Solid state drives have appeared not so long ago and are sensitive devices to BIOS settings and versions, firmware and connection. Often, a systematic BSOD problem can be corrected on its own.
Frequently encountered problems and their solutions
While the computer is running, idle or running an application, the computer falls out into BSOD (Blue Screen of Death);
When the computer starts, the following message is displayed: "NTDL is missing press Control + Alt + del and restart", although yesterday everything worked fine;
When the computer starts, the SSD does not appear in the list of visible drives (including in the BIOS).
So let's start in order.
Step one
This is commonplace, but quite often the problem can arise due to the fact that the interface cable / connector of the motherboard has been damaged, or the device has come into conflict with others. So try to make a list of simple steps:
Check the interface cable connections to the motherboard and SSD connectors. Reconnect the device (new-fangled cables with metal latches do not guarantee 100% connection, even if you hear a click, and even more ordinary ones);
Use another SATA cable (change the "tested" to a new one, new to "tested"), especially if it was somehow twisted, wrapped, and so on;
Try plugging your device into adjacent SATA ports;
Remove the solid state drive from the 2.5 ″ \\ 3.5 ”bay;
Make sure that the BIOS of the motherboard is set to AHCI mode for the controller to which the drive is connected;
Try disabling third-party SATA \\ eSATA \\ IDE controllers in the BIOS menu of the motherboard, and subsequently, other drives (hard drives, optical drives), leaving the SSD as the only drive connected;
If the system was transferred to an SSD using special software, which can often be found in the bundle for some drives, reinstall the system from scratch;
Update controller drivers for Windows (Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver or AMD AHCI Driver, or for a third party controller);
Install Windows 7 (if Windows XP was installed).
Step two
Make sure your motherboard BIOS is up to date. Typically, the version is indicated when the computer starts up, in shells such as UEFI - often written directly into them. In the Windows operating system, you can download, for example, a small and free utility CPU-Z, open the "Motherboard" section and see the BIOS version there.
Attention!:when looking for BIOS updates, download them ONLY from the official sites, ONLY for your motherboard model.
Step three
It is highly desirable that the SSD is connected to the motherboard's native SATA ports. Each motherboard has native ports, that is, supported by the existing set of logic, and also, on a number of devices there are additional SATA ports, implemented by third-party controllers. Make sure that the SSD is connected to the right ports, they usually differ in colors and have a priority sequence number (SATA_1, SATA_2) in the case when they are implemented by additional controllers or operate at lower interface speeds, on the contrary, they are at the end of the list (SATA_5, SATA_6).
To find out exactly which connectors and what they refer to, look for this information in the user manual of your motherboard, if you do not have a paper version of the manual, you can always download it from the vendor's official website in electronic format.
Step four
Many users follow the new firmware released for semiconductor drives, because they often increase performance, but do not forget that the main reason for the release of new firmware is to eliminate errors in the operation of the SSD controller logic. Therefore, it is also worth making sure your SSD has the latest firmware.
Attention!:when looking for firmware updates for SSDs, download them ONLY from the official websites, ONLY for your SSD model. Also keep in mind - this can (and most likely) completely wipe out all the information stored on the SSD.
Step five and final
If you have already done everything from the above, rechecked, rearranged, updated a hundred times, but the problem remains, you should look for information on the website of the SSD manufacturer, all the same, who else, if not him, be aware of all the problems associated with their products. Moreover, it would be preferable to read foreign vendor forums on this topic. The fact is that this situation indicates the following probable reasons:
The problem of incompatibility of your computer with a specific SSD;
Some problems known to the manufacturer, over the correction, which, of course, he is working on;
Manufacturing defects.
Despite the fact that all technologies are striving for standardization and unification, SSD is still a young storage system, so there are known cases from the series "should work, but does not work." The motherboard controller (especially if it is old) cannot work correctly with the solid state drive controller, it comes into conflict, which causes crashes. In this case, as well as in the case of a marriage, it remains only to check the device on a completely different computer or laptop. In those cases when the problem is more or less widespread, the developers try to solve it as quickly as possible, and post specific tips on how to fix the problems on their forums.
Imagine the moment, you just bought a brand new SSD drive, but when connected to a computer, it is not detected or you have been using it for a long time, but at one wonderful moment, it stopped being recognized. Of course, here you might think that it broke, burned out, in general, out of order. And the right decision would be to take it to a service center.
However, often the problem lies in the usual system errors that can occur after various failures or if you connect a new SSD. In this case, it is quite simple to fix it, we will talk about this below.
Reasons for SSD connection problems
Despite the fact that solid-state drives have a completely different storage principle, they often use the same interfaces and form factors as conventional HDDs. To connect an SSD to a computer, the SATA interface is used today. Based on this, the conclusion suggests itself that these hard drives are subject to the same when connected as SATA hard drives. Moreover, solid-state drives designed for connection to mSATA, M.2 connectors or PCI-Express slots are widely used.
