Solved I Cannot Boot Into Windows 11 On An ASUS Laptop PC's NVMe SSD After Removing And Reinstalling The Drive. Why?

Hello. I own an ASUS K1703ZA laptop. (FYI, it only has 1 NVMe removable slot on this PC, so I can upgrade if desired.) Issue: I have Windows 11 installed on this original NVMe SSD that came with PC. I took the NVMe drive out recently and put it back on this PC a short time later. The reason why I removed the original NVMe SSD I wanted more storage. I tried another brand SSD with a larger storage 1TB in this PC and it did not recognize it (WD SN770 SSD). Western Digital states that their SN770 NVMe SSD is fully compatible with this PC. I got fed up trying. So, I decided to just put back this original NVMe SSD back in this PC. Now, when I go to boot this PC, all I get is the graphic UEFI at boot no matter how many times I power on this PC. Windows will not boot up. On the UEFI Dashboard at the bottom it says under Boot Priority, "Windows Boot Manager". This is the only entry, so it is the first one -- so it should boot. It does not. What is the issue?

I need some solutions, trial tests, and thoughts to get this to boot back into Windows 11. I want to use the Windows 11 already installed (installed special software in Windows 11) and do no clean OS install period. I figure I am missing some step(s).

Extra Info: I have verified using hard disk software (Easeus Partitioning software) booting up with Hiren's Boot CD (installed on a flash drive) on this PC that the OS partition for Windows 11 shows the drive as "boot" on the original NVMe SSD. I ran a CheckDisk using Easeus too and the OS partition is free if any errors. This PC is using UEFI/GPT format. Also, I used my bootable Windows 11 OS flash drive (23H2) and attempted to do a startup repair. This flash drive boots up fine just like my Hiren's USB flash drive did. Windows says after running the repair, "Startup Repair could not repair your PC". I did this twice with the same response.

Is the SDD detected by BIOS?

The log file created by Startup Repair can help to find out the cause of the boot problem. In this video, i will explain how to use the Startup Repair tool to troubleshoot boot problems in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Boot to the flash drive and type: (save to another flash drive) > move to a computer > post a share link

notepad
notepad
notepad
bcdedit | find "osdevice"
diskpart
lis dis
lis vol
sel dis 0
det dis
lis par
sel par 1
det par
sel par 2
det par
sel par 3
det par
sel par 4
det par
sel par 5
det par
sel dis 1
det dis
lis par
sel par 1
det par
sel par 2
det par
sel par 3
det par
sel par 4
det par
sel par 5
det par
sel dis 2
det dis
lis par
sel par 1
det par
sel par 2
det par
sel par 3
det par
sel par 4
det par
sel par 5
det par
exit

Hello. Nice to meet you, FreeBooter! Okay, this is what I know after following your video link. Thanks!

When creating the log file for all startup tests using Windows 11 Startup Repair shows there is NO local drive (C:). Therefore no log files I can retrieve I assume too since I cannot finish performing the steps. There are 2 drives showing that are available. Drive C: is my Windows 11 Installation/Repair Flash Drive. Drive X: is Boot. See attachment. So, basically the PC does not see it? Am I correct? However, the UEFI (BIOS) shows it as I said earlier.

I will say this... ...when I used EaseUs Partition Manager (part of Hiren's USB drive), I see I have other partitions besides the OS Windows 11 (local drive C:) partition that was also "boot/data" partition. I see I have a partitions: EFI System Partition, Reserved Partition, and a Recovery Partition. Will any of these partitions have an effect on the booting of C: by the PC? I mean the boot info is with the local drive C: .

Something going on or a bad/wrong setting in my BIOS (UEFI) having an effect? Any thoughts?

I am wondering, does the drive or partition need to be "active", like drive C: in order for UEFI to see it? I read that somewhere as a possibility. Not sure how to do that though. Just a guess.

I am a novice. So, extra explanation is necessary. Thank you!

Have you changed any BIOS settings?

