@techami

It could be possible but there no switch on the NVME driver for it since it operate at standard level. No logical compare if zero or something if you are asking.
Standard are defined to populate or retrieve always something if defined. Unless is not supported, non present or non compliant to the standard.
NVIDIA uses a sort of "to be filled" leased space and other device ID check by driver are performed to actually enable the feature.
Your issue is some bioses miss-configuration by the manufacturer. See something like lspci and setpci on windows this will allow you to set the link manually or either change board or live with.
On UEFI you would need to build your own customized platform driver just for that board and know how the PCIE negotiation work to change how the link give or take priority.
I don't know why WIN10 is freezing are there any error or it happen always on a certain point during the installation?
If your hardware it's not supported you should get an error message.
If something not error catched the installer would freeze indefinitely but that usually mean non-standard operation and you just need to remake the ESD-USB especially on legacy hardware with volatile memory.
Are you sure the ESD-USB is not corrupted or some file are missing?

Have an EVGA x58 SLI that I am running into issues with. Additional components are x5680, 970 evo nvme, 24gbs ram. I have tried a number of things and my system will not boot past the windows splash screen.

USB with Duet and Refind appear to be working correctly, system boots to Refind, and NVME with new windows 10 installation appears within the the GUI. All other sata devices have been removed. VT has been disabled, and board does not support USB 3 natively, so nothing to disable there. The USB with Duet/Refind on is a USB 3 drive, so not sure if that matters. Have tried multiple CPUs, nothing changes with those swaps. Have yet to try the 2015 version of Duet/Refind, so thats my next step, but somewhat at a loss as to what to try next.

Thanks for any advice/help.

@noInk
Win 10 copy 2 times downloaded and tested on laptop. Win 10 just freeze and nothing more, disk doesn't work waited around 30mins and restarted pc.
@kradluk
I don't know how x58 board but my x38 freezing with usb3 drives when with usb2 all ok.
To install system on nvme you need gpt partition system. Try windows 7 but you need edit installation files to instal in uefi mode and add drivers for nvme disks.

Actually, you only need EFI partition (with system files and GPT capable OS), to boot NVMe from UEFI perspective (ie. both MBR and GPT will work).
GPT lock is simply Windows installer being forcefull (since NVMe booting usually isn't supported under non-EFI mode).

@kradluk

If you load past DUET and see REFIND on screen and the windows installation media doesn't work download the windows 10 media creation tool and redo the WIN10 ESD-USB directly from the media creation tool.

During the installation delete all partition on the target drive.
VT is not required to be disabled ( disabling or enabling certain bios setting, unless prepared before may require a full OS install).

@agentx007

Well, technically you can boot even without an GPT partition or use custom type.

For WIN7 one can use the official Windows USB/DVD Download Tool.
Manually copy the content of [WIN7|USB]\efi\microsoft\boot directory to a new [WIN7|USB]\efi\boot directory and extract\copy\rename the [WIN7|ISO]\sources\install.wim\1\Windows\Boot\EFI\bootmgfw.efi to the [WIN7|USB]\efi\boot\bootx64.efi new folder.
Since the version on the first page doesn't support proprietary filesystem one must download the binary package of refind and unpack the NTFS.DXE to the [DUET|USB]\EFI\Boot\drivers folder to get it WIN7 UEFI installer (renamed bootmgfw.efi) to work.



Using the media creation tool for WIN10 eliminate lot's of issue, it work.

If somebody want to customize their installation media obliviously they should but in that case I can't oversee where the error.

@techami

Can you give some context about the "Win 10 just freeze" where does it freeze? during the pre-installation phase? checking on device, installing the driver, the software, the desktop?
Is this a CLEAN install? are there any left-over hidden or active partition? are you using other bootloader? is this happening in RAID|IDE|AHCI?
Are there other USB connected? PoE device on LAN? xcross-cable? LPT device? PS2 stuff?
Did you try to disable everything not essential on the bios? sound\USB\etc etc
Is the board branded and you running latest available bios? name? did you reset it to default? removed the battery and the power cord and pushed the power button in the last decade? is the battery good?
Can you install WIN10 x64 without EFI support? (without DUET)
Did you used the Media Creation Tool or third party software or manually changed some file on the installer?

