I'm having trouble with my Dell G5 5090 desktop. It was working fine until a few days ago when it started showing a blue screen during startup. We tried some recovery options, but all we got was a blank screen before the computer shut down. I originally had a 128GB SSD with the OS and a 1TB HDD for files, but a new SSD was added recently. The person who installed it vaguely remembers a prompt about making the new SSD the main drive, which might have transferred the OS there. Now, I can't get the computer to recognize the SSD when trying to boot from a USB with Linux because it's in RST (Rapid Storage Technology) mode. What steps should I take to figure out what's causing the issue? I've read it could be a failed SSD, overheating, or maybe a graphics card problem. Would simply removing the graphics card help test this?
3 Answers
It sounds like you're running into a common boot issue. Getting crash dump files from windows might help figure out what's going wrong during the BSODs. If you can get into Safe Mode, check if there are any dump files in C:WindowsMinidump. Those files can point us to the real issue! If you find any, zip them up and share them on a file hosted site like catbox.moe or mediafire.com for further analysis. That feedback can lead to a more accurate diagnosis!
If you're seeing a blue screen, it signals something is off with the hardware or drivers. Common troubleshooting steps would include checking for overheating components or trying a different power supply. Also, reseating your graphic card might help if it's not properly connected. If you're up for it, you might even run a memory test to rule out RAM issues.
First off, check that the BIOS settings are set to AHCI and not RAID. If it's stuck in RAID, that could be the first hiccup. Next, try removing the second SSD and just boot with the original 128GB SSD first. If that works, you can reconnect the second SSD and see if the problem persists. This could clarify whether the installation on the new SSD made it the boot drive or if it's just acting as additional storage. Good luck, and don't forget to back up any important data if you manage to get it working!
Yeah, switching to AHCI can indeed affect the data. But let’s hope that removing the second drive helps narrow down the issue.
Thanks for the tips! I understand switching to AHCI could wipe everything from the SSD, right? We tried booting without the second SSD, but it still showed the blue screen on startup.