Predator Helios 300 PH315-53 SSD detected in BIOS and not showing in disk management

I purchased my 2020 Predator Helios 300 PH315-53 and it arrived on 17.07.2020, 3 weeks ago, and it's already having a problem not showing the SSD (WD pc sn730 NVMe) that came with the notebook, although it used to appear in "This PC". I am using another M.2 SSD (Samsung Evo 860) for boot. Once I received the device, I put my old SSD (Samsung Evo) in an M.2-to-SATA adapter (because I wasn't sure of the type of the SSD compatible with the second M.2 slot on the motherboard) and I connected that to the SATA plug on the motherboard, and used that for boot as it was extracted from my old laptop and had all my programs already installed, and at this point, the WD SSD was showing and I decided to use it for storage, at least for now. Earlier today, I got my old HDD extracted from my old laptop and wanted to insert it in the laptop, so I did ,and transferred the Samsung SSD (boot device) to the second M.2 slot. Now, the WD SSD is not showing anywhere but in BIOS.
I have the latest update of BIOS installed (V 1.03), and the device is still in warranty (it's only 3 weeks old!!!)
Note: the WD disappears from the File Explorer when I close the lid (sleep device) and wake it up.
I literally tried everything, I've been trying to solve this problem for almost 9 hours now. I even installed the WD in the other SSD slot and it's showing (assigned to the new slot correctly) in BIOS.
The disk is formatted and it has all my data, so formatting option won't work, and even if it is my final resort, the device is not showing in disk management or device manager anyway, only in BIOS.
Does anyone have a solution?
Thanks in advance.

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aphanic

While I appreciate you giving us full details of your case I needed to read it twice to realize what was going on, it was a little big messy. Let's see if I got it right:

You had a previous SATA M.2 SSD, a Samsung EVO 860 from a previous laptop that you plugged using an M.2 to SATA adapter to the SATA plug of the motherboard of your Helios because you were unsure if the M.2 slot would take it as it was.
It shipped with a Western Digital M.2 drive which you decided to use as storage, using your old Samsung as the boot drive. So far so good.
Then you transferred the Samsung drive to a secondary M.2 slot available in the Helios, discarding the M.2 to SATA adapter completely.

And the problem you're facing is that although you can still boot into the Samsung SSD, the Western Digital one is nowhere to be found within Windows, but it does show up in the firmware settings.

If that's right... it's weird. I was about to suggest checking in the firmware settings if the drive was shadowed, if it was disabled from the OS but that doesn't seem the case because you already tried switching places.

Being an Intel based machine things can go via RST, what is the SATA operation mode you're running under? It should be stated in the information tab of the BIOS and it can be AHCI, RST + Optane or something along those lines. Changing it in the Main tab may require you to press Ctrl+S for the setting to appear and Windows isn't too kind on those changes, so if we are to change it we'll have to make a trip to Safe Mode first.

But I ask because if it's set to RST for example, I wonder what driver you're using for the controller in Windows, and what the official app (from the Store, it's called Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management now, they're phasing out the RST console) sees.

I am also intrigued by what we're able to see in Linux, being a different OS and using different drivers and ways to access things. Don't worry because we wouldn't need to install Linux, but we would need a USB stick of at least 4 GB to temporarily use as a Linux boot drive. See if any combination of the SATA operation mode made it possible for Linux to see both drives.

I know, I know, many stuff to digest, but we'll go little by little and I can give you steps on how to do each thing. But I'm approaching the time I have to hit the sack, so it'd have to be tomorrow, just wanted to let you know what I'm interested in what you're going through and getting it working.

MarkMoawad96

aphanic said:

While I appreciate you giving us full details of your case I needed to read it twice to realize what was going on, it was a little big messy. Let's see if I got it right:
You had a previous SATA M.2 SSD, a Samsung EVO 860 from a previous laptop that you plugged using an M.2 to SATA adapter to the SATA plug of the motherboard of your Helios because you were unsure if the M.2 slot would take it as it was.
It shipped with a Western Digital M.2 drive which you decided to use as storage, using your old Samsung as the boot drive. So far so good.
Then you transferred the Samsung drive to a secondary M.2 slot available in the Helios, discarding the M.2 to SATA adapter completely.
And the problem you're facing is that although you can still boot into the Samsung SSD, the Western Digital one is nowhere to be found within Windows, but it does show up in the firmware settings.

If that's right... it's weird. I was about to suggest checking in the firmware settings if the drive was shadowed, if it was disabled from the OS but that doesn't seem the case because you already tried switching places.

Being an Intel based machine things can go via RST, what is the SATA operation mode you're running under? It should be stated in the information tab of the BIOS and it can be AHCI, RST + Optane or something along those lines. Changing it in the Main tab may require you to press Ctrl+S for the setting to appear and Windows isn't too kind on those changes, so if we are to change it we'll have to make a trip to Safe Mode first.

But I ask because if it's set to RST for example, I wonder what driver you're using for the controller in Windows, and what the official app (from the Store, it's called Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management now, they're phasing out the RST console) sees.

I am also intrigued by what we're able to see in Linux, being a different OS and using different drivers and ways to access things. Don't worry because we wouldn't need to install Linux, but we would need a USB stick of at least 4 GB to temporarily use as a Linux boot drive. See if any combination of the SATA operation mode made it possible for Linux to see both drives.

