Samsung series 9 NP900X4D-a03ca problems after formating ssd and trying to do a fresh install of windows 8.1.

Long story short need help can no longer see my ssd during windows 8.1 install (via usb) where it says where do you want to install windows my ssd won't show up?

Originally the system came with w7 installed, so i decided to install windows 8.1 and i mistakenly deleted the recovery partition in the installation window, after that i no longer see my ssd. I thought maybe it's biso issues so i revert the bios to default (by pressing F9) it now shows my ssd in bios but when ever i change to boot settings, where it says internal lan enabled and pxe oprom to uefi, it loads to the installation w8.1 but i can't see my ssd, also it no longer shows up in bios. But if i change internal lan to disabled it shows ssd in bios but it won't boot up the w8.1 installation. I am lost as to what i am doing wrong, i thing since i deleted my recovery partition on my ssd it can't detect it because the drivers for my ssd is no longer there.


Please help, and thanks in advance.


ssd sandisk 128gb.

 

Hi jkd25, welcome to NBR.

It sounds like there may be a mismatch between the UEFI settings in your BIOS and the partition style of your SSD.

Since your computer came with Win7 originally, I assume it does NOT have the new UEFI firmware of later Win8.x models. Please confirm that by verifying that your BIOS does NOT have SecureBoot. If you can confirm that, your computer was originally installed in good old BIOS mode (UEFI disabled) and your SSD is partitioned using the good old MBR style.

This is important, since it affects how to create the Windows Setup USB and how to set your BIOS before you install:

Try the following:

1) In BIOS set the following:

Fast Boot/Fast BIOS=disabled (can be changed back after installation)
UEFI Boot=disabled
Boot Priority=SSD, USB

2) Create your Win8.1 Setup USB using the classic Microsoft USB ISO creation tool. Many users have problems because they use this tool when trying to create an UEFI installation, which will not work. But in your case (installing with UEFI disabled) it is fine.

3) When you boot the USB Setup, tap F10 immediately after power-on to manually select a boot source. You should be able to select the USB and run Windows Setup.

4) Now being in classic BIOS mode (non-UEFI) Windows setup should be able to see your SSD.

If Windows Setup still cannot see the SSD, it may have been inadvertently converted to GPT style (the one used with UEFI installations). This could have happened if you began installing Win8.1 in UEFI mode and Windows Setup was allowed to wipe and convert the SSD. In that case, you will have to convert it back to MBR. Press Shift-F10 in Setup to open a command prompt and use the following commands:

DISKPART (to start the Disk Partition manager)
LIST DISK (to show all your disks. Notice which one is your SSD)
SELECT DISK 0 (assuming 0 was the number of your SSD)
DETAIL DISK (just to verify that you selected the right disk)
CLEAN (to wipe the disk)
CONVERT MBR (to convert the disk from GPT to MBR)
EXIT (to close DISKPART)
EXIT (to close Command Prompt)

Note that these commands will (again) wipe your SSD, but I understand you already lost its content, including Recovery.

Please let us know your progress after trying this.

 

Thank you for your respond. Disregard my post regarding i changed the uefi in bios, then my ssd no longer showed. Actually i changed the ahci mode control in bios to manual then set ahci to disabled,then changed the boot priority ssd first and hdd usb second (usb 8.1 os) It booted to my usb, but when it shows where to instal w8.1 my ssd won't show? i also opened control prompt, and did what you suggested but my ssd didn't show up only my usb.

It does have secure boot option in the bios. I understand that ahci has to be enabled, to show ssd, but when i enable it and change the other settings like secure boot to disabled and os mode selection to uefi and csm os. It doesn't load the usb no mater what i do. Even if i press f10 and pick my usb stick, it will show smasung logo and the circular thing to show its loading, then it just goes black screen and nothing after words,no w8 logo. But when i disable ahci mode it boots my usb perfectly. But my ssd doesn't show up... weird.

Please help as i have been researching to no avail.

 

Make sure that the Fast BIOS mode (or whatever it is called) is turned off in the BIOS.

If it is enabled then the BIOS skips bootable USB devices. it's possible that disabling AHCI effectively disables the Fast BIOS mode.

John

 

Thank you jhon. Yeah your right, it won't boot my usb without turning fast mode off (disabled) I tried that, thats what it does what i posted above you. If i don't disable it, even if i disable achi it wont boot into usb, unless i disable it. So that's not the problem.

