SSD Crashed After Power Outage - Need Help Installing New One Please

dazzlenet · 27 Dec 2015

The batteries had just died on my APS a couple of days before the power went out and my SSD crashed. It is now months later & I just got a replacement from Samsung (after getting it tested locally to insure it had died). Have been using my laptop meanwhile. I wish I had known the SSD would crash if the power went off. I wouldn't have used it until I got my new batteries installed.

Anyway, it is a Samsung 850 EVO 120GB that I had only installed Windows 7 operating system on and had the rest of my files, etc. on a 1 TB hard drive. Now, I can't remember how to go about installing Windows on the new SSD. My computer will not boot to DIOS, so I can make sure I have it set to run from DVD first. Do I need to disconnect the 1 TB hard drive & do I need to format it before installing Windows on the SSD?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Mellon Head · 27 Dec 2015

If your computer won't boot into BIOS, you have a more serious problem than a messed up SSD.

Is there anything on the 1TB drive that you want to save? If so, don't format it. Install Windows to the SSD with the 1 TB drive unhooked. Once Windows is booting, you can hook up the 2 TB drive and save any files you want off of it.

Did you put programs onto the 1 TB drive? Did you move your user folders there? If not, there's probably no need to format it. If you did, you might want to consider reformatting, or deleting some of the program files folders and starting over.

bigmck · 27 Dec 2015

As Mellonhead said, if you can't boot to BIOS you have a problem with your PC besides the SSD. Just having a power outage should not make your SSD fail. When you say "It won't boot into Bios", do you mean you have forgotten what key to press or do you mean that there is a problem with your PC and you can not get into Bios?

dazzlenet · 28 Dec 2015

Mellon Head said:

If your computer won't boot into BIOS, you have a more serious problem than a messed up SSD.

Is there anything on the 1TB drive that you want to save? If so, don't format it. Install Windows to the SSD with the 1 TB drive unhooked. Once Windows is booting, you can hook up the 2 TB drive and save any files you want off of it.

Did you put programs onto the 1 TB drive? Did you move your user folders there? If not, there's probably no need to format it. If you did, you might want to consider reformatting, or deleting some of the program files folders and starting over.

After removing the hard drive and trying to boot with only the SSD installed, I see that you are right - I do have a more serious problem. Where & how do I start troubleshooting? Everything was sailing right along until the power went off for about 1 minute.

My computer is a custom built gaming computer, although I don't do any gaming. A friend of my son's needed money and I bought it for a song. I do remember that to boot into BIOS all I had to do was press the DEL key.

bigmck · 28 Dec 2015

dazzlenet said:

Mellon Head said:

If your computer won't boot into BIOS, you have a more serious problem than a messed up SSD.

Is there anything on the 1TB drive that you want to save? If so, don't format it. Install Windows to the SSD with the 1 TB drive unhooked. Once Windows is booting, you can hook up the 2 TB drive and save any files you want off of it.

Did you put programs onto the 1 TB drive? Did you move your user folders there? If not, there's probably no need to format it. If you did, you might want to consider reformatting, or deleting some of the program files folders and starting over.

After removing the hard drive and trying to boot with only the SSD installed, I see that you are right - I do have a more serious problem. Where & how do I start troubleshooting? Everything was sailing right along until the power went off for about 1 minute.

My computer is a custom built gaming computer, although I don't do any gaming. A friend of my son's needed money and I bought it for a song. I do remember that to boot into BIOS all I had to do was press the DEL key.

When you boot the PC continually press the DEL key. This will ensure that you press it at the right time. Don't just hit it once. That should take you to BIOS. If it doesn't tell us what is happening. What are you seeing as you try to go to BIOS?

dazzlenet · 28 Dec 2015

Thanks for the info. Sorry I didn't note that I know to continually press the DEL key. I believe that if someone can point me in the right direction, or at least a starting point (in troubleshooting) I will no problem with it. I am usually the person that fixes my friend's computers, but this is the first time I've not ever been able to boot to BIOS on any PC or laptop.

This may be helpful info. The computer emits one beep when it comes on. I know that this means something, as I've dealt with one beep, two beeps, etc. in the past. I just don't remember exactly what the beep means.

bigmck · 28 Dec 2015

Try to boot and get into the BIOS and set your boot order for CD/DVD drive first, SSD second. Let us know if you are successful. -- Does your SSD show in the BIOS?

Mellon Head · 28 Dec 2015

Well, one beep is good. That usually means it's at least starting the boot sequence.

dazzlenet · 29 Dec 2015

Mellon Head said:

Well, one beep is good. That usually means it's at least starting the boot sequence.

Thank you, that is a (one) positive so far.

Now, how do I start troubleshooting when I can't boot to BIOS? I normally use a wireless keyboard & mouse but switched to USB connected. The computer is recognizing them b/c the Mem Lock & Caps Lock lights come on & the mouse illuminates. I even tried different USB ports on the back & no lights came on then.

bigmck · 29 Dec 2015

dazzlenet said:

Mellon Head said:

Well, one beep is good. That usually means it's at least starting the boot sequence.

Thank you, that is a (one) positive so far.

Now, how do I start troubleshooting when I can't boot to BIOS? I normally use a wireless keyboard & mouse but switched to USB connected. The computer is recognizing them b/c the Mem Lock & Caps Lock lights come on & the mouse illuminates. I even tried different USB ports on the back & no lights came on then.

When you plug in your USB Keyboard, you have to be sure it is plugged into a motherboard USB and not a USB card you might have installed. If you have any ports on the front of your PC, use one of them. You can not boot into BIOS from a USB Card or a wireless Keyboard.