Aspire A515-54G Totally black screen after updating the SSD (NVme) and setting Sata mode to AHCI.

AbuzarShaheen
AbuzarShaheen Member Posts: 9 New User
edited May 2021 in Aspire Laptops
Hi All, 
Recently I have upgraded storage to 512GB (M.2 NVme) in my Acer Aspire A515-54G Previously it was 128GB(Sata SSD). Now the issue is that i need AHCI sata mode. Because i need dual boot with linux. Previously i was using on 128GB SSD. But on new SSD when i switch sata mode to AHCI it shows totally black screen, as below image. There is no Acer logo, can't enter to BIOS and not showing boot menu, I want to know if this is some compatibility issue or some bug in BIOS. The SSD I bought is https://www.adata.com/tz/specification/597

Thread was edited to add model name to the title



Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    If you cloned the drive in iRST mode, you must first temporarily change it back into iRST mode. Try this. Press and hold the power button till the machne shuts off. Then press and hold the F2 key. While still holding F2, turn the machine on. Report back with results and we'll go from there.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Easwar
    Easwar Member Posts: 6,727 Guru
    Hi AbuzarShaheen,

    Did you properly connected all the connections while upgrading the storage.
  • AbuzarShaheen
    AbuzarShaheen Member Posts: 9 New User
    JackE said:
    If you cloned the drive in iRST mode, you must first temporarily change it back into iRST mode. Try this. Press and hold the power button till the machne shuts off. Then press and hold the F2 key. While still holding F2, turn the machine on. Report back with results and we'll go from there.

    Nope. I did fresh installation. Now the issue is in BIOS I think.
    I did installed new SSD (NVMe). 
    There was totally black screen.
    i removed the SSD, changed SATA mode  to AHCI.
    Turned on the laptop by pressing and holding the F2 key.. 
    Again black screen.
    I had to disassemble laptop again to remove SSD and change Sata mode.
  • AbuzarShaheen
    AbuzarShaheen Member Posts: 9 New User
    Easwar said:
    Hi AbuzarShaheen,

    Did you properly connected all the connections while upgrading the storage.
    Yeah it's connected correctly, therefore it's working. There is some issue in BIOS i think.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    >>>i removed the SSD, changed SATA mode  to AHCI. Turned on the laptop by pressing and holding the F2 key.. >>>

    Stay in AHCI mode. That's the least troublesome. If you can you enter the  BIOS menu OK without the SSD connected, then the nvme card is a problem. This is not unusual. Budget nvmes are notoriously more prone to cause issues like this than plain vanilla SATA m.2s.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Easwar
    Easwar Member Posts: 6,727 Guru
    Hi AbuzarShaheen,

    Are you getting any light indication when charger is connected/ Turning ON the unit.
  • First, check if ssd works on another computer. that way we'll know if the problem is with ssd, or if it's just some incompatibility between ssd and a515-54. If ssd works on another computer, try updating the bios:

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  • AbuzarShaheen
    AbuzarShaheen Member Posts: 9 New User
    JackE said:
    >>>i removed the SSD, changed SATA mode  to AHCI. Turned on the laptop by pressing and holding the F2 key.. >>>

    Stay in AHCI mode. That's the least troublesome. If you can you enter the  BIOS menu OK without the SSD connected, then the nvme card is a problem. This is not unusual. Budget nvmes are notoriously more prone to cause issues like this than plain vanilla SATA m.2s.

    This means that issue is with SSD. One more thing. I am using dual boot with Linux. 
    If I change storage driver manually from device manager to Microsoft storage controller then it works fine with AHCI until in switch of the laptop and turn it on. Normal reboot works fine. Still thinking it's related to SSD/BIOS. Now laptop is on with Intel RST.

    Easwar said:
    Hi AbuzarShaheen,

    Are you getting any light indication when charger is connected/ Turning ON the unit.
    Yeah, I can see light indicator when I connect charger.

    First, check if ssd works on another computer. that way we'll know if the problem is with ssd, or if it's just some incompatibility between ssd and a515-54. If ssd works on another computer, try updating the bios:

    Yeah for BIOS I am always keep checking BIOS update after every 2 to 3 days. On other Laptop i did not check. Currently i am using same SSD but in RST mode. Only AHCI is making trouble.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    >>>Only AHCI is making trouble. >>>

    No. iRST is making trouble. You cannot yet dual boot Linux in iRST mode. You first must force Windows to  boot in safe mode under AHCI. Windows safe mode will then automatically load AHCI drivers for Windows. Then grubx64 bootloader can load Windows normally in AHCI.

    Try this.
    (1) Boot Windows normally with BIOS Sata mode set to iRST .
    (2) Then follow directions in this link to make Windows temporarily cold boot in safe mode on the next boot. https://www.digitalcitizen.life/4-ways-boot-safe-mode-windows-10/
    (3) Then turn the machine back on and tap F2 to enter BIOS menu to change sata mode to AHCI.
    (4) Allow Windows to boot to safe mode. This should automatically load the AHCI drivers.
    (5) Then shut down Windows safe mode.
    (6) Turn the machine back on. The grubx64 bootloader should now appear to allow selecting Windows to boot normally if you want. Otherwise it'll load Linux automatically after a few seconds.

    Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • AbuzarShaheen
    AbuzarShaheen Member Posts: 9 New User
    JackE said:
    >>>Only AHCI is making trouble. >>>

    No. iRST is making trouble. You cannot yet dual boot Linux in iRST mode. You first must force Windows to  boot in safe mode under AHCI. Windows safe mode will then automatically load AHCI drivers for Windows. Then grubx64 bootloader can load Windows normally in AHCI.

