📎 AI Summary:
The thread discusses a user’s issue with dual boot selection after upgrading to an NVMe SSD on a Lenovo Thinkpad E15, caused by leftover boot entries from a previous Windows installation on a SATA drive. The community suggests solutions like formatting both drives and performing a clean install on the desired drive, which the original poster successfully implements. Overall, the consensus emphasizes removing other drives during installation to prevent boot menu issues, and the main topic centers on managing dual boot configurations after drive upgrades.
danrog06

danrog06

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Aug 21, 2020
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Thread Author #1
I recently bought a new Lenovo Thinkpad E15 with the cheapest HDD available. I swapped it for a SATA SSD that I already had, formatted, and did a clean install of Windows 10 onto it. Then, I decided that I wanted to add an NVMe SSD and put Windows on that drive instead to take advantage of the faster speeds...so I did another clean install of Windows 10 - this time onto the NVMe drive, formatted the SATA SSD, and now I'm stuck with having to "Choose an operating system" with each reboot. In the attached picture, "Volume 6" is the NVMe drive, and Volume 3 is the SATA. The computer cannot boot from Volume 3, and if I try, it tries to repair Windows 10 unsuccessfully. I can boot no issues from Volume 6.

An image from 'Choose an Operating System'. Windows boot menu showing two Windows 10 installations on different volumes.
I don't want multiple instances of Windows 10, and I don't know why I'm presented with this choice, since I formatted the SATA drive. I've formatted again since, but I can't seem to get rid of this menu at bootup. I've dug through the "Change defaults..." menu with no success.

Any suggestions to get the computer to stop trying to make me choose a volume to boot from?

Thanks for the help!
 

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Neemobeer

Neemobeer

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#2
I'm guessing you left the first drive in while formatting the second. That would mean Windows reused the existing boot loader and just added a boot entry. The simplest solution would be to format both drives and then do a clean install on the desired drive
 

danrog06

danrog06

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Thread Author #3
I had a feeling that'd fix it - didn't know the reasoning behind it. Formatted both, clean install on the NVMe drive, problem solved! I ended up having to do it twice, bc both drives are identical size, and I could not figure out which was the NVMe drive...but now I'm set. Thanks!
 

Neemobeer

Neemobeer

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#4
It would be possible to determine that, but it's quite a bit more technical using diskpart, winobj and bcdedit
 

ussnorway

ussnorway

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#5
For others the best option is always to temporarily remove other drives, leaving only the hardware that takes the new operating system

Sent from my SP9 using Windows Forums mobile app
 

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