Predator G9-591 SSD Not in Disk Manager, BIOS or testdisk

XmallowmanX

Ok, So I am not very knowledgable when it comes to computers. So, please, bear with me. 

Essentially, I was originally getting a blue screen, caused by "IGDKMOD64.sys" after a little reseacrh i decided to reinstall my driver from the Acer site. After that I was running CCleaner, cleaned out all my unnecessary files, and then was prompted to create a storage volume, what application prompted me to do this i cannot remember. I created it, probably shouldnt have, and then went to play a game i have downloaded onto my laptop. I kept receiveing the error that the path could not be found or was missing, so i went to reinstall, the install kept failing with the error the driver or UNC you selected could not be found. So i attempted to change the download location and realized my SSD, , drive had dissapeared. For the past two hours i have been searching and searching how to fix it. Everything says to check the BIOS, Disk manager, and device manager, it is not showing up in any of those locations. I have provided all of this information that may be useless in the hopes one of the things i did may be the cause for the dissapearance. PLEASE help, I am currently deployed, and have no easy means of contacting support or ordering replacement parts. Additionally i do NOT know what kind of SSD my laptop has. I cant even remeber the storage space. Finally my HDD is shopwing up in my BIOS and everything else, and i do believe my windows is loaded from my SSD i cannot remember. So the fact that i can even boot up my device should mean that my SSD is still working?

IronFly

yes F2 is BIOS.

 

if you re-install windows, switch to AHCI or you will encounter again the RAID volume creation.

about SSD missing, you have 2 pages where check if it's listed:

information (main BIOS page)

Boot menu

 

as i already wrote, i would disconnect the HDD and try to boot from the USB flash drive and check if SSD is recognised by windows installation media.

IronFly

no...the fact your OS is still booting doesn't mean the SSD is working, since it can be installed on the HDD too.

 

if the SSD is still working you have at least to be able to see it on BIOS or Disk Management.

 

you can check it on Intel Rapid storage too:

windows logo key

type

intel rapid

click on Intel Rapid Storage

 

check on the right side how many disks you see

 

by the way, you can try one thing:

open the bottom ram-SSD/HDD cover and take off or unplug the HDD and then try to boot, if it boots your SSD is alive.

XmallowmanX

Ok, I will have to try that once I can get my laptop to boot again. I got stuck in an endless reboot, after trying to change a few settings in the F2 setup, which correct me if I'm wrong is the BIOS. And before I could re-enter the setup menu again because I allowed it to re-boot a few times. I received the error code.
File: BCD
Error code: 0xc0000098

So I'm currently going through the process of reinstalling windows 10 sadly, my buddies laptop is very slow and taking awhile to download the ISO.

Edit: the changes I made were
Changing the Sata mode from RAID to AHCI
And changing my boot load order by switching my HDD with the ATAPI CD-ROM which I thought was the SSD but I'm not certain, and now even after going into the F2 setup and changing everything back I have to apply a fresh install.

IronFly

ok...

so probably you create a RAID volume (that's the volume request) and that's why your SSD disappeared from file browser and disk management but must be visible on BIOS.

 

ATAPI CD-ROM is the DVD reader not the SSD.

 

please don't mess around without knowing what to do.

 

set RAID back if you can and tell me if it boots again.

 

and then check Intel rapid storage as i told you on my past message.

 

XmallowmanX

No I have already changed all the settings back and nothing is working. Still receiving the PC needs to be repaired message. I'm still waiting on the download of the windows 10 ISO.
And I'm going to boot the flash drive and see if a fresh install works. Once it's up I'm hoping my SSD is back. I will try what you told me to, again once I have my laptop booting. And the SSD wasn't even showing up in BIOS. Assuming I was actually looking in BIOS.

IronFly

yes F2 is BIOS.

 

if you re-install windows, switch to AHCI or you will encounter again the RAID volume creation.

about SSD missing, you have 2 pages where check if it's listed:

information (main BIOS page)

Boot menu

 

as i already wrote, i would disconnect the HDD and try to boot from the USB flash drive and check if SSD is recognised by windows installation media.

XmallowmanX

Ok, so just to make sure I understand. I should:
1. Disconnect my HDD.
2. Switch to ACHI and ensure my SSD is recognized.
3. Install windows from USB.
4. Shut down and reconnect my HDD.

I'm still waiting on the ISO, my buddy has a super slow Laptop. It's at about 80% download now.
And in the event my SSD is not recognized? Could this just mean my SSD is defaulty, or ruined by my own doing?

