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XPS 8930, upgrading 256GB boot SSD to 1TB, not seen in F12 Boot Menu
Hello all.
XPS 8930, Windows 11 Pro, 32GB RAM, 256GB (Boot) SSD, 2TB HDD (Data)
I have successfully cloned my original Toshiba 256GB SSD boot disk which came with my Dell XPS 8930. I bought and successfully installed a Crucial P3 Plus 1TB M.2 PCIe NVME SSD. I installed it on the spare PCIe X4 slot on the motherboard. I then successfully cloned the old SSD (ensuring all partitions moved across) to the new SSD using Macrium Reflect 8.
The new SSD is visible in Disk Management. However, when attempting to change the boot order to the new cloned SSD, it is not visible in BIOS Main Menu or F12 Boot Menu / Boot Option 1 under Windows Boot Manager options. (images attached).
Using (F12) to access Boot Options, the new SSD is visible under UEFI Options and I can select it and it loads Windows 11 successfully as if it were the old SSD. In checking Disk Management it shows that c:\ is the new SSD.
When I restart, it boots back to the old SSD !!!
Using F12 indefinitely is a pain.
Am I missing something to be able to make the new SSD visible in BIOS to be able to change the Boot Order?
I have researched this endlessly in Google, Forums, YouTube, etc. There are so many opinions and suggestions that end up with no solution, hence why I am starting a new thread.
Any help is appreciated.
Chino de Oro
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February 11th, 2024 20:56
No, I was suggesting to remove the old boot drive after the cloning process so that you can test the new drive functionality. BIOS settings should always use Windows Boot Manager as first boot and it should select the new drive automatically. You do not need to alter BIOS settings.
Once you know the new drive can operate well, installing the old drive and wipe it for data use or just keep it outside as a backup.
Chino de Oro
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February 10th, 2024 20:53
The system does not like to have 2 identical boot drives in the system. After a cloning process, remove the old boot drive, and boot with new SSD only.
Hypergraphia82
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February 11th, 2024 14:29
@Chino de Oro Thanks for your input. Are you suggesting that the new SSD will somehow 'appear' in BIOS main screen once I remove the old boot SSD from the M.2 slot on the motherboard? I'll try it, but given that I am able to boot to the new SSD from (F12), I'm not convinced it will appear.
Vic384
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February 11th, 2024 23:10
Adding what @Chino de Oro wrote, if you install the old drive to wipe it, you need to boot using F12 to make sure you are booting from the new drive before you wipe the old drive.
(edited)
Hypergraphia82
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February 13th, 2024 18:15
@Chino de Oro Thanks again. Your suggestion was spot on! I had to reclone as a few days had passed, so the previous clone was out-of-date, but it didn't take long. I then checked that the cloned drive was visible under F12 boot options, which it was (thanks for the reminder @Vic384) I then removed the old SSD. Was a bit tricky, as the M.2 slot is behind the large graphics card.
Here's another question for you, if you don't mind. I intend to use the old SSD in an external enclosure attached to USB, for temporary tasks. The M.2 slot on the motherboard that it came from I intend to add a 2 or 4TB SSD (Crucial have compatible options) to replace my 2TB HDD. However, I read on a post somewhere that Dell suggest a max of 1TB, which seems to be old info? More worryingly, it also suggested that the M.2 slot can only be used with a boot SSD (C:\) !!! Is this true in your opinion?
(edited)
Chino de Oro
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February 13th, 2024 21:28
For the old SSD, you can install into a USB enclosure and using Diskpart (built-in Windows) to Clean and Partition for usage as external USB drive.
For the M.2 slot on motherboard, you can install a 2 TB or 4 TB of your choosing and use it as data drive. Dell specifications have maximum of tested and validated for the selected drives Dell sold with the systems, not a maximum limitation by technology.
You can also swap place and move the new boot drive to M.2 slot and use the PCIe adapter for storage. They would work either ways.
Hypergraphia82
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February 13th, 2024 22:39
@Chino de Oro Thanks for confirming.
Chino de Oro
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February 14th, 2024 06:02
Glad to help out.