If the ZimaOS installer reports “no devices found” even though Ubuntu or another Linux environment can see the same NVMe/SATA drives, inspect the BIOS storage-controller mode. Intel VMD, RST, RAID, or Optane settings can change how drives are exposed to an installer.
In this June 2026 HP Pro SFF case, the user had already changed USB media, reflashed the installer, and tried different NVMe and SATA drives. Disabling Intel VMD in BIOS was the step that made the devices appear.
Why Intel VMD Can Hide Drives
Intel Volume Management Device can place NVMe storage behind a controller layer used by some OEM systems for RAID/RST features. An operating system with the expected controller support may see the disks while another installer does not expose them in the same way.
The ZimaOS installation troubleshooting guide recommends checking RAID/RST versus AHCI-style storage modes when drives are missing.
Before You Change VMD, RST, or RAID Settings
Do not toggle storage-controller modes casually on a machine that already contains an operating system, RAID set, or important data. Changing from RST/RAID/VMD to AHCI or direct NVMe exposure can make an existing OS unbootable until its drivers or configuration are adjusted.
If the machine is a fresh ZimaOS target, record the original BIOS setting first. If it contains existing data, back it up and understand how the current operating system uses the controller before making changes.
Check the Normal ZimaOS Installation Requirements Too
The current ZimaOS installation guide requires a supported x86-64 system, sufficient destination storage, UEFI, and appropriate Secure Boot settings. A VMD fix will not compensate for an unsupported platform or a failing disk.
If the installer still sees no disks after the controller mode is corrected, return to read-only diagnostics: confirm the drives appear in BIOS, check whether a Linux live environment sees them with lsblk, and inspect kernel logs for controller or NVMe errors.
Why VMD Was a Strong Diagnosis Here
The user had tested multiple storage devices and installation media, while Ubuntu consistently saw the disks. That made “all drives are bad” unlikely. The immediate success after disabling VMD provided a direct before/after confirmation for this specific machine.
Bottom Line
When ZimaOS sees no installation disks but another OS does, check Intel VMD/RST/RAID exposure before replacing more hardware. In the source case, disabling VMD solved the problem—but on a machine with an existing OS or RAID configuration, understand the consequences before changing controller mode.
