I'm trying to install Ubuntu on a Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9E. The Ubuntu USB takes a very long time to boot and the installer feels extremely slow. Once it starts, no SSD appears in the list of drives to install to. The same thing happens when I boot a fresh Windows installer—the internal drive is missing there too. What BIOS storage setting or driver do I need to change so the installer can detect the SSD, and could that also explain the slow Ubuntu startup?
3 Answers
The internal drive may be hidden behind Intel RST/VMD storage mode. On some Lenovo laptops this appears in the BIOS as Intel VMD, VMD Controller, or a storage-controller setting rather than a simple SATA/AHCI option. If you can disable VMD or switch from RST to AHCI, save the change and boot the installer again. Be careful changing this on an existing Windows installation, since Windows may need preparation first or it could stop booting. If the setting cannot be changed, the Windows installer will usually need the correct Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver loaded from a USB drive.
The slow USB boot and the missing internal drive may be separate problems. Use a known-good USB 3.x flash drive in a USB 3.x port, verify the Ubuntu image, and recreate the boot media. Then check the BIOS to see whether the SSD is detected. Don’t erase or repartition anything until the installer can clearly identify the correct internal drive.
For the missing SSD, first confirm whether the drive is visible in the BIOS storage or information page. If it is not listed there either, the issue could be a loose or faulty SSD rather than an installer setting. If BIOS detects it but Ubuntu and Windows do not, that strongly points to VMD/RST mode or a missing storage driver. Also recreate the installer USB from a verified ISO and try a different USB port or flash drive; a failing or slow drive can make the live environment painfully sluggish.
I couldn’t find an AHCI option in the BIOS. I tried the Intel RST driver, but the installer said it was for an unsupported platform, so I may need the exact VMD/RST driver for this laptop.