Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-50WU | New SSDs not detected by Bios UEFI Boot List

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MOS_Aspire7
MOS_Aspire7 Member Posts: 2 New User

SPECIFICATIONS
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-50WU
RAM: 16GB
Intel Core I5-7300HQ
GTX 1050 2GB VRAM
Bios: insydeh20 (Updated to latest version 1.21)

NEW NVMe SSD: Crucial PCIe Gen4 NVMe 2280 M.2 SSD 1TB P310
NEW Internal SATA SSD: Crucial BX500 SATA SSD 2TB
OS: Windows 10

Main Issue: The newly installed NVMe SSD isn't appearing in the bios UEFI Boot Order, even though it does appear in the bios's main page and the Legacy Boot order, and works without issue when booting from the original HDD. I am attempting to boot Windows 10 from the NVMe rather than the HDD, but as mentioned it cannot be booted from UEFI

Additional Details:

  • I have to install Windows 10 fresh to the NVMe via USB, cloning is not possible as my HDD has a sector size of 512 bytes, while the NVMe SSD has a sector size of 4096 bytes. More info on the sector size incompatibilty here - https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOWX/Incompatible+Disk+Selected
  • I can successfully install Windows 10 onto the NVMe by booting through the USB and selecting the NVMe as the destination disk. I made sure to install Windows 10 with the original HDD removed, and with no other storage devices connected (except the USB where the Windows installer is being booted from)
  • Both the HDD and the NVMe are partitioned in GPT
  • I have bought a new SSD, which also will not appear in the UEFI boot order after installing Windows 10 on it, so this is not a hardware issue

What's weird is that the NVME SSD does work in Windows as a storage device, and the BIOS does recognise that it is inserted in the MAIN page and Legacy boot order...

Any advice or assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Answers

  • Puraw
    Puraw ACE, Member Posts: 17,864 Trailblazer

    Quoting MOS_Aspire7: “The newly installed NVMe SSD isn't appearing in the bios UEFI Boot Order, even though it does appear in the bios's main page and the Legacy Boot order...”

    Just chiming in—this behavior is actually expected on the Aspire 7 A715-71G due to how Acer configured its PCIe slot and BIOS support. Here's a breakdown:

    🔧 BM-Keyed M.2 Slot ≠ Full NVMe Boot Support

    • The M.2 slot is BM-keyed, which physically accepts both SATA and NVMe drives.
    • But UEFI booting from NVMe is hit-or-miss—especially with newer Gen4 SSDs or 4096-byte sector formats.

    🧠 Sector Size Mismatch Blocks Cloning

    • Your HDD’s 512-byte sector setup clashes with the NVMe’s 4096-byte format.
    • Cloning tools fail, and BIOS doesn’t recognize the boot entry—classic legacy hardware limitation.

    🛠️ What Works (You Already Did Most of It):

    • ✅ Fresh GPT install of Windows 10 to the NVMe with all other drives disconnected.
    • ✅ BIOS v1.21 is installed—good, but there’s no newer firmware to fix this.
    • ✅ Legacy boot sees the drive, but UEFI doesn’t show it as bootable.

    📌 Extra Tips to Try:

    • Make sure BIOS Boot Mode is set to UEFI only, not “Legacy” or “Auto.”
    • Try a Gen3 NVMe SSD (like Crucial P3 or WD Blue SN570)—some Gen4 models trigger compatibility quirks with the HM175 chipset.
    • If UEFI still refuses to boot, consider using the NVMe as a secondary drive and booting from a SATA SSD (which works flawlessly on this model).

    TL;DR: The A715-71G's BIOS sees NVMe SSDs, but won’t always boot from them—especially newer Gen4 drives. You're not doing anything wrong; it's a hardware+firmware wall.

    Let me know if you want a drive recommendation that sidesteps these quirks—I’ve tested a few combos that boot just fine on this chassis.