new SSD boots only when boot USB stick is present

I replaced my internal 1TB HDD with 500 GB Samsung 850 EVO.

I decided not to clone but I went to install Windows 10 as fresh.

All went well but I noticed that when I remove my external USB, which I used for installing Windows 10, the SSD doesn't boot.

It works only when the boot stick is present. Any idea how I could fix this?

Solution: Use DVD to install Windows instead of USB

 

1) Are you installing in UEFI or CSM (legacy BIOS) mode?

Make sure the SSD's partition style matches that selection: If UEFI make sure the SSD is GPT. If CSM/legacy BIOS make sure the SSD is MBR.

You can use Minitool Partition Wizard to view the SSD's current partition style. If it doesn't match, you need to convert it (use Minitool for this as well) then install Windows again. Make sure you remove the USB stick when Windows Setup is ready to boot for the first time.

But frankly, Windows Setup should have converted the SSD as necessary, which makes me wonder if something else is going on.

2) Does the SSD show up on the Booth Priority page in BIOS?

If it does NOT show up there, or if you are unable to get into BIOS as all with F2, you may be looking at NVRAM corruption.

If that is the problem, you are very lucky that you are able to boot Windows (in your case via the USB stick) since you need a running Windows to fix the problem. Again, IF NVRAM corruption is what's going on, you should be very careful not to lose this advantage. I'd say avoid booting or shutting down Windows if you can. Go straight to the guide linked below (link copied from our Samsung forum sticky list) and follow the steps there, except you can skip steps 1 & 3 because you already have a running Windows.

Unbrick when F-keys don't work at boot, cannot enter BIOS

3) And then there is the simple explanation that Windows Setup somehow decided to place its boot files on your USB stick instead of the SSD -- which is most likely to happen if it's a newer USB3 stick of the kind that looks to Windows like a fixed drive instead of a removable drive.

In that case you can try booting Windows Setup again from the USB, then use its repair options. I haven't tried that with Win10, but I assume these repair options are there and that they're self-explanatory.

Good luck. Please keep us posted on your progress

 

I don't see this in my Bios. This laptop came with Win 7 with free upgrade to Win 8.1 and now in 10.

Yes. I see it. Also when I boot with USB on, the "Drive management" shows the SSD as "Primary, Boot, Page Partition).

I am able to enter the Bios.

Hmm. Will try repair option.

Now i have removed the SSD and inserted my old Hdd and it works fine without boot stick.

I'll try the first option.

Thank you.

 

Thank you for the update.

If your laptop came with Win7, that means UEFI was disabled from factory. Certainly if you say there is no UEFI option in BIOS (which I would have thought) or if you never enabled any UEFI options in BIOS, that means you are running in legacy BIOS mode. That means, in turn, that your boot HDD/SDD must use good old MBR partition style.

If the new SSD was delivered using GPT partition style, that would explain the behavior you are seeing.

Again, use Minitool Partition Wizard to verify that indeed the SSD is GPT (since otherwise the problem is elsewhere), change it to MBR, then re-install Windows.

The fact that you are able to get into BIOS with F2 indicates that your laptop is NOT suffering from NVRAM corruption -- which is great, since that would have been the worst case.

So you're on a good track here

 

I installed Mini Partition Wizard 10. How can I se the GPT? I don't see anything in properties.

Diskpart shows the following

DISKPART> list disk

Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt
-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---
Disk 0 Online 931 GB 6144 KB
Disk 1 Online 22 GB 3072 KB
Disk 2 Online 465 GB 1024 KB

Disk 0 - 1TB HDD
Disk 1 - 22GB iSSD
Disk 2 New SSD

 

I've been away from my PC since my last post, and I am afraid I don't remember Minitool's menus off the top of my head. It should be fairly straightforward, though.

But from your DISKPART list, it doesn't appear that the SSD is GPT -- which would indicate the problem is elsewhere. If you want to give it a try anyway, you can use CONVERT MBR in DISKPART.

Alternatively you can use Windows Disk Management: If it gives you an option to Convert to MBR when you right-click the Disk (NOT the partition, the disk) then that means it's currently GPT.

Just know that your SSD will be completely wiped if you convert it. You will start with a blank SSD and need to install Windows anew.

Just to check one last time: The SSD is selected under Boot Priority in BIOS, right? I apologize, I know that's trivial, but I have to ask

Edit: Oh, another trivial one: Make sure your System/MSR partition (usually 100MB just in front of your Windows partition) is marked Active. You can use DISKPART, Windows Disk Management or Minitool for that. But seriously, something must have gone badly wrong during Windows Setup if the System/MSR partition and its boot store aren't properly set up. You said you'd already tried Windows Setup's Repair options, right?

It can be fixed with BCDBOOT and BOOTSECT commands, but I'd say re-install Windows instead as other things could be wrong as well in that case.

 

Actually the MiniTool tells me I can only convert from MBR to GPT. I see in properties that SSD is "MBR".

Will try this.

Yes I see in the Boot Prio. Also you are helping a random person so you don't need to ask apology . Thank you for the help.

