! You need to make sure that the SSD is recognized there before trying to install Windows. Also, remember there are different types of SSDs, which might affect compatibility. What specific SSD model are you using with the riser?
You might run into some issues trying to boot from that NVMe SSD on an older motherboard. Typically, they can’t boot directly from PCIe drives. If your motherboard has SATA ports, I’d suggest getting a SATA SSD instead, which will be much faster than your HDD. An M.2 to SATA adapter could also work if you still want to use that SSD.
Check your BIOS settings to see if the SSD shows up as a boot option. The BIOS is key for determining what drives you can use to boot. Also, if you're saying 'riser', I'm curious about what that specifically means in your setup. Is it plugged into a PCIe slot? You need to clarify if it's an NVMe or a SATA SSD.
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