I recently switched back to Windows 11 after using Linux Mint for a week. I installed Windows 11 via a bootable USB created on another computer. However, now when I remove the USB, my PC won't boot into Windows; instead, it goes straight to the BIOS, and my NVMe drive isn't appearing in the boot options. Strangely, my PC runs smoothly when the USB is connected but becomes glitchy without it. Any ideas on how to fix this?
2 Answers
You might have installed Windows to the USB rather than your SSD. To fix this, check your BIOS settings. If Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) is enabled, it can prevent Windows from recognizing your SSD. You can either disable IRST or download the IRST drivers from your motherboard's support site and load them during the installation process to help Windows identify your SSD. Let me know if you need more details on how to do this!
It sounds like your USB might have been recognized as a storage device, and the Windows installer could have mistakenly installed the bootloader onto the USB instead of your NVMe. This could explain why your PC can’t find the Windows installation when the USB is removed. Try using a different USB stick that clearly shows up as portable storage for the installation process. This should help ensure the bootloader gets correctly written to your NVMe drive instead.
Thanks for the advice! I just downloaded the IRST driver for my motherboard, but I'm unsure about "loading them in the beginning of the installation process." Do you mean during the Windows 11 setup?