I cannot see my SSD during the Windows installation process

Introduction

If you're unable to see your SSD during the Windows installation process, it's likely that your BIOS currently has RAID mode enabled. This article explains why this setting might cause your SSD to be invisible to Windows and how you can change the setting in the BIOS.

What is RAID?

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. It is a storage technology that combines multiple physical disk drives into a single logical unit for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both.

RAID for performance improvement has become pretty much obsolete when fast SSDs replaced the previously common mechanical hard drives. RAID can still be useful for data redundancy, by keeping two identical copies of your data on two identical SSDs - that's why RAID is still offered on many of our laptops. However, even this use-case has become less common with the advent of cloud drive services, where users keep an automatically synced copy of their personal files with a cloud service provider such as OneDrive, Google Drive, ownCloud or DropBox.

Remember: RAID is not a backup.

On Intel platforms, RAID has been part of "Intel RST" (Intel Rapid Storage Technology). On newer Intel platforms, RAID setups are now called "VMD" (Volume Management Device).

Why is my SSD not being detected?

When RAID mode or VMD is enabled in the BIOS, your SSD might not be detected by the Windows installation process because it's looking for a RAID array or a specific RAID driver to be loaded. If you're not using a RAID setup, you'll need to change the setting in your BIOS to allow your SSD to be detected as a standalone drive.

How to change the setting in the BIOS

Restart your computer and hold the F2 key to enter the BIOS setup. Once you're in the BIOS setup find the RAID or VMD settings under "Advanced" or "Storage". Where RAID, RST or VMD is enabled, disable it. Press F10 or go to to "Save Changes & Exit". The computer will reboot, and you can now proceed with the Windows installation process.

Important note on BIOS updates and resets

The changed RAID or VMD setting will not be reverted when you perform a BIOS Reset (Load Defaults) because storage-related settings are usually exempted from BIOS defaults. However, they may be reverted during BIOS updates. To avoid issues such after a BIOS update, follow these steps:

Perfom your BIOS update.
Immediately hold F2 for BIOS Setup after the BIOS update is complete.
Perform a BIOS Reset (Load Defaults) to make sure that the BIOS update does not leave any incompatible settings from the previous version, but don't exit yet.
Manually check RAID/VMD settings and adjust them if necessary (set to "Disabled" if you don't use RAID).
Save & Exit.

This will make sure that your BIOS setup does not carry-over any potentially conflicting settings from the previous version while also making sure that the RAID/RST/VMD settings still align with your current setup.