H370-HD3 i7-9700 Samsung 970EVO NVMe Boot Problem

[451]

This is my first post, so I would like first of all to greet everyone 

A few days ago I assembled a computer with the indicated components:
Gigabyte H370-HD3, Intel i7-9700, Samsung 970EVO NVMe
I have prepared a USB key to install Windows 10 using the Rufus tool.
In the BIOS I set "CMS disabled" and the installation started.
At the first reboot, however, Windows did not start and I entered the BIOS automatically, because the BIOS does not see the SSD disk.
More precisely:
- if CMS is enabled, I see the SSD disk, but it is not indicated with the UEFI prefix
- if CMS is disabled, the SSD disk does not appear between the boot devices.

I also tried to manually create partitions on the SSD disk with the "diskpart" utility (System, MBR, Windows and Recovery), but it does not start anyway.
The disk is partitioned with the GPT mode.
I tried to install Windows also using "Windows Media Creation Tool", but the result does not change.
I disconnected all unnecessary peripherals, leaving only MB, CPU, RAM, SSD and integrated VGA.
The BIOS is updated to F14 version.

The installation on a Seagate SATA disk instead is successful and Windows 10 works well.
Is there anyone who can give me some suggestions?
Thank you very much
Francesco

[shadowsports]

Greetings,
I recommend you stick with the Media Creation Tool.  You don't need Rufus or have to do anything special.  You also get 1903 without needing to update.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

The BIOS feature is actually called CSM. 

Your specific issue has to do with BIOS settings and how you are partitioning the disk.

Shift+F10 is the command you use to open a command line utility during windows install.  Since your install has failed multiple time, you should use it to delete all partitions and formatting you created previously.

shift+F10 to open the command prompt

Commands:  press enter after each

diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
clean
convert gpt

Then type exit, press enter
 
Now select the target disk and press Next to continue the install.  Build 1903 will actually do GPT for you, but it never hurts to be sure and the above means you start with a clean slate.

Your BIOS settings are a different story.  I'll review your manual tonight and provide the correct settings (have to leave for work now).

You are close.  Won't be too hard to solve.   
 

[451]

Thanks Shadowsports for the answer 
I'll do as you said, using diskpartition to clean the disk and Media Creation Tool.
I await your advice on how to set up the BIOS.
I had disabled the CSM, but I don't know how to set the items of the "Secure Boot" sub-menu
If instead I leave CSM enabled, several more options appear that I don't know how to set.

[shadowsports]

Thanks Shadowsports for the answer 
I'll do as you said, using diskpartition to clean the disk and Media Creation Tool.
I await your advice on how to set up the BIOS.
I had disabled the CSM, but I don't know how to set the items of the "Secure Boot" sub-menu
If instead I leave CSM enabled, several more options appear that I don't know how to set.

Right.  Sorry,  forgot I had dinner obligations with family last night.  Will get your recommended BIOS setting today.  Thanks for your patience.

[451]

Thanks to you for the help 

[shadowsports]

Thanks to you for the help 

Please take a few minutes to review your MB manual.  Section 2-5 starting on page 30.

Install your m.2 to the M2M_32G (upper) slot

These are my recommendations:

Heading:

BIOS > Boot Option Priority Specifies the overall boot order from the available devices. Removable storage devices that support GPT format will be prefixed with "UEFI:" string on the boot device list. To boot from an operating system that supports GPT partitioning, select the device prefixed with "UEFI:" string.  Or if you want to install an operating system that supports GPT partitioning such as Windows 10 64-bit, select the optical drive that contains the Windows 10 64-bit installation disk and is prefixed with "UEFI:" string.  Devices listed here formatted GPT or that are UEFI capable will have a "UEFI:"[Device] prefix

BIOS > Fast Boot - Disabled

BIOS > Storage Boot Option > UEFI

BIOS > CSM Support - Disabled (The goal is to disable Legacy Boot or any non UEFI boot options)

Note: When booting from the USB stick installer be sure to select the UEFI:ESD Setup.  The media creation tool creates a UEFI compliant install stick.

Peripherals > NVMe Configuration - You should see your NVMe (970) here

Peripherals > SATA Mode Selection - (This) > Intel RST Premium With Intel Optane System Acceleration if you want to do any form of RAID later.  AHCI (Default) if you won't use RAID across m.2's or SATA disks. 

This should get you going.  Key take away.

CSM disabled forces UEFI boot process with no legacy device or option ROM support, enabled does the opposite.  More forgiving, doesn't require  UEFI, or GPT formatted device for boot. You cannot boot from a disk formatted MBR if UEFI boot is enabled.  (Trick) if you want to cheat, leave CSM enabled, use shift+F10 (diskpart) to format the target to GPT, install windows.  On a subsequent restart, disable CSM.  Windows will boot from the GPT formatted disk.

I do not see a secure boot option listed in the manual. Take your time, I'm sure you'll do fine.  

