Can't install Windows 7 on Samsung SM961 M2 NVMe drive but CAN use the drive after installing the OS normally. Why?

As the title suggests, I'm having trouble installing Windows 7 64-bit on a Samsung SM961 M2 SSD drive, via the M2 slot on an Asus X-99 A motherboard.

The drive is visible to the BIOS, but not during the Windows 7 installation. However, if I install the same copy of Windows 7 on a regular drive, it immediately recognises the M2 SSD and makes it usable.

I am almost certain that this is simply a "missing driver during setup" issue, because the OS can see the SM961 after installing on a normal hard drive and, of course, my BIOS can see it just fine.

It's made trickier by the fact that the SM961 is a relatively new/unknown OEM-only part and is not (AFAIK) the same (driver-wise) as the Samsung 960.

Things I have already (unsuccessfully) tried:

• Checked and double-checked various BIOS settings:
  
  
  
  • Compatibility mode allows UEFI devices
  
  
  • Secure boot is disabled
  
  
  
  


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  Loading various Samsung NVme drivers during installation:

  
  
  
  
  • These Samsung ones from HP
  
  
  • These "pure" WHQL Samsung ones
  
  
  
  


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  Slipstreaming the above drivers directly into the Windows 7 setup ISO before installation

  
  


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  Slipstreaming Microsoft's hotfixes for W7 NVme support into the setup ISO, as described on the hotfix page and on this blog:

  
  
  


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  Following the advice in this Reddit thread.

  
  


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  Following the advice in this Tomshardware thread.

  
  


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  Installing Windows 7 on the same PC using a regular SATA hard drive (whereupon I can immediately see the M2 drive in Windows Disk Manager) and then attempting to clone the install to the M2 drive. The drive did not boot and I haven't got the patience to mess around with "fixing" UEFI boot data.

  
  

The only thing I have not yet tried is transplanting parts of the Windows 10 ISO into the Windows 7 ISO as described in the TomsHardware post, above. Because I feel like there should be a native way to fix this and allow the Windows 7 setup to "see" the M2 drive (especially since the OS can see it immediately after installation).

Any thoughts, please?

Answer

This is more of a workaround than a real solution, so if anyone discovers a better and more consistent way to do this please comment or answer.

Install Windows on a regular drive first and then clone it to the M2 drive.

I couldn't get Windows to see the SM961 during install, however what did work was installing Windows 7 to a regular SATA hard drive. After installing all the necessary drivers for my motherboard etc. Windows was able to see the SM961, and I used a free disk imaging program (Macrium Reflect) to clone the entire SATA drive with the newly installed operating system to the SM961. I was then able to unplug the SATA drive and boot from the SM961.

I tried another clone tool (EaseUS) first which did not work.