I have completed all the instructions, and modified my Asus P8Z77 WS’s BIOS to boot from NVMe SSD. Used NvmExpressDxe_4.ffs. The Plextor M9Pe(Y) PX-512M9PEY appeared in the BIOS as PATA SS:. However, after installing Windows 10 on it and trying to not boot up, I get a message:
@Jrymde :
Welcome to the Win-RAID Forum!
Your words “after installing Win10” indicate, that the OS installation completed successfully. Is that correct?
What means “trying to not boot up”? What did you try instead?
Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)
ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 AMD 6350 cpu
I have tryed modding my 2501 so i can boot my 970 evo nvme drive thru a pcie x 16 slot,i flashed bios thru usb/flashback method ,havnt had any success…i can install windows 10 x64 on it booting off a usb drive but it will not boot on the pcie/nvme drive on the finalize part of install. will this method work on my asus board ?
@GUSS :
Welcome to the Win-RAID Forum!
Yes, I am pretty sure, that it will work, if you follow exactly my guide.
As first step to find out the reason for your failure I recommend to attach your modded BIOS (as *.RAR archive) or give me a link to it.
Are you sure, that you got the modded BIOS successfully flashed? Do you see now a Disk Drive named “PATA” within the BIOS?
Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)
iam kinda think maybe bios is not updating also.
ok uploaded it…i can loadup origional too.
i see no pata in bios.
M5A99FX-PRO-R20-ASUS-2501 mod .zip (3.07 MB)
yes, installing Windows occurs without problems on the original BIOS version and on the modified one.
After installing Windows from the installation USB flash drive, I put in the BIOS "boot from PATA SS:" (not "boot from USB flash drive"). And the above error message appears. CSM (Compatibility Support Module) set to enable or auto. "Boot from PCIe/PCI Expansion Devices" ("Select the type of PCIe/PCI expansion devices that you want to launch.") set to values "Legacy OpROM first" and "UEFI driver first" - Windows still does not boot.
Z77WS.cap
@GUSS :
Your modded BIOS seems to be fine. The insertion of the NVMe module has been done perfectly.
So I suspect, that the USB Flashback procedure didn’t work.
My tip: Use another small sized USB 2.0 stick.
@Jrymde :
You cannot boot directly off the NVMe SSD (named “PATA” within the BIOS) in LEGACY mode, because this would require an NVMe Option ROM. Only the Samsung 950 Pro SSD contains such module.
Solution: You have to boot off the boot device named “Windows Boot Manager”.
At some point after the reboot, the disk began to appear in the BIOS.
And Windows - boot from it. Now, everything works as it should. Thank!
i got it ,had to rename the modded bios to M5A99FX.CAP , before i flashed,alll works good now ,can boot from nvme now and shows up in bios boot option,thankas a bunch,great modd/how to.
*Urgent HELP Needed
*Urgent HELP Needed
*Urgent HELP Needed
First BIG Thanks to Fernando for this great guide & helping people be able to run NVMe on older tech.
I created a modded bios adding NvmExpressDxe_4.ffs to latest release from Asus.
Flashed it onto my P8P67 PRO （CPU 2600k, 16gb ram）
Computer starts and can access bios menu
970 Evo is initially identified as “PATA SS” by bios boot
As my board has no native M.2 port, im using a PCIe adapter, that i tested working well in windows as a storage drive (non-OS)
Trouble starts when i try install windows 7 to the 970 EVO
I have tried at least a dozen times now…
Windows 7 installer CAN detect the drive after i feed it the 970 EVO drivers
HOWEVER,
if i dont boot the Win7 install media as UEFI, it wont allow me to install to 970 evo. says "this drive is not bootable"
So no big deal, i just boot install as UEFI and continue.
The first phase of copying works
Computer restarts
Get to “completing instillation” (first screen after rebooting and win7 load screen) then BSOD.
Computer restarts, but then gets error trying to continue install (obviously crashing during install corrupts it)
I have tried using official Win disk
A windows 7 usb created from an official microsoft ISO (CANT find the drive booting off usb 3.0, CAN find drive booting off 2.0）weird.
And have also tried to create a customer ISO with some updates installed (perhaps not the ones i need?) using guide linked bellow
https://www.howtogeek.com/255540/the-las…enience-rollup/
BUT… im starting to think its NOT the drive causing this!
If i try install win7 onto my old 850 EvoSSD i get BSOD at the same place…
could the BIOS mod be effecting the install?
i took a photo of the BSOD error page, and can upload the bios if that helps？
Have cleared CMOS multiple times.
Have even swapped video cards.
perhaps i need to change a setting in the bios?
Need computer back online for work ASAP. Thanks.
BSOD image:
UPDATE:
Ive been looking into applying NVMe hotfix 2990941 & hotfix 3087873 BUT THESE HAVE BEEN REMOVED from Microsoft site 
is there a fix that supersedes them?
found a site hosting them
http://thehotfixshare.net/board/index.ph…&showfile=20015
http://thehotfixshare.net/board/index.ph…&showfile=20866
the MS page still has instructions on how to put them into your ISO.
