Install and Boot from PCIe SSD when other hdd is connected

czernobog

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Hi all,
I bought a new Plextor M6e SSD today and I want to run Windows 8.1 on it. So far this SSD model worked fine with Windows 7, that is after plugging in the drive into the M.2 slot the windows installer ran fine, detected the ssd and installed the system.

I sadly cannot get it to work with 8.1 :( The windows installer program stalls right after chooseing the instalation language and clicking "Install". The part where you choose the drive should be shown, but the installer seems to hang. The installation works only, if I disconnect all of my other drives, which are ocnnected to the mainboard via SATA.

After installing the OS it also only wants to boot when other drives are disconnected. In the boot options menu there is a "WIndows Boot Loader" option, whis is the only one too work, when I choose the drive itself, the OS wont boot with the missing boot record error.

Is there any way to remediate it? Plextor support knows nothing of this issue.Thanks in advance!!

Specs:MB: Asus Maximus VII Gene with latest BIOS. PCIe slot running in M.2 mode.
SSD: Plextor m6e M.2 256GB

EDIT: In some spark of enlightenment I think I found a solution. I ran the repair tools from a usb stick (the one which gets created with a windows 8.1 setup tool), chose repair > advanced > "UEFI firmware setting" (sorry if the name is not correct, I'm using a non-english version). After this I powered down the PC, connected the drives again, the automatic repair tool ran during startup and the system bootet fine!

EDIT2: I browsed aroung a bit and found this: https://www.winhelp.us/repair-your-computer-in-windows-8.html
See: Windows 8 or 8.1 is unable to boot from a GPT drive on UEFI-enabled devices

Could the cause be that, after I have connected the SSD and launched the installer, the drive was formatted and a GTP (not MBR) partition was created and windows was installed on it? Does it have to do with the windows verison I have put on the USB stick with the Windows 8.1 setup tool?
Would it be safer, if I first initialized the SSD as MBR on another running system an only installed Windows 8.1 after that?
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel 4670k
    Motherboard
    Asus Maximus VII Gene
    Memory
    Corsair XMS3 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus GTX 670
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