XPS 8960, Service Manual instructions to add SSD are inadequate

This forum post may help as it describes why RAID is enabled on single drive systems and how to switch to AHCI without having to reinstall Windows.

 Why would Dell ship a system with one SSD, configured to use RAID?

The system uses an Intel Volume Management Device (VMD), which essentially combines the NVMe storage controller and processor technologies to increase overall performance and reliability. Since your system was shipped with only one NVMe SSD, Dell would have optimised the factory settings for that configuration i.e. using Intel VMD. See Intel VMD for more details.

The Intel VMD will only work with one or multiple NVMe SSDs and the system won't boot if the SATA port is in use (Lenovo have a support article for one of their models which essentially mentions this). 

What can be done to get running again and then follow a correct set of directions to add the 2nd SSD?

I think you are going to have to reinstall Windows 11, with the independent storage controller setting AHCI/NVMe.

@Philip_Yip​ Thanks Philip, I appreciate your extreme knowledge of the subject and contributing to the OP question.

Re: They do not mention change SATA mode to AHCI. This XPS 8960 only had the original 1TB SSD. Now I get BSOD. I removed the 2nd SSD but still getting BSOD (stop code Inaccessible Boot Device). 

I presume what happens is that OP read somewhere that RAID needs to be changed to AHCI and did the switch accordingly.  but OP did not know that such change needs to be done in safe mode.  since the switch to AHCI is not done in safe mode, either two SSD or one original SSD would not boot now.

but if that is the story, try enter bios to switch back to RAID or Dell default if possible

try to boot into Windows

disable Windows 11 PIN log in

​ ​

1. ​Run ​​cmd​​ as administrator ​​

2. ​Copy-paste this command, which will start Windows in Safe Mode the next time you reboot:​

   ​ ​

   ​bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal​

3. ​Restart the computer and enter UEFI/BIOS setup.​

4. ​Change the SATA operation mode from RAID to AHCI.​

5. ​Save changes and exit Setup and Windows will automatically boot to Safe Mode.​

6. ​Launch ​​cmd​​ again, as in step #1.​

7. ​Copy-paste this command, which will start Windows in Normal Mode the next time you reboot:​

   ​ ​

   ​bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot​

8. ​Reboot and Windows will automatically start with AHCI drivers enabled.​

@EdMXPS8960 - Please don't double-post the same questions.

I responding to you in that other thread with the exact same instructions about changing RAID to AHCI before installing the new SSD....

@redxps630​ 

I was able to get it boot by  –  “Dell logo-power off” three times. On the third time it booted. Now it will not run windows recovery environment.  I get the BSOD Inaccessible Boot Device. Any thoughts on how to fix this?

@EdMXPS8960 - Did you follow the instructions I posted in that other thread to try to resolve that Inaccessible Boot Device BSOD error?

@RoHe​ Thanks for the response

I didn't make this clear. The system Boots into windows now, and will allow logging into some of the accounts. But when I try to run the windows recovery, it shows Dell logo waiting and finally BSOD error code Inaccessible Boot Device.

What do you mean by "Windows Recovery"?  And how and why are you trying to do that?

If you're trying to reinstall the Dell factory OS image, that's not going to work, now or ever again.  The factory OS image was configured for BIOS set to RAID. Once you change that to AHCI, the factory image becomes unbootable.

If you ever want/need to do a clean re-install of Windows, use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB stick with a recent version of Win 11. (It will likely still need updating via Windows Update after being installed on your PC.)

@RoHe​ Thanks for the response. Windows Recovery is an windows application on a separate partition on the disk with the windows C: drive. From a booted windows session - access the WinRE as follows. To enable Windows recovery mode on Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, then under "Advanced startup," click Restart now; while your computer restarts, hold down the Shift key to access the recovery options menu.

On my system this results in BSOD as indicated previously. Obviously there is still something wrong.

There isn't anything wrong. 

The factory recovery image you're trying to restore was configured for RAID. But, you changed BIOS to AHCI, so you get the BSOD about an inaccessible boot drive because that image doesn't have the AHCI drivers it needs. 

Your PC boots "normally" now (but not via RE) because you reconfigured Windows so the AHCI drivers got installed. That's what you did when you booted in Safe Mode. 

Please explain why do you now want to revert to the factory image....

@RoHe​

Thanks for the response. I was not interested in getting the factory recovery image. This partition WindowsRE provides the same trouble shooting tools as choosing “Repair” when booting from a Windows installation USB. That is an alternative to making this partition bootable.