It is important to verify that your solid state drive (SSD) is detected in the BIOS when you first install it or whenever you experience boot issues. The BIOS serves as the basic interface between the hardware components and operating system of your computer. If the BIOS does not detect the SSD, it will not be able to boot from it or even recognize that it is installed. Checking for SSD detection in BIOS is one of the first steps in troubleshooting drive and boot problems.
There are several key reasons to check for SSD detection in BIOS:
– Confirm the SSD is installed properly and communicating with the motherboard. No detection indicates a loose connection or hardware issue.
– Identify the SSD’s make, model and storage capacity for verification.
– Enable AHCI or RAID mode for optimal SSD performance. IDE mode limits speed.
– Change the boot order to prioritize the SSD and enable fast boot.
– Update the BIOS and SSD firmware for compatibility and access to latest features.
– Troubleshoot errors like missing drives, failed initialization or slow speed.
Checking for proper SSD detection in BIOS is a quick way to identify potential issues and maximize the speed and performance of your drive. This guide will walk through the steps to verify your SSD is detected and optimized in BIOS.
Locate the BIOS Settings
On most Windows PCs and laptops, you can access the BIOS settings by pressing a special key during the boot process. The exact BIOS key depends on the manufacturer, but common options include F2, F10, Delete, and ESC. For example, on many Dell computers you would tap F2 repeatedly after turning on the PC to open the BIOS menu (source).
To locate the proper BIOS key for your device:
- Check the manufacturer’s support site or user manual.
- Watch for a brief prompt during bootup that indicates the BIOS key.
- Try common BIOS keys (F2, F10, Delete, ESC) to see which opens the BIOS.
Press the key continuously after turning on the PC until you enter the BIOS setup utility. This may take a few tries to get the timing right.
Navigate to the Boot Menu
The boot menu allows you to change the boot order and set which storage device the computer boots from first. To access the boot menu in BIOS:
1. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Boot” tab, usually located along the top or left side of the BIOS screen. The boot menu may be labelled as “Boot Order”, “Boot Sequence”, or something similar.
2. Press Enter on the Boot tab to access the list of available boot devices. This will display all storage drives connected to the motherboard, including hard drives, SSDs, optical drives, USB drives, etc.
3. Locate the solid state drive (SSD) in the boot order list. SSDs will typically be labelled with the manufacturer name and storage capacity (e.g. “Samsung 250GB SSD”). If the SSD is not present in the list, it may not be properly connected or detected by the BIOS.
For more details, refer to the manufacturer’s manual or this guide on changing boot order.
Look for Storage Drives
After accessing the BIOS settings, you will need to navigate to the section where connected storage drives are listed. This is often called the “Boot” or “Boot Order” menu.
On many PCs, you can press F12 on boot to access the Boot Menu directly. Otherwise, you’ll need to navigate through the BIOS menus to find the storage info.
According to this guide, you may need to go to Advanced -> PCH Storage Configuration to see all drives.
This menu will list out devices connected to SATA, NVMe, and other ports. SSDs and HDDs will be labeled with their model/serial numbers.
If your SSD is listed here, that confirms the BIOS can detect it. If not, you may need to enable AHCI mode or troubleshoot the SSD connection.
Identify the SSD
There are a few ways to identify which drive listed in the BIOS is your SSD:
- Look for the drive capacity – SSDs typically have capacities of 128GB to 4TB, while HDDs often have larger capacities.
- Check the interface or connection type – SATA SSDs will be listed as SATA devices, while M.2/NVMe SSDs will specify an M.2 or NVMe connection.
- Review the model name or number – This can help distinguish SSD brands and models from traditional HDDs.
- Note the serial number – SSD serial numbers often have distinctive formats from HDDs.
- See if TRIM support is listed – TRIM is an SSD-specific feature, so drives with this are SSDs.
If still unsure, consider unplugging the HDD and booting into the BIOS again. The remaining drive should be the SSD.
According to Seagate, SATA cables can sometimes become loose or damaged, so check those connections as well.
Enable AHCI Mode
Enabling AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) mode is crucial for getting the best performance out of an SSD drive. AHCI allows the SATA controller to use advanced features like hot swapping and native command queuing, which enables multi-threaded commands and optimization for solid state drives.
