220-1101 Question 244
Single answerNon-volatile Memory Express (NVMe)A technician is upgrading a graphic designer's workstation to reduce large project load times. The designer purchased an M.2 NVMe SSD, but after installation the drive does not appear in the system firmware or in Windows Setup. The motherboard documentation states: "M.2 slot 1 supports PCIe x4/SATA. When a SATA M.2 device is installed, SATA port 2 is disabled." The SSD is known-good and is seated correctly. Which of the following is the MOST likely explanation for why the new drive is not detected?
- A
The NVMe drive requires a SATA data cable to be recognized during POST
- B
The motherboard's M.2 slot may not support PCIe/NVMe operation in the current slot or configuration
- C
The system cannot detect NVMe drives unless RAID mode is enabled in firmware
- D
The installed NVMe drive must be formatted in Windows before firmware can detect it
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
This question tests a key A+ Core 1 concept: NVMe uses the PCIe bus, while M.2 describes only the physical connector and card form factor. In real-world troubleshooting, technicians must verify not just that a drive fits physically, but that the motherboard slot supports the correct protocol. A common issue is assuming all M.2 slots support NVMe. Manufacturer motherboard manuals and system board specifications are the best references for confirming whether a slot supports SATA, PCIe/NVMe, or both, and whether lane sharing or port disablement applies. CompTIA A+ objectives expect candidates to distinguish between SATA and NVMe storage technologies and apply that knowledge during installation and troubleshooting.
- A. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. NVMe M.2 drives do not use SATA data cables. An M.2 NVMe SSD communicates over PCIe lanes through the M.2 connector directly on the motherboard. Confusing SATA M.2 drives with NVMe M.2 drives is a common misconception because both can use the same physical M.2 form factor.
- B. Correct.
This is correct. M.2 is a form factor, not a guarantee of NVMe support. Some M.2 slots support only SATA-based M.2 SSDs, while others support PCIe/NVMe, and some support both depending on motherboard design and firmware settings. Since the documentation specifically mentions mixed support behavior, the most likely issue is slot capability or configuration incompatibility with the installed NVMe device.
- C. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. NVMe support does not generally require RAID mode to be enabled. In many systems, enabling RAID can actually complicate detection if proper drivers are not loaded. Standard AHCI/PCIe storage configurations commonly detect NVMe drives without RAID.
- D. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. Firmware detection occurs before the operating system loads and before any formatting takes place. A drive must first be recognized by the motherboard/UEFI before Windows Setup can see and format it. Formatting is not a prerequisite for firmware-level detection.