Windows SSD Is Detected but Missing From the Boot Order After a PSU Swap
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MellowCedar47
I replaced my 750W EVGA SuperNOVA Gold power supply with a 1000W be quiet! Power Zone 2 Platinum unit. After fixing a misplaced power-button header, the computer now starts, but it goes straight into BIOS. The 2.5-inch SSD that contains Windows does not appear as a boot option, although the drive is visible in the system-status information. What should I check to get the system booting from it again?
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A damaged or corrupted Windows installation is possible, but a PSU replacement by itself usually shouldn’t corrupt a drive. First rule out a connection or boot-mode issue. If the SSD is consistently detected in BIOS but Windows Boot Manager is missing, boot from a Windows installation or recovery USB and run Startup Repair. Also check the SSD’s health from another computer or a drive diagnostic tool before assuming the operating system is gone.
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Start by reseating both the SATA data cable and the SATA power connection on the SSD, and try another motherboard SATA port if possible. Make sure you used only the modular cables that came with the new power supply—modular PSU cables are not generally interchangeable, even when the connectors fit. If the drive is detected but still unavailable as a boot target, check whether the BIOS is set to UEFI mode and whether Windows Boot Manager appears as the boot option.
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MellowCedar47: It’s a 2.5-inch SSD used as the boot drive, so I’ll reseat the cables and verify that I’m using the new PSU’s SATA cable.