SSD Refuses to Format

dhphoto · 8 Feb 2017 at 08:28

I bought a Kingston SSD to put in an old laptop and it refuses to format. I have it as an external drive in a SATA caddy and it gets 3/4 through a format which takes over an hour (quick format won't work) and stops.

I presume it's faulty or am I doing something stupid?

Maundie · 8 Feb 2017 at 12:31

I've always used the Windows format when installing the O/S (delete the partition and create a new partition & quick format that), strange that it won't format from a caddy.

What size SSD is it?

KIA · 8 Feb 2017 at 15:42

Can you connect it to the motherboard?

Try a secure erase.

https://partedmagic.com/secure-erase/
http://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/getmirror/parted_magic,1.html

dhphoto · 9 Feb 2017 at 09:37

It was my lack of knowledge, I don't know the difference between different types of partition, once I managed to get a simple formatted disc it started working, although I haven't been able to get the laptop to boot from it

bledd · 10 Feb 2017 at 05:06

To get the laptop to boot from it, you'll have to install Windows on it on the laptop..

dhphoto · 10 Feb 2017 at 14:10

bledd;30489128 said:
To get the laptop to boot from it, you'll have to install Windows on it on the laptop..

I have no windows discs, which is the problem

skyripper · 10 Feb 2017 at 14:20

Download a Windows 10 ISO from the microsoft site and burn it onto a DVD or USB stick. (Itf its Windows 7 you're wanting, you'll have to download an ISO from somewhere else).

Take the old HDD out of the laptop and put both in a desktop.
Clone the old HDD onto the SSD using Macrium Reflect.
Stick the SSD back in the laptop.
Test.
Have windows disks handy for any BootMgr problems.

You're not going to be able to boot from the SSD while its in a USB caddy.

skyripper · 10 Feb 2017 at 14:23

dhphoto;30481709 said:
II have it as an external drive in a SATA caddy and it gets 3/4 through a format which takes over an hour

If this is an old laptop without USB3, then sticking the SSD in a USB Caddy should be a criminal offence

TechMinerUK · 10 Feb 2017 at 18:22

I have had this issue as well with a Kingston SSD, for some reason taking it out of the caddy and formatting it in another PC worked perfectly

dhphoto · 11 Feb 2017 at 13:18

skyripper;30490690 said:
Download a Windows 10 ISO from the microsoft site and burn it onto a DVD or USB stick. (Itf its Windows 7 you're wanting, you'll have to download an ISO from somewhere else).

Take the old HDD out of the laptop and put both in a desktop.
Clone the old HDD onto the SSD using Macrium Reflect.
Stick the SSD back in the laptop.
Test.
Have windows disks handy for any BootMgr problems.

You're not going to be able to boot from the SSD while its in a USB caddy.

As I said, I have no windows discs

I never wanted to boot from a USB, I just wanted to format via USB