ZBook, nice to meet you too! Sorry, it took me awhile to collect your data you requested from your post. I had to do it a couple of times due to the tedious nature of repitition and easily making mistakes with similar commands. This is accurate. Please see attachment. I hope this helps! Please provide further answers, requests, or guidance. Thanks!

FreeBooter said:

Have you changed any BIOS settings?

Click to expand...

Hello again. Far as I know I have not. I just wondering if there is a setting that is default that needs to be changed in order for Windows 11 to be seen at boot in BIOS that I have no idea about?

montecarlo1987 said:

Hello again. Far as I know I have not. I just wondering if there is a setting that is default that needs to be changed in order for Windows 11 to be seen at boot in BIOS that I have no idea about?

Click to expand...

The Diskpart command does not detect the Windows installed HDD so i suggest if the HDD detected at the BIOS reset BIOS settings to factory default to see that will help.

Diskpart reported only the flash drive.

Please boot the BIOS > take pictures > post images or share links displaying drives








Just noticed FreeBooters post.

As he commented > reset the BIOS if drives are not detected

Okay let us know what is BIOS mode you are using UEFI or CSM (Legacy BIOS mode)?

See if one or more of these Asus videos has useful troubleshooting steps:

FreeBooter said:

Okay let us know what is BIOS mode you are using UEFI or CSM (Legacy BIOS mode)?

Click to expand...

Hello. I have been poking around the UEFI settings and I never came across CSM with this motherboard. I believe it does not have CSM features or options. It is strictly UEFI.

Please post a screenshot of the BIOS modes.

FreeBooter said:

Please post a screenshot of the BIOS modes.

Click to expand...

Hello. Good morning! (This applies to ZBook's request further up in this OP too.) Sorry, I had to find a way to combine all images in such a way to present them in an organized way of my ASUS laptop's UEFI screen shots. Please see attachments. I found an app on the Google Play Store that works well combining images in an organized way. I hope these screen shots of my UEFI aid in your help to possibly determine why my ASUS Laptop cannot see the NVMe SSD and therefore cannot boot into Windows 11? I have outlined in red pen on one screen shots that my UEFI does see the NVMe SSD drive. Please reply. Any suggestions? Thank you!

I don't see a photo of UEFI settings mode also its hard to view all the photos you combined.

montecarlo1987 said:

. I took the NVMe drive out recently and put it back on this PC a short time later. The reason why I removed the original NVMe SSD I wanted more storage. I tried another brand SSD with a larger storage 1TB in this PC and it did not recognize it (WD SN770 SSD). Western Digital states that their SN770 NVMe SSD is fully compatible with this PC. I got fed up trying. So, I decided to just put back this original NVMe SSD back in this PC. Now, when I go to boot this PC, all I get is the graphic UEFI at boot no matter how many times I power on this PC. Windows will not boot up.

Click to expand...

It is not a stick that is bootable, it is the layout of what is on the stick that is, and makes it bootable.
1) before you removed the original stick, what program did you use to clone that stick to the new stick?AOMEI Partition Assistant? or what.
2) yes, after you put the original stick back in, a clear CMOS would be nice but you likely can't take apart your laptop to do that, so setting default settings in BIOS is a minimum (Boot to BIOS, press F5 or whatever it says to set default settings. You may have to go to Boot, set default settings, save and reboot.
3) did you have the orig NVMe plugged into anything after you took it out of the laptop. If so, it has been modified from what ASUS expects. And we would need to restore a backup image which of course you took before you removed it from the laptop.

FreeBooter said:

I don't see a photo of UEFI settings mode also its hard to view all the photos you combined.

Click to expand...

Hi FreeBooter. Please explain specifically then what do you mean by "UEFI settings mode"? I guess I do not follow. Any examples? Also, sorry about the images, they are clear to me on my side of this post. I had to use my fingers to expand them to see them better. Though they are sharp on my side. Thanks!

Perhaps, boot to BIOS and take a photo with camera or phone of each of the 5 or so pages in the BIOS (probably left to right), and post those photos separately. Thank you.