According to LEMP, AHCI mode for SSDs represents a “monumental step forward in storage technology”. Its performance advantages, including faster data transfer speeds and lower access latency, allow SSDs to operate at their fullest potential.
Older operating systems and motherboards may default to IDE mode, which treats the SSD like a traditional hard drive without optimization. Switching to AHCI mode unleashes the SSD’s capabilities for rapid boot times and responsive performance.
Therefore, enabling AHCI mode is one of the most important steps to get the speed benefits you paid for with your SSD. The difference can be quite noticeable compared to IDE mode. AHCI allows the SSD to function as intended for a modern PC build.
Change Boot Order
To ensure the system boots from the SSD first, you will need to change the boot order in the BIOS. The boot order determines the order in which the system checks storage drives to locate the bootloader files. By placing the SSD first in the boot order sequence, the system will check the SSD before other drives like the hard disk drive (HDD).
To change the boot order:
- In the BIOS setup utility, navigate to the “Boot” tab or menu.
- Look for the “Boot Order” or “Boot Priority” section. This will list the available boot devices detected by the system.
- Use the arrow keys to select the SSD and move it to the top of the boot order list. This will make the SSD the first boot device.
- Save the changes and exit the BIOS setup utility.
On the next system restart, the BIOS will check the SSD first to locate and boot from the operating system files. With the SSD set as the primary boot drive, you can be certain the system will fully utilize the speed of the solid state drive.
Save Changes and Exit
Once you have made all the necessary changes in the BIOS, it’s important to properly save and exit to ensure the changes are applied. Here are the steps:
- Navigate to the “Exit” tab or menu in the BIOS.
- Select the “Save Changes and Exit” option. This may be labeled differently on some systems, but will indicate both saving changes and exiting the BIOS.
- Confirm that you want to save configuration changes and exit when prompted. Some systems will warn you that exiting will apply changes.
- Finally, select a Save and Exit option such as “Yes” or “OK” to confirm and apply settings.
The system will restart and changes made in BIOS should now take effect. If the system fails to apply BIOS settings, you may need to load optimized defaults, reconfigure changes, and attempt to save and exit again.
Be sure not to simply “Exit” without saving as this will discard any changes made. Also avoid restarting or powering off during the save process as this could lead to configuration issues. So following the proper save procedure is important to ensure BIOS changes are correctly applied.
Verify SSD Boot
After making changes in the BIOS, it’s important to verify that your system is now booting from the SSD rather than the HDD. Here are a few ways to confirm the boot drive:
Check the boot drive letter in Windows Explorer. The C: drive will typically be the boot drive, so verify it matches the size of your SSD (Source).
Open the Disk Management utility and look at the partitions on the C: drive. It should show the SSD as the active boot partition if configured correctly (Source).
Check the startup time – boot times will be significantly faster when booting from an SSD compared to a HDD (Source).
Once you’ve confirmed the system boots from the SSD, you can enjoy much faster startups and improved performance.
Troubleshooting
If the SSD is still not detected in the BIOS after following all the steps above, there are a few things you can try:
Make sure the SSD is properly seated in the M.2 slot. Remove and reinsert the SSD to ensure full contact.
Try updating to the latest BIOS version for your motherboard. Newer BIOS versions may have improved SSD compatibility.
Disable CSM (Compatibility Support Module) in the BIOS if enabled. CSM can sometimes interfere with NVMe drive detection.
Reset the BIOS to default settings by clearing the CMOS. This will undo any settings changes that may be preventing detection.
If using an M.2 SATA SSD, make sure SATA mode is set to AHCI in the BIOS and not IDE.
Try connecting the SSD to a different M.2 slot if available. Some slots may not support NVMe or bandwidth may be limited.
If possible, test the SSD in another system to rule out a faulty drive. SSDs can fail even if new.
As a last resort, perform a low-level format on the SSD using diskpart on Windows or a tool like HDDerase if the drive is detected in the OS. This will wipe the drive and may resolve detection issues if other options fail.
If the SSD is still not recognized, it likely requires RMA or replacement. Contact the manufacturer or retailer for support.
For additional troubleshooting tips, refer to this article on M.2 SSD detection issues.