SSD install problems

Phenomenologica · 13 Oct 2012 at 13:08

Trying to install a new SSD. I only have an upgrade edition of windows 7, so I'm going to have to clone my OS to the new one, then run a reinstall, which by my estimation will bypass the licence issue.

The issue is, that whenever I plug the SSD in I can't boot the computer. With it unplugged, everything is fine, but when it's in the loop the computer hangs at the bios splash screen, and after a second or so the top 25% of the screen gets horizontal linear artifacting. I can't move into the BIOS or the boot menu to rectify things.

If someone could please tell me what is going on, I'd appreciate it, because it's beginning to **** me off. Ta.

CyberCrow · 13 Oct 2012 at 14:56

Go in bios an manually change the boot option to your Sata drive,

Or disconnect the Sata drive an do a fresh install of Windows.

Have you got it set to ACHI mode in bios, some boards auto change when a SSD is detected.

If it is selected you will need to change it back or it will try an boost the SSD every time instead of the drive with the Os on.

Phenomenologica · 13 Oct 2012 at 15:58

CyberCrow said:
Go in bios an manually change the boot option to your Sata drive,

Or disconnect the Sata drive an do a fresh install of Windows.

Have you got it set to ACHI mode in bios, some boards auto change when a SSD is detected.

If it is selected you will need to change it back or it will try an boost the SSD every time instead of the drive with the Os on.

The boot is set to my hard drive, it still doesn't boot correctly when the SSD is connected. I can't run a fresh install as I only have an upgrade edition of windows. I'll have a look for the ACHI mode, ta.

Edit: Nope was in IDE mode.

Phenomenologica · 13 Oct 2012 at 16:25

Perhaps I need to clarify what is going on. I plug the SSD in as an additional hard drive, which should result in my computer booting up, and showing an extra drive as available.

What actually happens is that it crashes on the BIOS splash screen (and doesn't even get to the bootloader to try to select a boot device), shows artifacting across the top 20% of the screen, and hangs.

I know of NO reason why connecting a drive would cause the system to hang at that point. I see no reason artifacting would occur. I am thoroughly stumped.

wazza300 · 13 Oct 2012 at 17:01

you need to inplug any un needed drives apart from your original hdd and your ssd you want to clone to

then clone the drive,once done pull out your hdd and just have your cloned ssd in the pc and boot up from it,then shutdown and add in your hdd

im guessing the mb boot record is messed up atm

remember to set the drive you want to boot into as first boot device in bios

Phenomenologica · 13 Oct 2012 at 17:31

wazza300 said:
you need to inplug any un needed drives apart from your original hdd and your ssd you want to clone to

then clone the drive,once done pull out your hdd and just have your cloned ssd in the pc and boot up from it,then shutdown and add in your hdd

im guessing the mb boot record is messed up atm

remember to set the drive you want to boot into as first boot device in bios

As I've stated, the computer won't boot at all with the SSD plugged in, in any drive combination.

wazza300 · 13 Oct 2012 at 17:36

does your mb support hot plugging? should see it in the bios somewhere

boot from the hdd and when in windows connect up the ssd and see if it shows up then look in the ssd to see if windows files are on there

might need to format it and start again

ohh and be sure to run the latest mb bios,just incase it needs it to support that make/model of ssd better

CyberCrow · 13 Oct 2012 at 18:25

Phenomenologica said:
As I've stated, the computer won't boot at all with the SSD plugged in, in any drive combination.

Sounds like the SSD is in a frozen state, is it a Samsung?

Samsung SSD report the state of the SSD when trying to do a secure erase, if its knackered/Frozen state it will report it.

Phenomenologica · 13 Oct 2012 at 18:41

CyberCrow said:
Sounds like the SSD is in a frozen state, is it a Samsung?

Samsung SSD report the state of the SSD when trying to do a secure erase, if its knackered/Frozen state it will report it.

Crucial M4, sorry, should have mentioned that before.

wazza300 said:
does your mb support hot plugging? should see it in the bios somewhere

boot from the hdd and when in windows connect up the ssd and see if it shows up then look in the ssd to see if windows files are on there

might need to format it and start again

ohh and be sure to run the latest mb bios,just incase it needs it to support that make/model of ssd better

Motherboard is a Gigabyte P67A-UD4-B3, the internet seems to imply it is hot-swap capable so I'll have a dig through the BIOS in a moment. Edit: Nope, hot swap only on the ESATA ports.

biuro74 · 13 Oct 2012 at 18:59

Phenomenologica said:
but when it's in the loop the computer hangs at the bios splash screen, and after a second or so the top 25% of the screen gets horizontal linear artifacting.
[sig]
GTX 460 @ 900MHz

Mate, is your graphic card overclocked by its BIOS, or you do it manu-automatically via Afterburner or so ? If the first - it's overclocked too much, and those lines you saw it might be due to too much o/c.

Phenomenologica · 13 Oct 2012 at 19:00

biuro74 said:
Mate, is your graphic card overclocked by its BIOS, or you do it manu-automatically via Afterburner or so ? If the first - it's overclocked too much, and those lines you saw it might be due to too much o/c.

Why would that possibly be affected by an SSD? The cards aren't overclocked anyway I'm afraid.

Phenomenologica · 13 Oct 2012 at 19:20

Ok, new game. I've got it to boot! It seems to not like some of the SATA ports, in spite of the fact that the hard drive doesn't mind them. God knows. But that aside, my computer now recognises that the drive is there, but it doesn't show up in "my computer" as a drive. Ideas? And yep I've since restarted.

Edit: Solved that too! Thanks for the help all. Time to get cracking.

DennisMenace · 13 Oct 2012 at 22:40

You can do a Full Install with Upgrade Media, it's approved by Microsoft (as long as you have an older valid license plus the upgrade version) and saves a double install which can be messy.

Basically, do a fresh install but leave the serial blank. When it's finished, you need to make a registry change (Google it, I'm lazy). Then run the activation with your genuine upgrade serial, and you should be up and running.

This saves installing XP/Vista first just to write over it, and Win7 should make better optimisations for the SSD too.