New ssd shows not selectable in the bios boot menu
from Lime66@lemmy.world to linux@lemmy.ml on 27 Jun 2024 14:45
https://lemmy.world/post/16983301

I was planning on installing windows to my new ssd for a dualboot, but I noticed that windows installer didn’t allow me to select the disk. I learned that it just installs to the drive that is marked as M2_1 in the bios. I thought that had something to do with boot order initially, but I’m not sure about that now. If it is boot order, my second ssd doesn’t even show up in the boot order menu So:

  1. Does windows install to whatever is second in boot order or whatever is marked as M2_1 in the bios, and
  2. How can I edit this to prevent windows from nuking my main linux partition and using the empty ssd, and after the install, how should I make sure both drives are available to boot into?

Motherboard is MSI MS - 7E10

#linux

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bloodfart@lemmy.ml on 27 Jun 2024 15:04 next collapse

Swap em around if they’re the same interface.

Lime66@lemmy.world on 02 Jul 2024 16:37 collapse

What do you mean by swap them around, and what do you mean by interface?

bloodfart@lemmy.ml on 02 Jul 2024 19:17 collapse

by swap them around i mean physically take the two drives out and put them in each others connectors. by interface i mean physical interface, like the plug or socket or slot they connect to the motherboard with.

the bios usually enumerates drives based on their position on the bus, so switching the connector they’re plugged into would fix the problem.

linux usually handles drives based on uuid, a unique identifier per device, so it wouldn’t mess up linux.

you didn’t specify if one was like a sata or esata or nvme and the other was different so i had to qualify “if theyre the same interface”.

Lime66@lemmy.world on 03 Jul 2024 11:55 next collapse

Oh that makes sense. They’re both nvme of the same size so I could do that. Thanks! I’ll give an update

Lime66@lemmy.world on 12 Jul 2024 12:09 collapse

Just a quick question, will I need to do this every time I want to boot into a different OS?

bloodfart@lemmy.ml on 12 Jul 2024 14:39 collapse

No, just to install windows on the right drive. It doesn’t matter after that.

Lime66@lemmy.world on 12 Jul 2024 16:29 collapse

Oh thanks. I swapped them, the new Drive doesn’t show in the boot menu but it is marked as a higher number than the the old one. Will windows install to the new drive?

bloodfart@lemmy.ml on 12 Jul 2024 17:16 collapse

The new drive probably doesn’t show in the boot menu because it doesnt have a partition table or anything.

Are both drives the same size? What I’m trying to figure out is would you be able to recognize when the windows installer is trying to install to the wrong drive.

Lime66@lemmy.world on 12 Jul 2024 17:31 collapse

The drive is formatted, but it has no data on it. They’re both the same size

bloodfart@lemmy.ml on 12 Jul 2024 19:55 collapse

As long as you have some way of recognizing which is which in the windows installer so you don’t accidentally wipe your existing drive.

If you’re worried, just pull the one you don’t want wiped out of the system while you’re installing.

NoSuchAgency@reddthat.com on 27 Jun 2024 15:50 next collapse

I’ve had trouble similar to this. Maybe someone else can give you more info, but I believe you have to install grub on the other ssd as well. Also, to prevent nuking, make your bootable flash drive with windows on it, and then pull your linux ssd out of the computer before booting from your flash drive and only have your ssd in it that you want windows on

Lime66@lemmy.world on 12 Jul 2024 12:16 collapse

How do I install grub on it?

NoSuchAgency@reddthat.com on 17 Jul 2024 03:34 collapse

Sorry for the late reply, but I don’t know. That’s why I finally just gave up and installed Kubuntu onto an external ssd

Lime66@lemmy.world on 27 Jun 2024 16:26 collapse

I should note that after noticing it wasn’t detected by the boot menu, I formatted as NTFS. It is detected in the list of drives that the bios has however