There are many reasons why an SSD cannot be detected by a computer and does not want to work properly. It is important to say that they concern not only a new device connected to a PC for the first time. It also happens that a previously used hard drive stops working at one point.
A user without the appropriate knowledge and skills will likely have serious difficulties with diagnosing and then solving the problem. Therefore, we will try to understand the manifestation and solution of each of them.
We carry out initialization
The first step is to consider the situation when the computer does not see the new SSD drive the first time it is connected. That is, the drive cannot initialize on its own, and this must be done manually, as an example I will use Windows 7, however, in other versions, Windows 8 and 10, all actions will be the same:
- Press the key combination "Win + R" and enter "compmgmt.msc", then click "OK".
- We look for the item "Disk Management" in the left column and click on it.
- Select the desired one, right-click and click "Initialize Disk".
- In the new window, put a tick on it, select "MBR" or "GBT" and click "OK". It is recommended to choose "MBR"
- At the bottom of the main window, click on the disk and then select the "Create simple volume" item.
- A new window will open, click "Next".
- Now you need to specify the volume of the volume. It is not recommended to change the default parameter. Click "Next".
- Next, select any letter and click "Next" again.
- Then we select "Format this volume", in the "File system" item we mark NTFS. Click "Next".
- The main parameters will be displayed in a new window. If they match, we press "Finish".
By following the algorithm exactly, you can initialize the disk without any problems, and it will be completely ready for work.
If there is an unallocated area, then it is quite simple, you should start from point 5.
Change letter
The first time you connect a solid state drive, the OS may simply not see it. That is, physically it can be fully functional, but at the same time it will not be displayed among other local disks.
Fixing this problem is quite simple as follows:
Thus, you will quickly change the letter and solve the problem when the computer or laptop does not see the SSD device.
Filesystem type
This option is possible when the "Change drive letter" item is missing. This indicates an inconsistency in the file system, which is why the computer does not see the SSD. For normal operation of the drive in Windows, it must be in NTFS format.
That is, in order for it to become available for full-fledged work, it needs to be formatted. This method is suitable only for those hard drives that do not contain important data, because during the formatting process, all available information will be deleted.
You need to do the following:
After the drive is formatted, the problem will be fixed.
Not displayed in BIOS
In some cases, it happens that the SSD is not displayed even in the BIOS. There are two reasons why this happens, and just as many solutions. The first is a disabled SATA controller, to enable it, you need to:
It should be noted that the operating system may not be installed due to the selected mode "AHCI", in this case change it to "IDE" and after installation change back to "AHCI".
If this does not help, then you should reset the BIOS settings. If you have the appropriate knowledge, it is recommended to update the BIOS itself to the new version.
Another reason that it is not detected can be the curve of the SSD firmware at the production stage. Of course, you can try to reflash it yourself, but there is a risk that due to incorrect actions, it may finally fail. Therefore, it is better to hand it back under warranty or take it for repair.
Damaged cable or ribbon
Special attention should be paid to cables and loops, they may have been damaged and out of order. In addition, in many cases, an SSD drive does not work precisely because of an inaccurate or or incorrect connection inside the computer.
Typically, the same cables are used to connect a solid-state drive as for SATA hard drives, so the potential problems are similar to problems when connecting hard drives. We considered them in a separate article on the reasons when.
Drive failure
Finally, it is necessary to say about the probability of failure of the drive, which is why it has ceased to be detected. Even though the SSD has no moving parts, that doesn't mean it can't break.
For example, a drive controller may become faulty. In this case, the repair can be extremely difficult or completely impossible, since the memory modules, which are responsible for storing information, are located on the same microcircuit along with the controller.
Power supply failure
If the computer or laptop does not see the SSD drive, then it is worth checking the power supply. Often, due to its defects, many devices fail, and it becomes extremely difficult to repair them.
For example, the following situation may arise. You bought a new SSD, plugged it in, but it doesn't show any signs of life, it just doesn't work. The correct solution would be to return it under warranty and exchange it for another. But if the same problem arises with the next one, then most likely either the batch is defective, which happens very rarely, or the problem is in the power supply.
Without understanding electronics, it is not possible to repair the power supply on your own, so it is best to take it for diagnostics to a trusted service center.
Built-in storage
It should also be said about another feature that is characteristic exclusively of SSD drives. Sometimes it happens that a solid-state hard drive does not act as a SATA connector, but is present in the form of an integrated disk on the motherboard. In this case, the SSD is detected by the OS, but not visible in the BIOS.
Based on the fact that these disks are needed for use as service hard drives for the needs of the operating system, then the situation when the SSD is not detected in the BIOS is quite normal, since this drive is integral to the motherboard.
Now you know what to do when various malfunctions occur and you can fix them yourself. But if none of the options helped to solve your problem, then you should contact a specialized service center. Experienced employees will surely find the cause of the breakdown and help you solve it.