@noInk
I tested new installation iso files from MS page 2 times downloaded(win10x64 ver 1909). First time stacked at "getting files ready at 7%" after this i waited around 20mins and restarted pc. And this created new problem very slow installation from usb or dvd drive but when booted old windows (installed before) all was fine and transfer normal for USB2. But if reboot and try installation again very very slow and stucking or maybe need 2-3days at this speed... So i found old iso with windows 10240(2015 year) and this installed fine. But when start updating to ver 1809 when pc restarted to install stucked at 0%.
And this slow installation bug fixed only re-flesh bios. For now all is fine at windows 7 but somday i will upgrade graphic card so would be nice to have support of dx12 so need win10. All this was with nvme disk disconnected just with old raid 0.

I downloaded this lspci/setpci but i don't know how write scripts for this.
lspci shows for nvme this:

LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 8GT/s, Width x4, ASPM L1, Exit Latency L1 <64us
ClockPM- Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot- ASPMOptComp+
LnkCtl: ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- CommClk-
ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x4, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive
- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-

@techami

Dunno, mine time is limited. Can't you just make the USB directly from the Media Creation Tool?
If it stuck at that "getting files ready" it mean something is corrupted or begin corrupted during the copy.
Download the windows 10 media creation tool and redo the WIN10 ESD-USB directly from the media creation tool.
Before installing the OS delete all partition from the drive you are trying to install.
Parameter like device BLW are specific for your system, you should try to read the documentation or use a search engine about how to use setpci or lspci.
Both issue are not related to DUET.
If the WIN10 installer is not complaining about error or incompatibility chance are the media you are trying to install is simply not valid or something is omitted.

Just wanted to say thanks yet again to @noInk and anyone involved, was reminded to do so as I accidentally erased my Duet stick and just rebuilt it worried it wouldn't boot up. No issue and the newer GUI for setting up the stick was nice!

Coming up on one full year running an NVME on my X58 Machine (with a Xeon X5680) Hard for me to let go of this machine apparently, as I've still yet to upgrade to Ryzen and my machine in April will be 10 years old. Many, many thanks for giving this platform extra life, it's been good to me.

Thank you so much for the information, I really feel like I am super close to succeeding now.
I have an Asrock Z77 Pro 4 Board, and recently bought myself a M.2 Samsung 970 EVO 500gb. I have managed to connect it to the motherboard with an M.2 NVMe converter and I have since followed all the advice in the main thread, I have made a bootable USB, and gone through the steps to set it as the initial boot device. I have also installed windows onto the NVMe. However, when I start up the machine and get into the GUI there is no NVMe picked up, even though it definitely has windows installed upon it. I've disabled the CSM through the BIOS as well, just unsure what to try next? Any help would be greatly appreciated. My CPU is a i3 7700k

@Trucker

DUET doesn't add anything to the BIOS.
If your board is UEFI capable your board will make an NVRAM entry for the boot location.
In that case see the HOW to MAKE THE USB flash drive (non-bootable) for REFIND.

Booting the NVME drive from older-UEFI capable board - REFIND mass-storage without DUET - with USBSetup:

You are a saint sir, and should be applauded as such. I really appreciate your reply. It is my first PC build and am glad to have gotten it working!

@CelsiuS

Since I got new hardware with I've re-checked on the NEC Renesas uPD720200.
To get the uPD720200 USB 3.0 device to work properly you need to update its ROM with at least the FW Version 3.0.3.4


- board work.

The DX58SO2 uPD720200 [SubSystemVendorID] 8086 [SubSystemID] 5332 came with the 3.0.2.5 FW version and didn't worked.


- board would likely stuck during the memory check.


If you plan to update the onboard uPD720200 be sure to use your board uPD720200 [SubSystemVendorID] & [SubSystemID] and make and save a backup before anything.
These are the configuration file I used for mine DX58SO2 your might differ.
Use "W200FW36 /srom 0" command to know the uPD720200 [SubSystemVendorID] & [SubSystemID] of your board and adjust accordingly the [SubSystemVendorID] & [SubSystemID] value within the INI file.
DO NOT USE blindly. See the warning and search about.
If you brick something I won't be able to help.

( Adjust accordingly both INI )
DEFAULT.ini is configured as auto-sense for 8086&5332
DX58SO2.ini is configured as on-board device for 8086&5332

In mine case I used the following command:

[INFO] W200FW36 /srom ? 
[GETID] W200FW36 /srom 0 
[BACKUP] W200FW36 /srom 0 /dump backup.bin
[FLASH] W200FW36 /srom 0 /write F303408.MEM DX58SO2.ini
[VERIFY] W200FW36 /srom 0 /verify F303408.MEM DX58SO2.ini
 
 

Hi, possible for Gigabyte X38-DS5 + Q9400 CPU? if it can work I will buy pci nvme adaptor and NvME M.2 SSD right?

Thanks regards.