Hey folks! I have a laptop from my previous job that I want to keep for personal use, as they haven't taken it back in over a year. I'm looking to wipe it clean and remove any managed software, but I'm running into a problem when trying to reinstall Windows. Everything seems fine until I get to the part where I need to select the internal SSD for the installation; it doesn't show up! The only option available is to install Windows onto the USB drive I'm using. I've tried fresh copies of both Windows 10 and 11, but the issue persists. Any advice on how to resolve this?
3 Answers
In the BIOS, switch the setting from RAID to AHCI. This should allow the internal drive to show up during the installation without extra drivers, and it may run a bit better too. But just a heads up, if your company still has the laptop managed, it could lock you out once it reconnects online. You’d need them to release it from their system to use it freely.
You might need a specific driver to recognize the drive controller. There's a 'load driver' option during installation, but you'll need access to another computer to download it first. Good luck!
I can use a tower PC or even a MacBook Pro if needed. Could you give me more details on how to find and load the required drivers? Thanks!
If I'm in a pinch, I usually switch to AHCI mode in the BIOS instead of Intel RAID, which can help the drive show up. You might want to try that!
Try accessing the BIOS and change the disk mode settings. If your BIOS doesn’t recognize the disk, it could be faulty. Have you considered installing Linux instead? Might be more straightforward.
Are you talking about the internal disk or the USB stick?
I’m not sure about that... It’s been connected to the internet several times lately without any problems. I just want to get rid of the clunky, slow software—hopefully, a fresh install will help!