Help with New SSD installation

Bracpasuk · 4 May 2015 at 08:46

Hi all,

I bought a new SSD and Graphics card following excellent advice here last week, but am having problems with migrating windows 7 to it. I installed Windows on the new SSD and then formatted it from the old c drive, but then had numerous problems with "no operating system messages" even though it was on the SSD. After reading a lot on forums, I've been into BIOS and changed settings so that the SSD is now recognised. However, I've had to re-install Windows on the old c drive, as its won't boot the SSD version without it being present. It gives me a choice at boot of which I pick, and then loads the SSD version correctly, but unless I still have the old version installed it just won't load.

Any help or advice most appreciated!

RJC · 4 May 2015 at 08:54

When installing Windows on the SSD ideally you need no other Hard drive present as the Windows installation loads some drivers and files on the other drive.

If you reformatted with old installation of Windows this would erase the the drive.

Bracpasuk · 4 May 2015 at 08:56

So if I delete the old windows install, unplug the hard drive, and reinstall windows on the SSD it should work?

RJC · 4 May 2015 at 10:53

Bracpasuk said:
So if I delete the old windows install, unplug the hard drive, and reinstall windows on the SSD it should work?

Yes

Bracpasuk · 4 May 2015 at 11:29

Thank you, that worked. The boot menu still shows 2 windows operating systems, although the original definitely is gone. I've got a windows.old folder still, would that still show as the second until I delete it?

ED209 · 4 May 2015 at 11:34

do the following

go to start and then put in msconfig in the search programs and files box.

on the next screen that comes up there is a boot tab along the top.

once under there you should see a white box with the current boot options, one will be the new OS and the other will be the old, remove the old boot option and windows should boot normally

RJC · 4 May 2015 at 11:35

It will only delete the old operating system, if you go into MS CONFIG (type in the start bar) and choose the boot tab you should see two operating systems, delete the non current one.

Bracpasuk · 4 May 2015 at 16:30

Excellent, worked a treat, many thanks both.

bledd · 5 May 2015 at 13:54

Remove all drives
Insert SSD
Boot from CD/USB with Windows install.
Set this to format the SSD (remove all partitions)

Install Windows.

Sounds like you're installing over the old install on the SSD, which is giving the extra boot menu.

Always sound advice to remove all other hard drives when installing any OS.

anything I don't mind · 5 May 2015 at 14:02

Sounds like your MBR is stuck on one of the other drives.

I would remove all drives, when installing windows and at the drive selection option. Go to custom (drive options, advanced). Delete all the partitions on the SSD before installing windows. Once all partitions are deleted, you don't need to create them, setup will do that automatically, just select the ssd and click continue.

Make sure the bios is set to AHCI mode and that ssd is first in boot list.

To clean up the other drives you can use vistual bcd editor although that can be quite complicated if you don't know what you are doing.

http://www.boyans.net/