SSD is not detected by BIOS

[MerryCamel]

I am trying to install a SSD on Z77 Extreme 4 motherboard it is not detected by BIOS. Normal hard drives are detected. I tried OSZ and Samsung 840 with the same results. I tied to change SATA ports, cables, put SSD alone and with HDD, reset CMOS - nothing works. Any advises?

[- wardog -]

Re: SSD is not detected by BIOS

Let's see if I can roust parsec to give you a hand here.

[MerryCamel]

Re: SSD is not detected by BIOS

Let's see if I can roust parsec to give you a hand here.

Have you observed any problems connecting SSD to Z77?

[- wardog -]

Re: SSD is not detected by BIOS

Other than my 128GB M4 is still boxed and sitting on my desk buried under paper, no. :)

[parsec]

Re: SSD is not detected by BIOS

Hi MerryCamel, sorry to hear your SSDs and/or board are not cooperating.

I use two of the Z77 EX 4 boards, and I can assure you that they are quite capable of recognizing SSDs. I use SSDs on both of them, including Samsung and OCZ, among others. Never had a problem with the BIOS or Windows seeing them.

Questions, is this a new build and new OS installation? Windows... what?

Our boards have two SATA controllers, the main Intel SATA interface, six ports, two SATA III, four SATA II. The other is the ASMedia with two SATA III ports. With the board mounted in a PC case, the "stack" of SATA ports will put the two ASMedia ports at the top, the two Intel SATA III ports below them, and the four SATA II ports below those.

Windows will not automatically install a driver for the ASMedia SATA controller, so if you have not installed a driver for that controller, anything connected to it will not be recognized. Frankly, the ASMedia SATA controller does not perform as well as the Intel controller does. You are best off putting any SSDs on the Intel SATA III ports, the HDDs on the Intel SATA II ports, and any extra drives on the ASMedia.

Where don't you see the SSDs, in the System Browser, or the Storage Controller menu in the BIOS, or both?

What SATA mode (IDE, AHCI, RAID) is the Intel controller set to? Same for the ASMedia controller, if you use it? What driver are you using with the Intel controller?

Are the SSDs new, and never put in a system before? Double check the power connections to the SSDs.

[MerryCamel]

Re: SSD is not detected by BIOS

Hi parsec,

Thank you for your help.

This is a new build, the system is not installed yet. I was going to install Windows 7 on SSD and use a hard drive for data. The problem is that SSD is not visible for either for BIOS or for the Windows OS installer.

I understand how SATA ports are organized on z77 extreme 4. I started from putting SSD on SATA 0. After failing there I tried SATA 1-5. I did not touch A0-A1.

I tried manually specify in BIOS SSD mode for a corresponding drive - it did not changed anything.

The situation was identical both for OSZ and Samsung 840 drives (both were 128 GB).

Thank you,
MC

Hi MerryCamel, sorry to hear your SSDs and/or board are not cooperating.

I use two of the Z77 EX 4 boards, and I can assure you that they are quite capable of recognizing SSDs. I use SSDs on both of them, including Samsung and OCZ, among others. Never had a problem with the BIOS or Windows seeing them.

Questions, is this a new build and new OS installation? Windows... what?

Our boards have two SATA controllers, the main Intel SATA interface, six ports, two SATA III, four SATA II. The other is the ASMedia with two SATA III ports. With the board mounted in a PC case, the "stack" of SATA ports will put the two ASMedia ports at the top, the two Intel SATA III ports below them, and the four SATA II ports below those.

Windows will not automatically install a driver for the ASMedia SATA controller, so if you have not installed a driver for that controller, anything connected to it will not be recognized. Frankly, the ASMedia SATA controller does not perform as well as the Intel controller does. You are best off putting any SSDs on the Intel SATA III ports, the HDDs on the Intel SATA II ports, and any extra drives on the ASMedia.

Where don't you see the SSDs, in the System Browser, or the Storage Controller menu in the BIOS, or both?

What SATA mode (IDE, AHCI, RAID) is the Intel controller set to? Same for the ASMedia controller, if you use it? What driver are you using with the Intel controller?

Are the SSDs new, and never put in a system before? Double check the power connections to the SSDs.

[parsec]

Re: SSD is not detected by BIOS

Something is basically very wrong, since the SSDs should be recognized. First you'll need to verify the SSDs are working, if they've never been used before.

You'll need to connect the SSDs to another PC and see if they can be recognized. If you have an external USB drive enclosure, that should work, or other external drive enclosure, or directly to the SATA ports in another PC. If the SSDs can be recognized, then you can proceed to check your new board, and power supply.

[MerryCamel]

Re: SSD is not detected by BIOS

Thank you parsec! I'll start this investigation step by step tonight when I am back home from work.

Something is basically very wrong, since the SSDs should be recognized. First you'll need to verify the SSDs are working, if they've never been used before.

You'll need to connect the SSDs to another PC and see if they can be recognized. If you have an external USB drive enclosure, that should work, or other external drive enclosure, or directly to the SATA ports in another PC. If the SSDs can be recognized, then you can proceed to check your new board, and power supply.

[MerryCamel]

Re: SSD is not detected by BIOS

Replacing the SATA power cable helped! Thank you parsec!

Thank you parsec! I'll start this investigation step by step tonight when I am back home from work.

[parsec]

Re: SSD is not detected by BIOS

Replacing the SATA power cable helped! Thank you parsec!

Great, I figured it was something basic, or the SSDs were both bad, but that was unlikely.

Cables break, that is the first thing to change if it seems something does not get power or a data signal.