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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is installing a new M.2 NVMe SSD in…
A technician is installing a new M.2 NVMe SSD in a desktop computer. After installation, the drive is not listed in the operating system's disk management tool, but it appears in the UEFI firmware interface. What should the technician do first?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Initialize the disk in Disk Management and create a volume.
When a drive is recognized in UEFI but not in the OS, it often means the drive is not initialized or formatted. Disk Management can initialize the drive and assign a file system, making it usable by the OS.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Update the UEFI firmware to the latest version.
Why it's wrong here
Updating the UEFI firmware is typically a troubleshooting step for hardware *detection* issues. Since the M.2 NVMe SSD is already visible within the UEFI/BIOS settings, the system's firmware has successfully recognized the drive's presence and basic functionality. The problem lies with the operating system's ability to utilize the drive, which requires post-detection configuration rather than a firmware update.
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Initialize the disk in Disk Management and create a volume.
Why this is correct
For a newly installed M.2 NVMe SSD to be accessible by the operating system, it must first be initialized in Disk Management. This process involves selecting a partition style, either Master Boot Record (MBR) or GUID Partition Table (GPT), which prepares the disk for partitioning. Following initialization, a new volume (partition) must be created and formatted with a file system like NTFS, allowing the OS to store data on it.
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Change the SATA mode from AHCI to IDE in UEFI.
Why it's wrong here
M.2 NVMe SSDs communicate with the system via the PCI Express (PCIe) bus, leveraging its high bandwidth for superior performance. In contrast, AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) and IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) are modes specifically designed for SATA-based storage devices. Changing SATA controller modes in UEFI would have absolutely no impact on an NVMe drive's detection or functionality, as it operates on an entirely different hardware interface.
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Reseat the M.2 drive in the slot.
Why it's wrong here
Reseating the M.2 drive is a valid troubleshooting step if the drive were not being detected at all by the system's UEFI/BIOS, indicating a potential physical connection issue. However, since the problem statement implies the drive *is* detected in UEFI, its physical connection is confirmed to be sound. The current issue is clearly a software configuration problem within the operating system, not a loose or improperly seated hardware component.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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