    Try this.
    (1) Boot Windows normally with BIOS Sata mode set to iRST .
    (2) Then follow directions in this link to make Windows temporarily cold boot in safe mode on the next boot. https://www.digitalcitizen.life/4-ways-boot-safe-mode-windows-10/
    (3) Then turn the machine back on and tap F2 to enter BIOS menu to change sata mode to AHCI.
    (4) Allow Windows to boot to safe mode. This should automatically load the AHCI drivers.
    (5) Then shut down Windows safe mode.
    (6) Turn the machine back on. The grubx64 bootloader should now appear to allow selecting Windows to boot normally if you want. Otherwise it'll load Linux automatically after a few seconds.

    Jack E/NJ

    These tutorials I already have tried, in fact I was using dual boot on previous (SATA) SSD. Now here problem comes after step #3. After changing the SATA mode to AHCI I see only black screen. Can't enter into BIOS settings or change anything. Just need to remove the SSD then change the SATA mode to RST again to boot. Still not sure it's related to SSD or BIOS needs a fix. Currently I am on latest (1.22) version. 
    workaround for this I have done is installed Linux in HDD but can't do dual boot. Always need to select OS from F12 boot menu. Also HDD is too slow for loading as compared to SSD.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    edited June 2021
    >>>Recently I have upgraded storage to 512GB (M.2 NVme) in my Acer Aspire A515-54G Previously it was 128GB(Sata SSD). >>>

    Wait!!! You must first try to convert the old SSD to run Windows under AHCI. Then you can clone the old SSD to the new nvme. If you don't do this beforehand, UEFI won't know what to do with the trusted EFI file  made under irst mode when you change UEFI to AHCI

    Jack E/NJ

  • AbuzarShaheen
    AbuzarShaheen Member Posts: 9 New User
    JackE said:
    >>>Recently I have upgraded storage to 512GB (M.2 NVme) in my Acer Aspire A515-54G Previously it was 128GB(Sata SSD). >>>

    Wait!!! You must first try to convert the old SSD to run Windows under AHCI. Then you can clone the old SSD to the new nvme. If you don't do this beforehand, UEFI won't know what to do with the trusted EFI file  made under irst mode when you change UEFI to AHCI
    Before it was running in AHCI mode in previous SSD and i was able to use dual boot, On new SSD i have installed fresh copy of windows, I did not clone the SSD. Is this mean that there can be any drivers in recovery/EFI partition in my old SSD?
    I'll try now to clone that disk. But i have to clone it from old SSD to USB flash then from flash to new SSD.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    >>>Before it was running in AHCI mode in previous SSD >>>

    Was old SSD also an m.2?


    Jack E/NJ

  • AbuzarShaheen
    AbuzarShaheen Member Posts: 9 New User
    JackE said:
    >>>Before it was running in AHCI mode in previous SSD >>>

    Was old SSD also an m.2?


    No, Old SSD was SATA, New is NVMe. I just tried to clone SSD, but still same result.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    edited June 2021
    Let me re-phrase.
    (1) Was the old SSD a 2.5" SATA drive or an m.2 SATA card?
    (2) If the old drive was 2.5" SSD, is it still connected?
    (3) Did you clone the new n.2 nvme card externally with a USB-to-m.2 adapter or internally with both the old and new drives connected?

    Jack E/NJ

  • AbuzarShaheen
    AbuzarShaheen Member Posts: 9 New User
    JackE said:
    Let me re-phrase.
    (1) Was the old SSD a 2.5" SATA drive or an m.2 SATA card?
    (2) If the old drive was 2.5" SSD, is it still connected?
    (3) Did you clone the new n.2 nvme card externally with a USB-to-m.2 adapter or internally with both the old and new drives connected?
    1: below given is the old SSD and for new I have given link above in OP. 
    2: There is only 1 SSD slot in the laptop. So to install new one i had to remove old one. Now new is connected only.
    3: 1st I cloned old SSD to USB drive then from USB drive I cloned to new SSD.


  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    >>>3: 1st I cloned old SSD to USB drive then from USB drive I cloned to new SSD.>>>

    Sorry. This is the likely problem. You need to clone the new nvme directly from the old sata card using a USB-to-m.2 adapter for nvme cards like the one shown below. No external pendrive middle-man allowed.   :)    Jack E/NJ







    Jack E/NJ

  • AbuzarShaheen
    AbuzarShaheen Member Posts: 9 New User
    JackE said:
    >>>3: 1st I cloned old SSD to USB drive then from USB drive I cloned to new SSD.>>>

    Sorry. This is the likely problem. You need to clone the new nvme directly from the old sata card using a USB-to-m.2 adapter for nvme cards like the one shown below. No external pendrive middle-man allowed.   :)    Jack E/NJ







    As for as i think it should not be related to cloning. I have tried to remove all partitions and installing fresh windows again in old SSD which works fine. Only problem is with new SSD. Hopefully next BIOS update could fix this issue.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    Yes. It is true. Nvme m.2 cards can be more sensitive to these kinds things than plain vanilla m.2 SATA cards. Sorry, I don't think the BIOS update is the issue here.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Why don't you try enabling safe boot through msconfig?
    How to start Windows 10 in Safe Mode Boot into Safe Mode on PC
    then restart windows and change sata mode to ahci.
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