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How to Install Windows 10 on NVMe SSD and SATA Drives

Summary: How to install Windows 10 on systems with both NVMe SSD and SATA drives. This guide providessolutions for storage detection issues, BIOS setup instructions, and steps to ensure a smooth Windows installation on Dell devices. ...

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Symptoms

The current Dell Windows 10 media fail to install on computers that are configured with both Serial ATA (SATA) Hard Disk Drives (hard drive)s and Non-Volatile Memory (NVMe) high-performance Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) solid state drives (SSDs).

NVMe SSD drives are available on select Dell computers such as:

  • OptiPlex 7440, 7040, 5040
  • Latitude E7470, E7270, E5270, E5470, E5570
  • Precision 3510, 5510, 7510, 7710
  • XPS 9350, 9550, 9250
  • Alienware X51, 15 R2, 13 R2
NOTE: As previously mentioned this issue and workaround is only valid for computers that have NVMe SSD AND SATA Storage Drives installed.
If the computer only has a SATA Drive present, turning off the device results in a failure to detect any storage devices.

Cause

There is an incompatibility between the Current Windows 10 recovery environment (WinRE) storage drivers and the NVMe high-performance SSD drivers when there is a combination of SSDs and HDDs on the same computer.

Resolution

Workaround

The current workaround is to disable all the SATA Storage device (HDD/SSD) controllers in the computer Basic Input and Output System (BIOS) before performing the Windows 10 install to the NVMe SSD from Dell media.

After disabling the SATA Storage Device, you also have to ensure that the BIOS is set up correctly by following these Steps:

  1. Enter the BIOS by pressing F2 multiple times while the Dell Logo is shown.
  2. Go to Boot Sequence and set Boot List Option to UEFI
  3. Go to SATA Operation and choose AHCI
  4. In Advanced Boot Option, you click Enable Legacy Option ROMs
  5. Set Secure Boot to Disable

Once the Windows installation is completed, the SATA Storage Device controllers can be reenabled without any issues, and both the NVMe drive and one or more SATA drives function normally. No further changes are necessary.

Dell Engineering has addressed this issue, and a fix was incorporated into the latest Dell Windows 10 media release. Recovery media options are available at Dell Windows Backup Media and Recovery Options.

Additional Information

SLN301036_en_US__1Windows
More information and support for your Windows operating systems can be found on our Windows Support webpage.

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Article Properties
Article Number: 000132465
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 15 okt 2024
Version:  11
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