I guess I will start all over again. The SSD wasn't initialised. I used the Windows Drive Management to initialise.

 

@ Dannemand

OK. I did the following:
I reactivated the SSD as MBR and tried to start Windows 10 all over again. I installed it and after the first reboot the PC is looking for the USB boot disk.

This is what I see during install. The SSD 500 GB.

https://imgur.com/a/4uOtK

After the first restart, I see this https://imgur.com/a/lPCN2


Here is the ssd (connected via USB) from the disk management https://imgur.com/a/yz5tb

Here is the view from mini partition tool https://imgur.com/a/67qbW

As you can see it show the SSD and the DVD drive. Selecting SSD comes back to same screen.

any ideas?

Thank you!

 

Your issd has an active partition, this is what may be killing it. fully reformat the issd. What happens is at boot the issd does not exist but once the bios initializes the issd comes alive and grabs the system as the active partition. of course it can not boot from the issd so the system needs the usb to initialize the primary drive.

 

See the iSSD messing up Windows installation problem.

John

 

@TANWare and @John Ratsey: Thank you both. It is mind boggling that I overlooked the classic iSSD conflict as a cause of this problem

@Ripcord999: It is an TANWare wrote: You generally cannot install Windows from USB on models that have iSSD (ExpressCache) because Windows Setup gets confused and places its boot partition (MSR) on the iSSD -- which isn't bootable.

Now that it has been pointed out, I am almost certain that has to be your problem. I apologize for taking you on such a long and unscenic route before getting there.

The easiest solution is to install Windows from DVD instead.

Alternatively, you can use one of the workarounds in posts #1 and #2 of this thread to manually place boot files on your Windows partition. That's the same thread linked by John. Simply wiping the iSSD probably won't do it, although it is worth trying.

 

Thanks Guys!

I can try with DVD install. But on the other hand, do you think I can do cloning of iSSD partition? would tat work? Just curious.

 

No, also you have to clear the iSSD first. If you do not then the system may think the MBR belongs there and you are right back where you started.

 

So easier would be to put the SSD and install via a DVD?

 

It all worked out fine after I used DVD to install.

Thank you guys for your help. Never in a million years would have thought about this.

 

We should have noticed the iSSD when you first posted the DISKPART info and might have thought of the iSSD issue even earlier if you had mentioned the notebook model (no doubt mentioned elsewhere but could be usefully put in your signature.

However, I'm also a little surprised that wonderful Windows 10 gets caught out by the iSSD in the same way as the earlier Windows versions. Probably one one line of code in the installer if Samsung notebook and iSSD then avoid iSSD) could fix the issue.

John

 

TBH It was not post #5 with DISKPART info but https://imgur.com/a/67qbW from post #8 that got me there.

 

No need to beat around the bush: I should have spotted that this problem might be in play right away when @Ripcord999 posted that he had installed from USB, and I should have asked for a model number and whether it had ExpressCache. I've answered countless questions about this in the past. Checking for iSSD is Samsung 101.

At the very latest should I have spotted it when I saw the DISKPART list in post #5.

Heck, this very issue on my own NP700Z3A is what brought me to NBR in the first place, and I posted one of the first guides ( here) of my solution when one has to install from USB on a model with ExpressCache (such as when no optical drive is available).

I took on helping in this case, it is an area I often cover and in which I've gathered some expertise. I just didn't connect the dots this time. I apologize to everyone for the wasted time and effort.

BTW, Ripcord999, thank you for posting the solution in your opening post!

 

Don't apologize! It's good for us to repeat this learning process, even if it did take a little time. This particular problem doesn't seem to be occurring so frequently so it slips to the back of the mind. Perhaps that's because many people are running OK without the need for Windows reinstallation or maybe the number of Samsung notebooks with the iSSD that are still in service is reducing.

John

 

I was not aware of the constant issue of USB and iSSD install's just that the iSSD can cause an issue. I can sauy with W10 once usiung a DVD install the iSSD on the NP700G7C here caused an issue.

 

Hmmm... interesting. I don't think I've ever experienced or heard of Windows Setup being confused by the iSSD when installing from DVD. I wonder if it's because of the G7C BIOS being a little different from other Series 7 models, which I think you told me in the past.

@John Ratsey: Thanks. It's just mind boggling to me that I didn't think of it. That's all. But indeed, fewer ExpressCache models are in service, we definitely see that here.

Busy week, take care all!

 

Yes the bios is different, not true UEFI. I am not sure why it got confused but it did but since it was not true UEFI recovery was super easy as I was not locked out. With the true UEFI bios's I remember the systems would appear to brick.

 

@Dannemand Man! you are really being harsh on yourself. Like I said earlier, you are helping some random souls here. You guys int he forums are doing great work, out of personal interest. I'm always grateful for this.

Cheers

 

@Ripcord999: Thank you. Don't worry, it's not like I lie sleepless at night over this

We found the right solution in the end, and you made it work. That's what matters!

 

I just wanted to thank you folks, because of the info I found in this thread I was able to help a friend out who had a similar problem.