[451]

Thank you Shadowsport for the detailed answer. I strictly followed all your instructions, but Windows does not start 

I write the list of the operations I have done.
- Checked that the SSD disk is installed in slot M2M_32G (upper) slot.
In the BIOS:
- BIOS> Load Optimized Defaults
- BIOS> Fast Boot - Disabled
- BIOS> Storage Boot Option> UEFI (screenshot 1)
- BIOS> CSM Support - Disabled
(N.B. When disabling CSM, the "Storage Boot Option" option disappears and the "Secure Boot option" and related submenus appear below) (screenshot 2)
- Peripherals> NVMe Configuration (screenshot 3 and 4)
- Peripherals> SATA Mode Selection> AHCI (screenshot 5)
- Save & Exit
Return to the BIOS to check that everything is OK.
Now I can see the USB pen-drive as boot device marked UEFI (screenshot 6). It has been created with "Media Creation Tool".
- Exit BIOS
Windows installation starts.
At the first screen ("Select language, time, ...") Shift + F10
- diskpart
- list disk
There are two disks: disk 1 (USB Pen Drive) and disk 2 (SSD)
- select disk 2
- clean
- convert gpt
- exit
- exit
Resuming Windows installation:
- copying Windows files ...
- getting files ready ...
- installing features ...
- installing updates ...
- finishing up ...
I remove the USB pen drive
On reboot the computer enters directly the BIOS, because it doesn't find any device to boot from (screenshot 7)
I do not understand why

I then returned to diskpartition and the "list partition" command on the SSD disk gives me 4 partitions:
1 Recovery 529 MB 1024 KB
2 System 300 MB 530 MB
3 Reserved 16 MB 830 MB
4 Primary 230 GB 846 MB
I remember to have read a Microsoft document that said that the order of the partitions had to be: System, Reserved, Primary and Recovery. The System partition that contains the EFI data should be the first, while here is the second. But maybe this doesn't matter.

[451]

Screenshots 3 and 4

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Screenshots 5 and 6

[451]

Screenshots 7

[shadowsports]

Good Morning,
Thanks for all of your images, and for confirming the presence of Secure Boot which I knew had to be present. 

If the system is starting and entering BIOS, (no boot device found) I would check for its presence in Boot Devices and adjust accordingly. 

For diskpart, I've never tried opening it from the initial set up screen (language) selection.  I always do it from the disk "target" screen.  If it worked, however that is fine.  If diskpart displays success after convert gpt command, you are good.

It also sounds like you have chosen/started the windows install from the correct UEFI suffix'ed boot device.

I still feel your issue is related to a BIOS setting, but am not there to see which.

If the above, doesn't work, download the following driver from Gigabyte

http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Driver/mb_driver_intel_bootdisk_irst_64_17.2.11.1033.zip

Unzip and copy the contents to a folder (you create) name it "AHCI".  Now copy this to the root of your windows USB stick.  It will just be an extra folder. 

Perform windows Set Up.  Shift+F10, select the disk, perform the clean command.  Then list disk and verify their is an asterisk for this drive in the GPT column.  Now the drive is clean and formatted GPT.  Next select the Load Driver option.  Navigate to the AHCI folder you created.  Select the "iaAHCI.inf" which will add the IRST AHCI driver to your install.  Select the disk and proceed with Windows install.

There have been a small number of cases reported when this step was needed to get 960/970 NVMe drives to install successfully.  This is typically only required when the install does not see the disk connected to the storage controller.

Let me know the result.     

[451]

Hello, thanks for the reply and for your patience. 

If the system is starting and entering BIOS, (no boot device found) I would check for its presence in Boot Devices and adjust accordingly. 

If I enable CSM and reboot, the SSD disk appears in the BIOS, but it is not marked UEFI and therefore does not boot from that disk. (see screenshot #1)

If the above, doesn't work, download the following driver from Gigabyte
http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Driver/mb_driver_intel_bootdisk_irst_64_17.2.11.1033.zip

I downloaded the driver, cleaned the partition of the SSD disk and installed the driver. Then I proceeded with the installation of Windows, but upon reboot the dico SSD is not bootable. 

I have done other tests trying to change other options in the BIOS:
- setting "Windows 8/10 Features" to "Other OS"
- doing "Reset to Setup Mode" in "Secure boot"
but the result does not change. (see screenshot #2 and #3)

I also went to see what is on the SSD disk at the end of the first installation phase (with Shift F10) and I noticed that, unlike the USB pen drive, there is no EFI directory here. Maybe it's in the "System" partition, but I can't read it.

I'm thinking there might be something corrupt in the disk firmware. On the Samsung website there is no firmware for this disc (there is the one for the 970 EVO Plus, but I don't think it's good). I wrote to Samsung to send me the correct firmware. Let's see...

[451]

Screenshot #2 and #3

[shadowsports]

Believe you can test the drive using the Magician software.  Of course you have to have a working system "catch22".


Sorry you're having so much trouble.  I don't see anything wrong based on your descriptions or screen shots. 

[451]

Good morning,
I have good news, because the problem is solved !!
The cause was, as I suspected  , the SSD disk firmware: corrupt or too old.
I had to work on it a lot, because Samsung Magician didn't detect the SSD disk and that was the only way to update the firmware. The reason for the non-recognition was due to the fact that the SSD was part of a storage pool (probably an automatic setting of O.S. ??).
I deleted the pool with "Storage Spaces" utility and immediately the disc was recognized by Samsung Magician. I updated the firmware to the latest version.
Then I tried to reinstall Windows from scratch.
I loaded the standard BIOS options with CSM disabled, cleaned the disk with diskpartition.
On restarting Windows recognized the SSD disk as a UEFI boot device and the installation finished perfectly.
I thank Shadowsport for the valuable suggestions and patience 
Francesco