Asus ROG Flow Z Drive Hidden From Windows Installer Fix!

When trying to install Windows on an Asus ROG Flow Z series laptop (and possibly similar ASUS models), you may run into an issue: the main internal SSD is missing from the “Where do you want to install Windows?” screen.

The good news? There’s a simple fix. It just requires adjusting a BIOS setting. If you’ve never used BIOS before, it can feel a little intimidating and you cause major problems with a simple mistake; so follow these steps carefully, and if you’re unsure, ask someone tech-savvy to help or leave a comment.

1. Enter BIOS

Completely power off your laptop.
Press the Power button, and as soon as the ASUS logo appears, repeatedly tap F2 until the BIOS menu opens.
- If F2 doesn’t work, try Del instead (but on Flow Z, F2 is standard).

2. Switch to Advanced Mode

By default, ASUS BIOS starts in EZ Mode.
Press F7 to enter Advanced Mode.

Switch to advanced mode of the ROG bios with F7

3. Navigate to VMD Settings

Use the arrow keys or trackpad to go to the Advanced tab.
Look for VMD Setup Menu (sometimes called Intel Volume Management Device).
- On Flow Z, it’s usually under:
  Advanced > VMD setup menu
Select it and press Enter.

4. Disable VMD Controller

Inside the VMD menu, you should see options like: Enable VMD Controller → [Enabled/Disabled] or a drop down menu
Change it to Disabled.

5. Save & Exit

Press F10 (Save & Exit).
Confirm when prompted.
The laptop will reboot.

6. Boot Windows Installer

Insert your Windows 11 USB installer (if it isn’t already).
Boot from it (tap Esc at startup to open the boot menu and select your USB).
- on some models you may need to tap F12 repeatedly instead
When you get to the “Where do you want to install Windows?” screen, your internal SSD should now appear without needing extra drivers.

⚠️ Important Notes

This setting affects all NVMe drives managed by VMD, not just the boot SSD.

If your current Windows install was set up with VMD enabled, it might not boot after you disable VMD.

That’s fine if you’re doing a clean install.

If you want to preserve the current install, use the Load Driver method instead.