TL;DR
Is it possible to plug M.2 into a live system without blowing things up? The general consensus seems to be that M.2 is not hotswappable. But I just want to plug it in after boot.
Background
System setup
- Motherboard: Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming3,
- RAM: 32 GB,
- GPU: (Some) ASUS Radeon R9-390X
- Processor: Intel i7 Skylake (don't remember the model number but one of the very first X 4C8T models)
- Sandisk M.2 SSD (SATA mode): Ubuntu 16.04
- Samsung M.2 SSD (SATA mode): Windows 10, and EFI partition
- A RAID array: To store data only, has no boot image.
Issue
I followed this answer to fix Windows being Windows (annoying) and switching the boot order so I cannot get into Ubuntu, which is my primary OS, after reboot. Now, (I think) that caused a boot manager collision in the BIOS, so my computer is stuck at the BIOS splash screen. I cannot enter BIOS setup, or do anything. It is completely non-responsive. Since this is such an edge-case, there is no help available online.
Potential Fix
My ides was to unplug the Samsung M.2 hard disk, boot into Ubuntu either from the Sandisk M.2 (preferred), or using a live USB. Then plug in the Samsung M.2, and somehow modify the Windows boot manager. I have virtualized the Windows OS in my Ubuntu OS as well (see this Q&A), so if I can boot into the Ubuntu on my Sandisk M.2, then I can simply boot into Windows through Virtualbox and fix the problem. If not, I am not too concerned, as this is a fresh install, so I can delete the boot manager, and partitions on the Samsung M.2 and reinstall OSes.
However, in doing so, I do not want to destroy the computer. Therefore, it is very important to know if I can plug the M.2 into a live machine, as my plan hinges on it. If not, can someone please give me an alternate suggestion? Note, resetting the BIOS does not work. I don't know if it is even possible to skip POST, and directly enter the BIOS where I can disable the Samsung M.2 from boot devices.
