Gps3dx wrote:
Hello,
I'm going to throw here a wild guess: Do you work with the pre-installed windows you got since you bought the laptop ?

Correct. Untouched Win 8.1. Have not gone to Windows 10.. nor.. (which I was going to search the rog forum on).. have I received the Windows 10 taskbar tray ever welcoming me to Windows 10.. Though it's an eligible OEM/Retail version .. I would have though I would have been welcomed to it..
*Separate matter .. don't care about that yet*

mpgioia wrote:
Correct. Untouched Win 8.1. ...don't care about that yet*

So my gut was right... :rolleyes: your 2TB is formatted with the MBR scheme and it should be formatted to GPT to solve the issue ( at least that is my idea with the current data you provided ).
You can READ HERE in more details about the root of the problem ( it is an old era tech limitation ).

If i'm not mistaken, An OS that runs from a MBR formatted drive ( through BIOS boot method ) CAN read other drives, that are formatted with GPT layout. ( BUT the OS itself, cannot be booted from GPT drive if you boot from BIOS instead of UEFI, the *latest*-tech-bios-replacement)

thus, if your OS sits on a different drive then this 2TB HDD, then you can use a bootable LIVE-"disk" USB of a linux distro ( like Ubuntu ) to be able to get access to a formatting software (Gparted in the case of Ubuntu ) that can recognize your 2TB drive & format it with the GPT layout. ( NOT as MBR ).
You might need to boot that LIVE-USB using "UEFI:xxxxxxxxxx":
I.E, 1st set in the the BIOS the "CSM" option to "DISABLED" ( I.E to disable bios-legacy mode which causes the UEFI mechanism to work ), then reboot, press ESC to get the boot-selection-menu, then you'll be able to boot the LIVE-USB of ubuntu through UEFI boot method by choosing "UEFI:xxxxxxxxxx" in the boot-selection-menu.

now... to understand a bit better why UEFI is a good thing to have, Please read the following sticky thread I wrote: How to install windows 8/8.1/10 on any UEFI supported laptop the PROPER way

Gps3dx wrote:
So my gut was right... :rolleyes: your 2TB is formatted with the MBR scheme and it should be formatted to GPT to solve the issue ( at least that is my idea with the current data you provided ).
You can READ HERE in more details about the root of the problem ( it is an old era tech limitation ).

If i'm not mistaken, An OS that runs from a MBR formatted drive ( through BIOS boot method ) CAN read other drives, that are formatted with GPT layout. ( BUT the OS itself, cannot be booted from GPT drive if you boot from BIOS instead of UEFI, the *latest*-tech-bios-replacement)

thus, if your OS sits on a different drive then this 2TB HDD, then you can use a bootable LIVE-"disk" USB of a linux distro ( like Ubuntu ) to be able to get access to a formatting software (Gparted in the case of Ubuntu ) that can recognize your 2TB drive & format it with the GPT layout. ( NOT as MBR ).
You might need to boot that LIVE-USB using "UEFI:xxxxxxxxxx":
I.E, 1st set in the the BIOS the "CSM" option to "DISABLED" ( I.E to disable bios-legacy mode which causes the UEFI mechanism to work ), then reboot, press ESC to get the boot-selection-menu, then you'll be able to boot the LIVE-USB of ubuntu through UEFI boot method by choosing "UEFI:xxxxxxxxxx" in the boot-selection-menu.

now... to understand a bit better why UEFI is a good thing to have, Please read the following sticky thread I wrote: How to install windows 8/8.1/10 on any UEFI supported laptop the PROPER way

Hang on...
Pre BIOS update.. boots fine.
Post BIOS update.. suddenly, I need to press ESC to issue boot order menu. I simply select the Drive 0.. the M2 256Gb drive.. which is the default placeholder anyway.. and then when OS loads. I can see my platter. If i don't do this seemingly very cursory step of issuing boot order selection then platter does not load.
No configuration changes.. nothing changed in BIOS. Just a manual force of boot selection menu where i'm selecting the only option present anyway.. just doing so manually... and then platter loads in OS..
I appreciate the reply.. but not of it applies to me.. Or am I not understanding something..

mpgioia wrote:
Hang on...
Pre BIOS update.. boots fine.
Post BIOS update.. suddenly, I need to press ESC to issue boot order menu. I simply select the Drive 0.. the M2 256Gb drive.. which is the default placeholder anyway.. and then when OS loads. I can see my platter. If i don't do this seemingly very cursory step of issuing boot order selection then platter does not load.
No configuration changes.. nothing changed in BIOS. Just a manual force of boot selection menu where i'm selecting the only option present anyway.. just doing so manually... and then platter loads in OS..
I appreciate the reply.. but not of it applies to me.. Or am I not understanding something..

And on that note.. implies partition table was never changed/altered. And BIOS vs UEFI is never altered..
Nor do I know what is my boot software choice (i'll check) or partition table.. But it doesn't matter.

mpgioia wrote:
Hang on...
Pre BIOS update.. boots fine.
Post BIOS update.. suddenly, I need to press ESC to issue boot order menu. I simply select the Drive 0.. the M2 256Gb drive.. which is the default placeholder anyway.. and then when OS loads. I can see my platter. If i don't do this seemingly very cursory step of issuing boot order selection then platter does not load.
.

I see.
well , you can always flash the old bios back - do you really got the need to use the latest bios ?
you can search our sub-forum for other thread that discussed & guide how to perform this bios downgrade process.

P.S - what do you mean with "platter" - is it a drive's partition ? or a drive ?

Platter being the 2Tb platter secondary drive.
The non-bootable drive. Not a separate partition.. the literally separate drive the G751's come with.. i.e. from your specs your publicising I can see 1Tb HDD 7200rpm.. my version of this. Which is a 2Tb SATA 7200rpm 'PLATTER' drive. Not solid state flash.