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If you’re using a laptop with an M.2 slot and you’re having trouble getting your drive to show up, don’t worry – you’re not alone. In this post, we’ll walk you through the steps to take to get your drive up and to run. We’ll also explain what M.2 is and how it works, in case you’re new to this type of storage. So whether your drive isn’t appearing in Windows or macOS, keep reading for our helpful tips.
People are constantly looking for things in the world of PCs and laptops, wondering if they are compatible with their devices. In a majority of cases, the answer is yes. But for those who have M.2 drives, there can be some confusion. M.2 is a newer technology that not everyone is familiar with yet – but don’t worry, we’re here to help clear things up.
M.2 drives are becoming more popular as time goes on because they offer a lot of advantages over traditional hard drives and SSDs. They are faster, more energy-efficient, and take up less space. However, because they are newer, there can be some compatibility issues. If you’re having trouble getting your M.2 drive to show up on your computer, don’t worry – we’ll walk you through the steps to take to get it up and to run.
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How to Properly Install an M.2 Drive?
There are typically several reasons why a drive isn’t appearing. The most common reason is that the drive isn’t formatted correctly. If you’re sure the drive is connected properly, check to see if it’s been formatted by opening “My Computer” (PC) or “Finder” (Mac). If the drive doesn’t appear there, right-click on “My Computer” and select “Manage.” From the window that opens, select “Disk Management” from the left sidebar. This will show all drives connected to your computer. If the M.2 drive doesn’t appear here, it likely hasn’t been formatted.
Another possibility is that the drive isn’t set up as a bootable device. To check this, open ” Disk Management” as described above. Right-click on the M.2 drive and select “properties.” In the middle of the properties window, you should see a message telling you if the drive is bootable or not. If it’s not, you can set it as bootable by checking the “Enable Boot” setting and clicking “OK.”
If you’re having trouble getting your M.2 drive to show up in Windows, the problem could be with the installation. In order to ensure that the drive is properly seated and connected, follow these steps:
1. Power down your PC and unplug all cables.
2. Remove the existing expansion card or storage drive from the M.2 slot, if necessary.
3. Line up the notches on the M.2 drive with the key on the slot, then insert at a 45-degree angle.
4. Apply firm pressure straight down until the drive is fully inserted into the slot. If necessary, use a small flathead screwdriver to secure the drive in place by tightening or loosening the screws on either side.
5. Replace any expansion cards or storage drives that were removed in Step 2, then reconnect all cables and power on your PC.
If your M.2 drive still isn’t showing up in Windows after following these steps, there could be a problem with the drive itself or with the motherboard compatibility. Try troubleshooting the issue by checking for firmware updates, resetting the BIOS, or contacting your motherboard manufacturer for further assistance.
What to Do If an M.2 Drive Isn’t Recognized?
If you’ve installed an M.2 drive and it isn’t showing up in your computer’s file explorer, don’t panic. There are a few things you can try to get it up and running.
First, check to see if the drive is properly connected to the motherboard. If it’s not firmly seated in the slot, it may not be making good contact with the pins. Try removing and reinserting the drive to make sure it’s properly seated.
If that doesn’t work, try booting into your BIOS or UEFI settings (reboot your computer and look for a message telling you which key to press to access these settings). In your BIOS or UEFI settings, look for something called “M.2 Configuration” or “M.2 Settings.”
If you don’t see anything like that, try looking for an “Advanced” or “Boot Options” menu. In there, you should find a setting called “Enable SATA Controller Mode” or something similar. Change that to “IDE” or “Compatibility” mode and save your changes.
After making this change, reboot your computer again and see if the drive shows up in Windows. If it does, you can change the mode back to AHCI in your BIOS without any problems.
If none of the drives are showing up, it’s likely that the M.2 slot on your motherboard is disabled. To enable it, you’ll need to enter your BIOS settings. The process for doing this varies from one manufacturer to another, but generally speaking, you can access the BIOS by pressing a key (usually F2, F12, DEL, or ESC) during bootup.
How to Initialize an M.2 SSD Drive?
That Isn’t Showing Up in Windows 10
If you have an M.2 solid-state drive that isn’t being recognized by Windows 10, it’s likely because you need to initialize the drive before using it. This is a quick and easy process, but before we get started, there are a few things you should know.
First, if your M.2 SSD is brand new, it probably doesn’t have any data on it yet. That means you won’t lose any important files by initializing the drive. However, if you’ve already been using the drive and it contains important data, make sure to back up that data before proceeding.
Second, initialization will erase all the data on your M.2 SSD, so you’d better backup the data before you try to fix the not showing up M.2 SSD problem.
Third, if your M.2 SSD is new or you have never initialized it before, you need to initialize it in Disk Management so that Windows can recognize and use it. After initializing the disk, please create a new partition on it so that you can store files on it.