I know, I know, many stuff to digest, but we'll go little by little and I can give you steps on how to do each thing. But I'm approaching the time I have to hit the sack, so it'd have to be tomorrow, just wanted to let you know what I'm interested in what you're going through and getting it working.

I already tried to remove every hard drive but the WD SSD, and plugged in a bootable USB having an image of Ubuntu 18.04. I tried installing Ubuntu but when I reach the phase of choosing on which drive I'd like to install the OS, I find a blank list although the WD is mounted in HDD0 slot and detected by BIOS. I even tried to update Intel RST driver, and nothing happened. I think my SSD is dead already because of power shortage as I didn't unplug the battery cable while changing the slots, that's my assumption since it's detected by BIOS but no longer showing the capacity of the drive (it used to do so earlier).
I called the technical support earlier today and they told me that I have to send the device over to service.
Thanks anyway for your help and consideration, I really appreciate it.

aphanic

It could very well be the SATA mode that prevented you from seeing you in Ubuntu, unless you did the exact same thing with the Samsung and it appeared.

RST is a pain in the derrière to use under Linux, for example I can't see my NVMe drive in Linux at all if SATA is set to RST+Optane. Technically it behaves like a software RAID but mdadm wasn't able to even detect it, it showed both ports as empty (detected the controller though).

If I switched SATA to AHCI I had no trouble seeing and accessing the NVMe drive, but my laptop only has 1 M.2 slot. There are reports though that in AHCI mode people were unable to see the 2.5''er instead. I swear, whomever is designing these things isn't doing proper testing or something.

There are some enclosures, that are M.2 to USB you could try. If the WD is a SATA one those enclosures are in the 15€ range, otherwise NVMe enclosures tend to cost around double. It would be another way to test it, pop it in one of them and see if it appeared in the PC somehow.

I'd be surprised that it was killed by a power surge or some static electricity surge, but I wouldn't discard it either. I've done so many risky procedures over the years that I've comed accustomed to things not failing when chances are they just may.

What puzzles me is that it is visible in the firmware settings, its controller is working and relaying information, even if it's just its ID but it is working nonetheless. So what the hell is preventing it from being seen in the OSes?

If you have to send it for servicing be prepared for some wait time, but at least whatever it is ought to be fixed, and if it turns out to be the drive, replaced.

It's just a shame there's no other way to test it that comes to mind.

xapim

MarkMoawad96 have u tried with easeus partition master the drive might be set as hidden or so havent got a clue of what might be happening but its worth a shot worst case scenario the ssd its dead a u said if u have a usb adapter/enclosure try it externally just to confirm if its dead or not good luck

MarkMoawad96

xapim said:

MarkMoawad96 have u tried with easeus partition master the drive might be set as hidden or so havent got a clue of what might be happening but its worth a shot worst case scenario the ssd its dead a u said if u have a usb adapter/enclosure try it externally just to confirm if its dead or not good luck

I did try with Easeus Partition Master, AOMEI Partition Assistant and every single software I could put my hands on. My last resort would be a USB adapter as suggested, but I'm not paying €30 to just verify that my SSD is dead. Fortunately, I did a backup 2 weeks ago, so I didn't lose much data on the drive and it's not worth it at all to pay that much for just one time. I won't make use of this adapter anytime later.
Thanks for your help and consideration.

Commodore_1995#

Can you send some pictures of the information and main tabs of the bios? I ask this, because when the ssd firmware is corrupted, it is common to have a different nomenclature in the bios. For example: the kingston a400 ssd has a firmware problem, in which the name PS3111 appears in the bios. If the model is showing up correctly, it is most likely not a firmware problem. Does ssd appear in the intel rapid storage program? What happens when you disable ASPM on intel rapid storage?

MarkMoawad96

egydiocoelho said:

Can you send some pictures of the information and main tabs of the bios? I ask this, because when the ssd firmware is corrupted, it is common to have a different nomenclature in the bios. For example: the kingston a400 ssd has a firmware problem, in which the name PS3111 appears in the bios. If the model is showing up correctly, it is most likely not a firmware problem. Does ssd appear in the intel rapid storage program? What happens when you disable ASPM on intel rapid storage?

It's having the same name as before, the only difference is that the capacity of the disk disappeared.
No, it doesn't appear in Intel Rapid Storage program and no matter what the changes are, the result is the same; only detected in BIOS!

Commodore_1995#

does ssd appear in the device manager? Can you upload a photo from disk management?

MarkMoawad96

egydiocoelho said:

does ssd appear in the device manager? Can you upload a photo from disk management?

The only one appearing is the Samsung (old one)

Commodore_1995#

Can you send a screenshot of the intel rapid storage program and the information and main tab of the bios?

partoned

my predator helios 300 ph315-54 has the same problem... WILL NOT RECOGNIZE second SSD slot or drive

have tried bios identification (there is an empty slot-no SSD showing), disconected VMD(didn't work), easus and AOMEI Partition (no detection) none of the suggested programs will show the second m.2 ssd either

have tried several brands (WD, crucial,etc.) that say they are compatible - both SATA and NVMe

the tested ssd's all show working in a USB adapter

all were gen 3-4 NVMe , even some older SATA 3's were working in the adapter

acer website says any gen3-4 ssd SATA and NVMe should be recognized, but nothing about turning on the second ssd slot...and NOTHING about what is the correct ssd drive...

question is : if you got the right/compatible NVMe 3-4 which is a 2280 form, then how do I turn on the second SSD?

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