I'm in the process of building a new PC with an ASUS ROG Strix Z890-H motherboard. I've got two 1TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO SSDs for dual booting—one for Windows 11 and another for a second operating system. I'm planning to install Windows 11 on the SSD in the M.2_1 slot (which supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode) and the second OS on the M.2_2 slot (which supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode). However, during the Windows installation, I only see options labeled 0 and 1 for the SSDs, and since both are the same size, I'm unsure which one is which. Any advice on how to tell them apart?
2 Answers
A good way to know which SSD is which is to just remove the second SSD completely before starting the Windows installation. That way, you can be absolutely sure you're picking the right one! Plus, it can simplify the installation process since you won't have to guess which is which.
It's usually advised to only have the target boot drive connected during the initial Windows installation. That eliminates any confusion with the drive labels. If you're having trouble, consider installing the motherboard outside the case first—it can make things easier and prevent those tiny screws from disappearing!
Just to clarify, it's better to remove the second SSD **before** you start installing Windows, not while it's running. You don't want to risk any issues during the installation.