Will try now
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help…indows-7-and-wi
@skynet :
Welcome to the Win-RAID Forum!
Although I can nearly exclude, that the insertion of the NVMe module into the BIOS is responsable for your troubles, I recommend to attach the BIOS, which has been modified by you.
Questions:
1. Did the recently flashed BIOS contain any other modification than just the insertion of the NVMe module? If yes, which additional modifications were done?
2. Which NVMe driver did you load while starting the Win7 installation? (Note: There are no “970 EVO drivers” available.)
3. Why haven’t you tried to install Win10, which natively does fully support all NVMe Controllers?
4. Which BIOS settings did you choose within the “BOOT” section of the BIOS, before you started with the OS installation onto your NVMe SSD?
Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)
Hey Thanks Fernando for the fast reply.
I’ve just had my head down applying those hotfixes to my ISO (almost finished will test soon)
BIOS attached
I actually lost the original one i created because i wiped that usb to put on Samsung’s SSD secure wipe tool.
In recreating this ROM, i realized i MAY have originally used the Asus p8p67 pro v3.1 board bios and not the v3.0 (this may be the source of my BSOD during install)
Re-flashed on the newly modded ROM now thats definitely v3.0.
will test soon.
1. No other modification. Strictly followed your guide.
2. Driver was direct from the official 970 evo page http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/conten…_Driver_3.0.exe
Once you install that, there is a folder named “970_Win7_64” with the drivers inside
3. I dont own a legal copy of Win10, and dont trust “cracked” OS’s for obvious reasons (dont trust win10’s built-in spying much either tbh…)
4. here is shot of BIOS boot menu. I dont really understand what “PCI ROM priority” & “Option ROM messages” is about…
EDIT by Fernando: Linked image (didn’t work) replaced by directly attaching it by using the Forum Software
p8p67prov3.0-3602-NVMe.rom.zip (3.05 MB)
@skynet :
Here is my comment:
1. The attached BIOS contains the correctly inserted NVMe module.
2. AFAIK only the MS NVMe Hotfix for Windows 7 enables the ability to get Win7 properly installed onto an NVMe SSD.
3. Before you are going to install Win7 onto the NVMe SSD, you should change the following settings within the BOOT section of the BIOS:
- “PCI ROM Priority” (must support UEFI modules and not just LEGACY ROM ones)
- “Option ROM Messages” (better choose the option “Keep current”)
- You cannot and will never be able to boot off the Disk Drive named “PATA SS”.
4. To be able to get Win7 properly installed onto the NVMe SSD, you should boot off the related USB Flash Drive, which contains the OS, in UEFI mode (precondition: the USB has to be FAT32 formatted)!
I was hoping someone with an
Asrock z68 Pro3 Gen3
could give me a hint about how to get this working.
I think I followed the instructions correctly until the last step about making it boot. I attached the BIOS that I modded.
I tried to use Clonezilla to clone the SSD boot drive. It says it worked.
After updating the BIOS there is now an option to select
PATA:
as boot, but there is nothing listed after it. (in other words PATA: HPXYZ is what I would expect) When I selected PATA: and rebooted it said there was no drive connected. In recovery tools I can see the drive and its partitions look correct.
I have an HP EX920 M.2 drive in a PCIexpress adapter which is in the graphics slot. I feel like there is a setting in BIOS that I need to change perhaps, but looking around has not illuminated much.
Thanks for any suggestions. I would love to get this working. If not I can use it in windows after deleting the partition. The first time I did it Clonezilla restarted so that there were two boot drives and the results were not good. I thought it would just let me choose which windows 10 to start, but it destroyed the original boot drive and I had to use recovery to get it working again. Won’t make that mistake again. I think the SSD I cloned was probably set up in old way and needs to be updated first perhaps. I will see if that is possible.
@sxott :
Welcome to the Win-RAID Forum!
Here is my comment:
1. You cannot boot off the NVMe SSD in LEGACY mode (reason: The required NVMe Option ROM is usually missing within the SSD).
2. You should follow my guide and do a fresh install of Win10 in UEFI mode instead of using a clone of a previously SATA connected system drive.
Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)
@Fernando Appreciate the feedback.
Pulling my Hair out…
BSOD installing to 970 Evo despite BIOS you checked & ISO hotfix patch.
BSOD installing to old 850 evo using offcial Win7 disk that used to work fine
Both BSOD happen at same stage
Set BIOS as you suggested thanks.
