What is M2-THROTTLING?
M2-THROTTLING shows up as a high-severity storage drive (SSD/HDD) fault. The M.2 disk controller is baked under the graphics card, and the speed has dropped to a minimum. The usual suspects are end of life (age), defective cable, power outages and high temperatures in the M.2 slot. The steps below are ordered to resolve this efficiently.
Common Causes
- End of life (age)
- Defective cable
- Power outages
- High temperatures in the M.2 slot
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Back up all data immediately
We'd suggest Back up all data immediately first — it's the fix most often responsible for solving M2-THROTTLING outright.
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2
Try replacing the SATA data cable
For cases that don't clear up right away, the remaining steps target less typical storage instability problems.
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3
Run manufacturer diagnostics
Still seeing M2-THROTTLING after that? "Run manufacturer diagnostics" is the next thing to check.
Commands & Diagnostics
chkdsk C: /f /r
wmic diskdrive get status
Frequently Asked Questions
The leading cause of M2-THROTTLING is end of life (age), though defective cable, power outages and high temperatures in the M.2 slot also show up in our reports.
Most M2-THROTTLING reports resolve after "Back up all data immediately". The rest of the guide above is there for the cases that don't.
M2-THROTTLING is a high-severity error. It won't damage your PC instantly, but repeated occurrences usually point to a deeper problem worth addressing soon.
In most cases, yes — the guide above resolves M2-THROTTLING without a clean install. Treat a reinstall as the last resort, not the first move.
Open CrystalDiskInfo (free tool) to check your drive's S.M.A.R.T. status. Any yellow or red indicators — especially reallocated sectors or pending sectors — confirm the drive is degrading and should be backed up and replaced immediately.
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