Compared to a hard disk, a solid-state drive has such advantages as a high level of performance and reliability, low power consumption, no noise, and much more. Therefore, more and more users choose SSD as a system. When you connect such a drive, you can find that it is not detected by the system or is not even displayed in the BIOS. It may look like there is no disk in "Explorer", Windows settings or in the BIOS boot selection list.
Problems with displaying the SSD in the system can arise for reasons such as the absence of a drive letter or initialization, the presence of hidden partitions, and a file system incompatible with Windows. At the same time, this may occur due to incorrect BIOS settings and physical damage to the disk itself or one of the elements of the connections between the motherboard and the SSD.
Reason 1: The disk is not initialized
It often happens that a new disk is not initialized when connected to a computer and, as a result, is not visible in the system. The solution is to perform the procedure manually according to the following algorithm.
- Press simultaneously "Win + R" and in the window that appears, enter compmgmt.msc. Then click "OK".
- A window will open where you should click "Disk Management".
- Right-click on the desired drive and select "Initialize Disk".
- Next, make sure that in the field "Disc 1" there is a check mark, and set the marker opposite the item with the mention of MBR or GPT. "Master Boot Record" compatible with all versions of Windows, but if you plan to use only the latest releases of this OS, it is better to choose "Table with GUID partitions".
- After completing the procedure, create a new partition. To do this, click on the disk and select Create Simple Volume.
- Will open New Volume Wizard, in which we press "Further".
- Then you need to specify the size. You can leave the default value, which is the maximum disk size, or choose a lower value. After making the necessary changes, click "Further".
- In the next window, we agree with the proposed version of the volume letter and click "Further"... If you wish, you can assign a different letter, the main thing is that it does not coincide with the existing one.
- Next, you need to format. Leave the recommended values \u200b\u200bin the fields "File system", Volume label and in addition enable the option "Quick Format".
- Click "Done".
As a result, the disk should appear in the system.
Reason 2: Missing drive letter
Sometimes an SSD does not have a letter and therefore does not appear in "Explorer"... In this case, you need to assign a letter to it.
After that, the specified storage device is recognized by the OS, and standard operations can be performed with it.
Reason 3: Missing partitions
If the disc you purchased is not new and has been used for a long time, it also may not appear in the "On my computer"... The reason for this may be damage to the system file or MBR table due to a crash, infection with a virus file, misuse, etc. In this case, the SSD is displayed in "Disk Management"but its status is "Not initialized"... In this case, it is usually recommended to perform initialization, but due to the risk of data loss, this is still not worth doing.
In addition, it is still possible that the drive is displayed as one unallocated area. Creating a new volume as usual can also result in data loss. The solution here is to restore the partition. To do this, you need certain knowledge and software, for example, MiniTool Partition Wizard, which has a corresponding option.
This should help to solve the problem, however, in a situation where there is no necessary knowledge and the necessary data is on the disk, it is better to turn to professionals.
Reason 4: Hidden section
Sometimes an SSD won't show up in Windows due to a hidden partition. This is possible if the user has hidden the volume with third-party software to prevent access to the data. The solution is to restore the partition using disk management software. The same MiniTool Partition Wizard copes well with this task.
After that, hidden sections will appear in "Explorer".
Reason 5: Unsupported file system
If after following the above steps, SSD still does not appear in "Explorer"the file system of the disk may be different from the FAT32 or NTFS that Windows works with. Typically, such a drive appears in the disk manager as an area "RAW"... To fix the problem, you need to follow the steps below.
Reason 6: Problems with BIOS and hardware
There are four main reasons the BIOS is not detecting the presence of an internal solid state drive.
SATA is disabled or has the wrong mode
Incorrect BIOS settings
The BIOS will also not recognize the drive if there are incorrect settings. It is easy to check by the system date - if it does not match the true date, this indicates a failure. To fix it, you must perform a reset and return to standard parameters according to the sequence of steps below.
Alternatively, you can remove the battery, which in our case is next to the PCIe slots.
Data cable defective
The BIOS will also not detect the SSD if the SATA cable is damaged. In this case, you need to check all the connections between the motherboard and the SSD. It is advisable not to allow any bends or pinching of the cable when laying. This can damage the wires inside the insulation, although the outside of the material may look normal. If there is any doubt about the condition of the cable, it is best to replace it. Seagate recommends using cables less than 1 meter in length to connect SATA devices. Longer ones can sometimes fall out of the connectors, so be sure to check that they are tightly connected to the SATA ports.
Defective solid state drive
If, after carrying out the above procedures, the disk is still not displayed in the BIOS, most likely there is a factory defect or physical damage to the device. Here you need to contact a computer repair shop or the supplier of the SSD, after making sure of the warranty.
Conclusion
In this article, we examined the reasons for the absence of a solid state drive in the system or in the BIOS when it is connected. The source of such a problem can be both the condition of the disk or cable, as well as various software failures and incorrect settings. Before proceeding to fix one of the listed methods, it is recommended to check all connections between the SSD and the motherboard, try replacing the SATA cable.