Thanks once again, for the reply.

 

Win8.x has built-in drivers for the Ivy Bridge chipset and hence supports AHCI mode out of the box, so you should be able to leave AHCI enabled without problems -- although toggling it has admittedly been reported to fix a sporadic problem with SSDs not showing up on some Series 9 models.

The fact that you have a newer BIOS with SecureBoot changes my assumptions about your system. And the fact that you are currently running OS Mode Selection=UEFI & CSM OS makes me even more convinced that the problem is a mismatch between your UEFI setting and the SSD's partition layout.

If it came with Win7 from the factory, we can still assume that it was MBR originally. But if you tried to install Win8.1 after setting OS Mode Selection=UEFI & CSM OS, then Windows Setup will have converted it to GPT, preparing for an UEFI installation. That would also explain how your Recovery partition was deleted (if you didn't do it intentionally).

The easiest thing to try now is to set OS Mode Selection=CSM OS and see if Win8.1 Setup will detect the SSD. For this, your installation USB stick MUST be created as as MBR (NTFS or FAT32). Microsoft's ISO/USB tool will do that for you.

If that doesn't work, then try again with OS Mode Selection=UEFI OS. For this, your installation USB stick MUST be created as as GPT and FAT32, otherwise it will not boot. Rufus can do this for you (Google it) or you can create it manually (as described in this guide).

Once you are able to see the SSD in DISKPART, convert it to MBR (if you want a legacy BIOS installation) or GPT (if you want an UEFI installation). Then go back and make sure OS Mode Selection is set accordingly, and try installing again.

In any case do you want Fast BIOS/Fast Boot=disabled and AHCI=enabled and SecureBoot=disabled while you install. Fast BIOS/Fast Boot can be re-enabled after completed installation to shave a few seconds (or less) from your boot time. SecureBoot can be enabled after completed UEFI installation (ONLY) to protect your system against some rootkits and malware.

 

I also tried changing these settings in bios:

achi disabled.

Boot device property: ssd 1st and hdd usb 2nd.

os mode selection: uefi and csm os.

internal lan; enabled.

pxe oprom: legacy only.

After restarting the system, it booted to usb w8, but when it came to where to install. My ssd didn't show. Followed command prompt same thing as my second post, but now my bios shows no ssd installed in system info.

 

Please, you are trying too many things. There are ONLY two combinations that work:

1) OS Mode Selection=UEFI OS AND SSD converted to GPT AND installation USB stick created as GPT/FAT32 (using Rufus or manually).

OR

2) OS Mode Selection=CSM OS AND SSD converted to MBR AND installation USB stick created as MBR (using Microsoft's ISO/USB tool).

In either case do you need Fast BIOS/Fast Boot=disabled and AHCI=enabled and SecureBoot=disabled while you install.

Any other combination will either fail to boot the installation USB stick or fail to detect the SSD.

 

Sorry i didn't see your post, that's why i tried that. Thank you once again for your help, i believe that is the problem, the usb needs to be converted correctly i am using novicorp wintoflash.

Will try what you suggested, and post back.

Thanks.

 

Cool, no problem. I realize our posts just crossed each other. Microsoft has made Windows installation much more tricky after they switched to UEFI, so lots of people have problems if they don't get the combinations just right.

 

Finally had some time today, to try out what you wrote. I tried both ways, no luck, same thing won't load w8. I tried converting my usb with microsoft tool, and w8 wouldn't load. Then i tried rufus and converted the usb to gpt and fat32, no w8 boot same thing. So then i thought it has to be my usb stick, tried a different one lexar 8gb usb 2.0 still same thing. I have no idea what to do next? Forgot to mention i also tried the manually way of formatting.

After all that, then i I tried to make a boot-able usb with linux so i can get into os and format it, but it won't even let me do that. So then i thought ok maybe i should use a external usb and disable ahci so it can boot into the w8, then install w8 on it, but w8 says you can't install w8 on a external device........WOW! i am stuck, with a 1000$ computer that i can't do nothing with but go into the bios. My hp 2000 laptop that i purchased for dirt cheap, and i installed w8.1 on it easily, no converting usb or changing up any settings besides boot priority. While this laptop that cost me 5x the hp, is giving me a headache to do such a simple job.