XmallowmanX

Ok, so another update that just goes to show, how little I know about computers, this may help. I removed my HDD and in my BIOS the Driver that is showing up is the same thing it has been the whole time, LITEON CV1-8B128 I googled that and realized that is my SSD. So my SSD was in my BIOS the ENTIRE time. I feel so naive, and really hope I haven't created a brick, thank you for your help so far, hopefully this fresh install fixes everything. Once I finally have my USB BOOT, should I leave the HDD out until after installation? And should I change my SATA mode to ACHI prior to installation?


EDIT: I have installed windows! My laptop is no longer a brick.

What I did (just to ensure I didn't do anything wrong):
1. Removed HDD
2.Changed SATA to ACHI
3.Installed windows from USB
Upon checking my device manager my SSD is present. And the RAID volume is gone.
Next I will place my HDD back into my Laptop and reboot and see what happens. Fingers crossed it will work I will post again with the results and if it doesn't work, which I hope it does, any new questions I have. THANK YOU SOOOOO Much in advance.

XmallowmanX

Ok, my HDD and SSD Are both on my BIOS and Device/Disk Manager. But, I have 819gb of unallocated data on my HDD how do I fix this? And will I lose my data?

IronFly

ok, you did it right!

 

how much storage has your HDD?

if it was 1TB...once you created that infamous Volume, you destroyed your data on the HDD.

 

so the only thing you can do is:

open disk management

check if any partition is visible on the HDD, right click them and choose to delete

once you have a single big unallocated data, right click and choose to format it as NTFS.

XmallowmanX

Ok, well that kinda stinks. I guess the lesson learned here is don't do things just because you are prompted to unless you know what you are doing. So bassically I should move whatever data that is still on the HDD because there is some, onto my SSD and then do that? To save myself from losing everything?

IronFly

i think...the only data on the HDD is just a copy of the old SSD partitions (RAID 1), so if you had some other data prior of the VOlume creation...say goodbye.

 

Hint: if you have personal data (pictures and so on) that you really need it...take a copy on your laptop HDD but buy an external USB HDD (USB3.0 is good) and do you a favour, save a copy on that USB HDD too!

XmallowmanX

So, I have two visible allocated partitions I cannot delete, 1 100MB healthy (EFI Sytem partition) and 1 500 Mb (Recovery Partition) and no option to format as NTFS.

IronFly

that's ok, as expected

just follow this:

windows logo key

type

command prompt

right click it and choose to run as administrator

then on command prompt type

diskpart

list disk

select disk x (x is the number of 1TB HDD, double check the number!!!)

clean

(wait some minutes to end the command)

exit

 

now open disk manager and format your HDD as NTFS as i wrote in my previous message

 

XmallowmanX

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU It worked!!!!! Of course it worked hahahaha, it came from someone who knows what they are doing!!!!!! All fixed, so it won't be a problem that those two previously mentioned partitions are now gone?

IronFly

not at all.

 

oh...please update immediatly your wifi drivers:

http://www.killernetworking.com/driver-downloads/item/1525-1535-1435bt-w10

 

and update BIOS if your version is below 1.10 (just run the file inside the zip, it will tell you if is already the latest or need to be updated):

https://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/BIOS/BIOS/BIOS_Acer_1.10_A_A.zip?acerid=635960424469495308&Step1=NOTEBOOK&Step2=PREDATOR&Step3=PREDATOR%20G9-591&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6

XmallowmanX

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IronFly wrote:

 

 

and update BIOS if your version is below 1.10 (just run the file inside the zip, it will tell you if is already the latest or need to be updated):

https://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/BIOS/BIOS/BIOS_Acer_1.10_A_A.zip?acerid=635960424469495308&Step1=NOTEBOOK&Step2=PREDATOR&Step3=PREDATOR%20G9-591&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6

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Ok, so i got really scared after updating my BIOS, I was getting blue screen error. INNACESSABLE_BOOT_DRIVE. However, after yesterdays learning experince, I checked my BIOS settings and sure enough my SATA mode had once again been changed to RAID, so i switched to ACHI, and rebooted but then my laptop ran into a problem with booting, and couldnt diagnose the problem, so i thought i had somehow created my problem from yesterday all over, but after restarting one more time EVERYTHING is now fine. Thank the LORD. HAHA thank you again for helping me so much. I have learned alot and hopefully, enough to get myself out of sticky situations in the future, or possibly even better, enough to keep myself from even getting into one in the first place.