Once the First stage of Win7 install completes & restarts, a NEW entry can be found in my bios,
“windows boot manager (samsung SSD 970 EVO 500gb” this is what windows boots off (pictured)
Here is the stage it BSOD’s at after first restart
If i let the install try and continue i am greeted with this error. i CAN use shift+f10 to load command prompt as pictured.
i can get explorer.exe to launch
but errors opening stuff due to "configured identity is incorrect"
so i ran “Run the Windows account creation wizard”
“cd %windir%/system32/oobe/”
“msoobe”
this allows me to setup a user account and password
i then ran "msconfig"
and went to “boot” tab
then tick “safe boot” + "active directory repair"
this restarts to safe mode
attempts to "revert changes"
BUT then BSOD loop
I just let 3 FULL PASSES of memtest run, so im fairly confident my RAM hasnt shit its self causing these BSOD
results (pictured)
As previously mentioned ive swapped video cards
Disconnected all other SATA devices
Removed all other PCIe cards
The only 2 NEW varibles are
1. the Mod BIOS
2. Samsung’s secure erase tool (that ive used on both drives the new 970 Evo and my old 850 Evo SSD that used to install fine)
Next logical step is to flash back on the original BIOS, and see if i can at least install to my OLD 850 evo SSD again with Win7 disk.
If i cant, then maybe samsung secure erase tool is at fault
if i can, then the BIOS mod is doing something it shouldnt…
UPDATE:
Flashed on Original BIOS, cleared CMOS, tried to install to old 850 EVO with Official Win7 disk
still get BSOD same point
WTF…
going to have to try install to an old HDD to eliminate samsung secure erase as the cause.
If it still happens i guess my Mortherboard or CPU has shit its self…?
FML
UPDATE 2:
installing to HHD also results in BSOD on reflashed original BIOS.
Perhaps a setting is off in my bios… but if so i dont know which one…
I feel like i need to run a bootable CPU test to eliminate it as a source of the BSOD
Might need to reach out to Asus & Mircrosoft about the BSOD, but old OS & old board, im doubtful they will help
EDIT by Fernando: To save space within this voluminous thread, I have put the details into a “spoiler”.
@skynet ,
Back when you were able to install windows 7 to the 850 EVO, were you installing it in UEFI or Legacy mode? I’m just curious if installing in UEFI mode is an issue. Try installing Win7 in legacy mode to see if anything changes. If you still have problems installing Win7, I would revert back to the last stable BIOS and try again.
You wouldn’t think that it would be a big deal to install Win7 to an NVMe SSD, but there can be numerous issues, depending on the system.
And before reverting back to the un-modded BIOS, download the Windows 10 ISO from https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10, use Rufus to create a bootable installer using GPT, UEFI, and FAT32, and just do a test install of Windows 10. If you get to the point where it asks you for a license, just click on the “I don’t have a license” button and continue with the install. It’s not really advertised, but you can still upgrade to Win10 for free with a legitimate copy of Win7, but I believe you have to do the upgrade from Win7 first. Then, when Win10 has activated from your Win7 license, you can do a fresh install and it will activate automatically when you connect your PC to the net.
Personally, I like Windows 7 better, but support ends in a little more than a year. I would imagine the free upgrade loopholes will be closed by then.
Hey @Paulos7 ,
Thanks for reaching out.
I had already re-flashed on the original BIOS before your reply, but have taken your suggestion to download win 10 and try install it (i’ll just reflash back on the mod BIOS)
This problem is starting to look like a Mobo or CPU failure (or bios setting as you suggested)
Have tried to install win7 to 970 evo & old 850 evo ssd with Mod BIOS = BSOD
Haved tried to install win7 to old 850 evo ssd & seagate HDD with reverted stock BIOS = BSOD
RAM passes a memtest
have swapped video cards
Im temped to go buy a tin of compressed air and just try blow everything out… (actually seen that fix a PC lol)
may even drop back to one stick of RAM just cos desperate
@skynet ,
It’s probably just something that you’re overlooking. If everything was fine before the modded BIOS flash, odds are that it’s a BIOS setting that you changed from the original configuration. I would check every single setting in the BIOS to be sure that it’s set up the same way it was before the BIOS mod. Also, get your system down to the bare necessities hardware-wise; CPU, RAM, video card, and the hard drive or 850 (maybe a different SATA cable - I’ve had them go bad and cause interesting problems). Re-trace your steps from the very beginning when you first attempted to do the upgrade, even the research you did, and when you read Fernando’s guide. Maybe in the process you’ll remember something. Do you overclock? If so, check your settings or set everything to CPU/RAM defaults for testing. You’ve changed something or touched something in the process of the mod. Re-seat data and power cables.
@Fernando @Paulos7
SOLVED IT !!
Your not going to believe the cause…
There was ONE OTHER hardware change i made since my last successful install
The god dam WIRELESS KEYBOARD & MOUSE !!!
Specifically a Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Combo
I had been using it for the last few months, but NEVER installed OS with it.
Removed Microsoft Sculpt Combo usb receiver
Inserted old Logitech MK-270 usb receiver
Flashed back on the MOD BIOS
Cleared CMOS
Installed Win7 onto 970 EVO via USB 3.0 with my customized win7 ISO
BINGO
No more BSOD
Officially booting off Win7 on NVMe 