Here is some pic: on how the bios on my laptop looks, and what programs i used and what settings just to show you i did it correctly.



Thanks for your help Daneermand i hope you have more suggestion on what to do.

 

That's a seriously out-of-date BIOS which might well be a contributory factor.

Last time I looked the BIOS was up to P10ABK. You can get the file called "ITEM_20131114_21268_WIN_P10ABK.exe" here, However, you will have to have some form of Windows running (or maybe DOS will do) in order to run the BIOS installer program.

John

 

I understand that previously you were able to boot Win8.1 Setup from USB, but it just couldn't see your SSD during Setup, so you were unable to proceed with the installation. But now you are saying you cannot even boot the Win8.1 Setup USB?

I assume you DID match the two different ways of creating the USB with different UEFI settings, right?

1) Installation USB stick created as GPT/FAT32 (using Rufus or manually) ONLY boots with OS Mode Selection=UEFI OS (and SSD must be converted to GPT in order to proceed with installation).

2) Installation USB stick created as MBR/NTFS (using Microsoft's ISO/USB tool) ONLY boots with OS Mode Selection=CSM OS (and SSD must be converted to MBR in order to proceed with installation).

3) Similarly, a Linux LiveUSB must be created to match your UEFI setting. You can try using OS Mode Selection=UEFI & CSM OS, which should boot either type. However, I advise some care here, since your model and BIOS are from the time when many Samsung laptops were bricked by Linux.

I apologize for even asking. I just had to make sure

How do you select that you want to boot from USB? You can either select it under Boot Priority in BIOS or simply Tap F10 immediately after power on to temporarily select a boot source.

John has a great point that your BIOS is very outdated. Win8.1 is known for requiring the latest BIOS version. In order to update it, maybe you should just install a plain old Windows 7. You can download the ISO from Digital River and put it on a USB using the Microsoft ISO/USB tool.

Before you begin such an installation, I suggest you reset your BIOS settings to default and save them. Then reboot and go back into BIOS and switch to legacy BIOS mode ( OS Mode Selection=CSM OS) as described in my first response to you ( here). Also make sure to disable Fast Boot/Fast BIOS. Hopefully Win7 Setup will detect your SSD so you can convert it to MBR (as also described in that post).

Make sure you have your original Win7 Product Key ready. But even if you don't, you do not have to Activate during Windows Setup. It will run for 30 days, which should give you plenty of time to update the BIOS.

 

Ok after many attempts finally got the bios installed, by removing the ssd and creating a external w8.1 boot device, then booting in it. But i still can't install windows 8 or 7, i tried going into the bios and changing the settings to the right settings for uefi : csm os and the external flash drive formatted to ntfs, using the windows program, it won't boot into usb.

So now that the bios is updated it still, doing the same thing. Man what a headache, this has given me.

 

I'm wondering if the U100 SSD is sulking. Time to try a new SSD?

This would also give you computer a useful capacity and performance boost.

John

 

Thank you for the update. And well done getting the BIOS updated.

I am still trying to understand exactly what your situation is:

1) I think you are saying that after removing the SSD, you were able to boot a USB flash drive containing Win8.1 Setup, and then install Windows onto an external HDD. And that is how you were able to update the BIOS. Is that correctly understood?

2) Which BIOS settings did you use when you performed this installation (OS Mode Selection, Fast BIOS/Fast Boot, AHCI, Boot Priority)?

3) I assume you already tried the same BIOS settings and same Win8.1 USB flash drive to install on the SSD, but Windows Setup will not detect the SSD. Is that correctly understood?

4) As John pointed to, I am increasingly thinking that your SSD has become defective or (hopefully not) the mSATA connector or controller on motherboard may have a problem. Looking in Device Manager (when running Windows from that external drive you created) do you see any explanation marks that might indicate problems with the SATA controller?

5) Do you have an mSATA USB adapter that allows you to test the SSD (on another computer or on this computer running from the external drive you installed)? If so, you could try initializing the SSD with Minitool Partition Wizard (Google it). Still using Minitool, convert it to GPT (if you want to make an UEFI installation) or to GPT (if you want to do a legacy BIOS installation). Maybe that will allow you to install on it after you put it back into the Sammy.

6) Or, as also noted by John, try another SSD.