Fourth, if your M.2 SSD has been used before and suddenly doesn’t show up in Windows 10/8/7, re-initializing or formatting will probably solve the problem. But all the data stored on this disk will be erased after initialization or formatting, so please remember to back up important data in advance.
Finally, if the methods above failed to make your M.2 SSD show up in Windows, it’s very likely that there is something wrong with the disk or the system. In this case, you can try connecting the M.2 SSD to another computer to see if it can be recognized or not. If not, please send the M.2 SSD to a professional data recovery service for help.
We hope this article helped you solve the problem of your M.2 SSD not showing up in Windows 10/8/7. If you have any other questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave us a comment below.
Third-Party Software Check?
If you have installed any third-party software that could be interfering with your M.2 drive, try uninstalling it and seeing if that fixes the problem.
Sometimes, a simple firmware update can solve the problem. Check with the manufacturer of your M.2 drive to see if there are any available updates, and follow their instructions for installing them.
If you’ve tried all of the above and your M.2 drive still isn’t showing up, you may need to migrate your data to a new drive. There are a few different ways to do this, but we recommend using a tool like EaseUS Todo Backup Free. This will clone your existing drive and make an exact copy on your new drive.
Once you’ve cloned your data to the new drive, you can then format the old drive and use it as a backup or for storage.
We hope this article helped you get your M.2 drive up and running. If you have any other questions or tips, feel free to leave a comment below.
What to Do If It’s Still Not Working?
If the M.2 drive is still not appearing on your computer after following the steps above, there are a few other things you can try. First, double-check that the drive is compatible with your motherboard. If it’s not, it won’t work no matter what you do.
Next, check to see if your BIOS is updated to the latest version. If it’s not, update it and see if that fixes the problem. You can usually find instructions for updating your BIOS on your motherboard manufacturer’s website.
If none of those solutions work, the last resort is to remove the M.2 drive and then reinstall it physically. This is a bit more complicated, and you’ll need to have a Phillips head screwdriver on hand. First, power down your computer and unplug all cords. Then open up the case by unscrewing the side panel. You should see the M.2 drive mounted on the motherboard. There will be one or two screws holding it in place. Unscrew them and then gently remove the drive. Check the connectors to make sure they’re not damaged, and then reinsert the drive, screwing it back into place. Close up the case and plug everything back in. Power on the computer and see if it detects the drive now.
If you’ve tried all of these solutions and none of them have worked, you may need to replace your M.2 drive entirely.
What if an M.2 Drive Doesn’t Even Show Up in the BIOS?
If you’re not seeing your M.2 drive in the BIOS at all, there are a few things you can try to troubleshoot the issue. First, check to see if your motherboard supports M.2 drives. Not all motherboards do, so it’s possible that yours isn’t compatible with the drive you’re trying to use. If that’s the case, you may need to upgrade your motherboard in order to use an M.2 drive.
Another possibility is that the M.2 slot on your motherboard is disabled by default and needs to be enabled in the BIOS before it will work. This is often the case with newer motherboards that have both SATA and PCIe M.2 slots. To check if this is the case, enter your BIOS and look for an entry called “M.2 Slot Enable” or something similar. If it’s disabled, enable it and save your changes. Exit the BIOS and boot into Windows. Your M.2 drive should now be visible in File Explorer.
If you don’t see an entry for M.2 in the BIOS, your motherboard doesn’t support M.2 drives. In that case, you can add an M.2 PCIe adapter card to one of the empty PCIe slots on your motherboard and mount the M.2 drive to that adapter card. This will allow you to use the M.2 drive even if your motherboard doesn’t have an M.2 slot.
If you do see an entry for M.2 in the BIOS, but the drive still isn’t appearing in Windows, it’s possible that the drive is disabled in the BIOS. To enable it, enter the BIOS and look for an option called “M.2 Enable” or something similar. Once you find it, change the setting to “Enabled” and save your changes. Afterward, restart your PC and check to see if the M.2 drive is now appearing in Windows.
If you’re still having trouble getting the M.2 drive to show up in Windows, it’s possible that there’s an issue with the driver. You can try manually installing the driver from the manufacturer’s website.
First, you’ll need to download the driver; once you have the driver file, open Device Manager. In Device Manager, expand “Disk drives” and look for your M.2 drive. Right-click on the drive and select “Update Driver Software….”
Click “Browse my computer for driver software” and then browse to the location of the driver file you downloaded. Follow the prompts to install the driver and restart your computer if necessary.
If you’re still having trouble, it’s possible that there’s a hardware issue with your M.2 drive. In this case, the best course of action is to contact the manufacturer of your drive for support.
Hopefully, this article has helped you get your M.2 drive up and running. If you have any other questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. Thanks for reading.
