Hey everyone! I'm dealing with a frustrating issue after my computer crashed while playing Age of Empires II. Since then, I've had a lot of trouble, including a pesky XPCOM error in Firefox. I tried updating Windows and various drivers but nothing worked. I initially installed Windows using a bootable USB via Rufus, but now I can't get my SSD to show up during the installation process. When I reach the 'Where do you want to install Windows?' screen, only the USB drive appears, not the internal SSD. I checked via the command prompt with `diskpart` and only the USB is listed there, even though the BIOS recognizes my SSD. I can't boot from the SSD anymore, but I can choose it in the boot menu; however, I encounter a BSOD with a 'Boot Device Not Found' error. I remember it was detected during the first installation attempt, but something went wrong at the end that forced a restart.
I've created the bootable USB with Rufus using GPT + UEFI and tried both Windows 10 and Windows 11 ISOs. I also tweaked my BIOS settings by disabling CSM, enabling UEFI boot, setting SATA mode to AHCI, and turning off Secure Boot. Still, nothing works. I've read it might be a driver issue, but I can't find any NVMe drivers for this SSD (WD doesn't seem to provide one). Here's what I'm working with:
- Motherboard: Gigabyte A520M S2H
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600
- SSD: WD Blue SN580 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0.
If anyone has any suggestions or has encountered this issue before, I would really appreciate your help!
4 Answers
You mentioned trying different OS versions; have you ensured that your USB is formatted correctly? Sometimes using MBR instead of GPT or switching the file system to FAT32 can make a difference in visibility for the installer. It's a long shot, but worth checking out!
It sounds like you've done quite a bit already! Have you tried installing the SSD driver onto a USB drive and plugging it into another port before you boot? Sometimes the installer needs the driver right away. If that doesn't work, try disconnecting the SSD, unplugging everything, removing the battery, and holding the power button for about 40 seconds. Then reconnect everything and power it back on. Also, it’s important to wear a static wristband when handling your SSD to prevent any static damage.
I had a similar problem once. It turned out the SSD wasn't seated properly. Make sure it’s firmly in place; sometimes just removing and reinstalling it does the trick!
If your SSD isn’t detected in `diskpart`, you might want to check its status using PowerShell. You can run commands like `Get-PhysicalDisk` to see if it's recognized at all. Sometimes the USB installer also needs a certain type of driver, so check if the motherboard requires specific NVMe drivers for the installation.
Good call. Also, be sure that in the BIOS, the SATA mode is set to AHCI versus IDE. That setting can impact SSD detection during installation.
To get the Command Prompt during installation, just boot from the USB and press Shift + F10. This can help you run diagnostics or commands that might reveal what's going on with your SSD. If it's not showing up, it's possible there might be a physical issue with the drive itself.
That's a great tip! And if it shows up in BIOS but not in Windows, it might be worth checking for any firmware updates for your SSD.
Totally agree! Also, consider resetting the BIOS to default settings and reapplying your changes selectively. Sometimes a clean slate helps.