SSD Setup

markwilliams82

markwilliams82

markwilliams82

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I've got a Dell XPS 17 laptop that has a 2 x 500GB drives as standard but I've got a Crucial M4 128GB SSD that I want to install as the boot drive.

The question I have is how on earth do you set it up and install Windows?

I've ran Parted Magic to secure erase as it was second hand and when I go to setup Windows nothing comes up but a flashing white underscore in the top left hand corner and nothing happens. I know the Windows DVD is ok as I used it to install Windows on the ATA drive

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks
 
makesure you boot from the dvd drive,seemslike its skipping straight to the new ssd and trying to boot from that

set dvd as first boot device in the bios or bringup the boot menu at splash screen,then boot from dvd/windows disc
 
Done this, it comes up with the Windows 8 logo on screen with the revolving circle underneath and then goes to the flashing underscore

When I have got it into the setup program, setup can't see the SSD even though the BIOS can and asks for the drivers. I've had the SSD running in the laptop before so know it works, but cant understand why formatting has caused an issue
 
it will be in a raw state if its been secure erased,anyway to initialise it from within windows/disk manager? then it should be ok to install to
 
OK, makes sense - knew I had to do something last time but couldnt remember what.

Will plug in tonight as the second drive to setup. What will I need to do within disk manager?
 
right click the drive and either initialise it (it should popup soon as you enter disk manager) or assign a new drive letter to it
 
OK, so had it as 2nd drive in Windows. Initialised and setup as new drive with drive letter

Plugged in a main drive and switched to ahci in bios and still nothing :s
 
Thought that and put on latest bios but no difference....know i struggled the first time around but now I cant get it at all even though it does show in the bios and windows as formatted drive
 
see if you can install under ide mode,its a simple reg fix once windows has installed (win7) not sure for win8
 
think its the same as did read about that....

so basically;

1) secure erase with parted magic
2) initialise as mbr, format as ntfs and assign drive letter as second drive in windows
3) setup ahci in bios
4) restart and use windows cd to boot
 
using the above, I got into Windows set-up and got to 70% before it kicked up an error message about not being able to access files. After I restarted to try again, windows set-up wouldn't find the SSD again :confused:

Have got another Windows DVD that I KNOW works so will try the full process again tonight with the new disc but am getting so confused by this
 
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