Acer Aspire V3-772G - can't install additional SSD

Hello. I have an Acer Aspire V3-772G and I just purchased SSD Kingston 240GB disk to extend the capacity, but my laptop does not recognize it. So, if you have a look on the picture, you will see disk 1 - Plextor - with Windows 10 installed, slot 2 - when I keep my HDD WD since purchase of this laptop and slot 3 - there I want to keep my new SSD Kingston. But Windows does not see any disk in slot 3. I combined to install WD and Kingston in slot 2 and both are good and visible by the system, but none of them work in slot 3, so for me it looks like slot 3 is somehow disabled. For sure there is no such option in BIOS, already checked. Can anyone help me please?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/j2/h7vrd4reuorj.jpg

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JackE

Please show a phone photo of BIOS Information tab with all 3 drives connected. Then show phone photo of BIOS Information tab with 2. WD disconnected. Jack E/NJ

karski88

Hello Jack,
photo 1 - WD inside slot 2, Kingston inside slot 3
photo 2 - WD out, slot 2 free, Kingston inside slot 3
photo 3 - WD out, Kingston inside slot 2, slot 3 free
(before I create this topic at all, I managed to format Kingston to NTFS via Windows 10 tools, using slot 2)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/de/ctyvldmp4ejq.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/we/ddm8qxgqndsm.jpg

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JackE

With all 3 installed, press Ctrl+S in the BIOS Information & Main tabs to see if any hidden options appear. Jack E/NJ

karski88

JackE said:

With all 3 installed, press Ctrl+S in the BIOS Information & Main tabs to see if any hidden options appear. Jack E/NJ

Nothing happen. I tried with all tabs, even with both Ctrl buttons, but looks like I don't have any hidded BIOS options, at least not under this shortcut. Also I have the newest BIOS version - downloaded from acer.com.

JackE

With only #3 connected to a 2.5" drive, does it show up in the BIOS Info tab? Jack E

karski88

Unfortunately no, please have a look on my above post, photo 2 - WD not connected, slot 2 free, Kingston inside slot 3 - result as on the picture "2".

karski88

update: WD connected inside slot 3 while slot 2 is free - same result as on the picture "2". So definitelly there is something wrong with slot 3 - physically or because of the software.

karski88

Refreshing the topic. Does anyone have any clue how to solve this issue?

JackE

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I meant to also remove the #1 plextor boot card and the #2 drive. Only #3 drive installed. It doesn't have to boot to look at the BIOS Information tab to see if the #3 drive finally shows up. If it still doesn't, then we can probably conclude the #3 socket is inactive. Jack E/NJ

karski88

Strange thing, but I left the computer off for a day and now everything is fine. I can see and use all 3 disks. Looks like Windows 10 needed some time to unlock the disk in slot 3, but I have no idea why.
Nevertheless now everything in fine. Thank you JackE for trying to help.

JackE

>>>I left the computer off for a day>>>

Does this mean that you never cold booted and disabled fast start earlier? Jack E/NJ

karski88

Of course I did. I'm always using Turn Off The Computer option and for every disk swap I removed the charger and battery. Just never left it off longer than 24h until last Sunday.

JackE

Very interesting. What's the BIOS Information tab look like now? Jack E/NJ

karski88

Good question. Here it is. I don't know why BIOS doesn't show Kingston disk. Ctrl+S do nothing, also there is no scroll or something similar to scroll down and find Kingston. Same in BOOT tab. Looks like BIOS can't recognize 3rd disk, however it is still fine and working on Windows.
Now you can also see the DVD drive, but I install it back once all disks start to be visible by Windows, so lack of the DVD drive wasn't related to my original issue.

Edited the content to hide sensitive information

JackE

More interesting. It's possible socket 3 might be part of the USB bus system treating the Kingston almost like a USB stick. It might be interesting to see if its benchmark speed is as expected with CrystalDiskInfo. Also whether you could boot from #3 Kingston if it was made bootable. It might then show up in the boot order or with the F12 boot menu. Jack E/NJ

karski88

Here you have a screen from CrystalDiskInfo v 8.9.0. Maybe you will find it usefull as for me it's not, I have not much knowledge in this regard. Plextor is set as C drive, Kingston - D, WD - E.

As for setting it to bootable, most probably it would work, but I would like to rather avoid checking this as long as it is working fine now with no issues.

Regarding treating Kingston disk as USB - I have no opinion on that. But from my amateur point of view, shouldn't it be somehow specified? I mean, this is only computer, right, so slot #3 should be 100% disk drive (SSD/HDD) or 100% USB drive. For me it is a disk, considering there is physically SATA interface. But as I said, I don't have much knowledge on this.

PS. CrystalDiskInfo shows up D drive first, then C and E at the end (see below screen), but why in this order - I have no clue.