Can't Boot Windows 7 BSOD

[thinkbig]

Also, there are 2 power cables, P3 and P4. I originally had it hooked up with p3 but changed it to p4 to see if it would make a difference. I spoke with Mushkin support and they said it sounds like no power is going into the drive and it might be DOA?? They told me that if I can't get the computer to recognize it, to return the drive to Amazon?? Can't imagine I got a new bad drive?? I checked all the connections, they are solid, unless I have something hooked up to a wrong place?

 

[essenbe]

Make sure both cables are securely seated, and I would use the same cables that were on your original drive. Be sure to check both ends of the cables. The sata controller is hard to find with Dell's bios, it is usually a menu within a menu. When you see it, you will see either IDE, AHCI or Raid. That is the one you are looking for. You could always hook up another hard drive with the same cables and just see if BIOS recognizes that. That would tell you that the SSD is defective, or tell you that the wiring is the problem. You should have 2 cables a wider power cable and a narrower data cable. The data cable connects to the drive and to a port on the motherboard. Try port 0, which is normally the main sata port. It should look like this. This is a mechanical drive but it is exactly the same with an SSD.
View attachment 315985

 

[thinkbig]

I found the SATA mode under CMOS setup utility and it is set to AHCI. Everything else is enabled except for Onboard LAN Boot Rom which is disabled? Also under Standard CMOS Features it says: SATA 0 Not Detected SATA 1 ATAPI CDROM SATA 2 Not Detected SATA 3 Not Detected. Does that mean my SSD isn't being detected?

The cables are hooked up exactly as in the picture you posted and I did use the original cables. I didn't change anything on the other end except to disconnect and reset them.

I will take it apart again to see if it is connected to port 0. I don't remember seeing any markings as to port numbers but I will check again.

Thanks.

 

[essenbe]

Yes, that is telling you that your CD/DVD us the only thing detected, no hard drive/SSD. Just make sure the cables are completely seated on both ends. The sata power cable is sometimes difficult to completely seat, and if the other end is connected to a molex cable, that is difficult too and the pins in the molex can move rather than seat properly.

 

[thinkbig]

Does it matter which power cable is used, P3 or P4?

 

[essenbe]

I really can't tell you. That's a Dell thing. Most PSU's don't label them that way, they aren't labeled at all. Which one is attached to your CD/DVD, if it is a sata CD/DVD? I would assume P1, so try P2 for the SSD. If you can trace the wires back and make sure they are connected directly to the PSU, it shouldn't matter. Every Sata power connector that comes out of the PSU should be the same. Just use the one you took off of the old Hard drive.

 

[thinkbig]

I reset the cables and the SSD is showing up when I try to install windows but still not detected in the bios. It is plugged into sata 0. It asks me where do you want to install windows and "Disk 0 Unallocated Space total size 111.8 gb free space 111.8 gb shows up as the only choice. When I click on next I get: setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the setup log files for more information.

I also tried to restore from a system image I have on an external drive, but that didn't work either.

Not sure where to go from here?? Thanks again!

 

[essenbe]

OK, try this. Boot from the installation DVD. On the first screen it asks for your language. Don't tell it. Hold down shift and press F10 at the same time. You will get a command window. Type diskpart then press enter. In a few seconds the window will reply diskpart. Type list disk and press enter. You should only have 1 disk, the SSD, and it should be listed by diskpart as disk 0. type select disk 0(number 0 not letter, or whatever number diskpart gives the SSD) and press enter. It will say disk 0 is the selected disk. Type clean and press enter, it will take just a second and say it succeeded in cleaning the disk. Type create partition primary align=1024 and press enter. it will say it succeeded in creating the partition. Type select partition 1 and press enter. It will say partition 1 is the selected partition.Type format fs=ntfs quick and press enter. It will take just a few seconds and say it formatted the partition. Type active and press enter. It will say it marked the partition active. Type exit and press enter and it will go to x sources. type exit and press enter again and you will be back at the select your language page. Continue and install Windows. If it will not install it then, I would RMA it.

I had more disks than you will. You should only have the SSD installed, but this is what it should look like. You should only have disk 0 where I put select disk 1, so you would select disk 0.

View attachment 316063

 

[essenbe]

I reset the cables and the SSD is showing up when I try to install windows but still not detected in the bios. It is plugged into sata 0. It asks me where do you want to install windows and "Disk 0 Unallocated Space total size 111.8 gb free space 111.8 gb shows up as the only choice. When I click on next I get: setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the setup log files for more information.

I also tried to restore from a system image I have on an external drive, but that didn't work either.

Not sure where to go from here?? Thanks again!

When it asks where do you want to install windows, do you select it (highlight it), then push next?

 

[gregrocker]

In addition can you create and format a partition using the Drive Options shown in Steps 7 and 8 of Clean Install Windows 7? What happens then when you click Next after highlighting the large install partition only, not the small boot partition it creates?

If this fails work through the steps for Overcoming Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums.

Tap the Dell F12 key at boot to see if HDD is showing up there. Are there any UEFI or EFI listings? You may need to decipher the HDD abbreviation.

 

[thinkbig]

Yes, that's exactly what I did.

Also, I followed your instructions to format the HD. Got all the way up to format fs=ntfs quick and it came up as error, the parameter is incorrect. I restarted the computer and tried again a few times. The 1st time I got to list disk and it came up as: There are no fixed disks to show The next time I got to clean and it came up as I/O device error. I am now doing it again.

It is showing the disk. It says Disk 0 Status: Online Size: 111gb Free: 111 gb

 

[thinkbig]

I got to format fs=ntfs quick again and it came up as DiskPart has encountered an error: The Parameter is incorrect.

 

[gregrocker]

Check for SSD firmware update.

Contact the drive maker's tech support to help you test the drive for possible RMA. We see this sometimes with new SSD's.

Do you perchance have UEFI mobo? Any UEFI settings in BIOS or Boot menu key?

Did you try everything in Overcoming Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums?

 

[thinkbig]

I replaced the battery on the motherboard and things started working again!! I followed instructions to format the disk and am now in the process of installing windows. After it installs, would it be ok to try to load the system image I have saved on my external drive, or will I mess up the new installation?

Thanks again everyone for all of your help!!!

 

[gregrocker]

You can do the System image now. No need to reinstall if you are happy with that image's performance as it was.

 

[thinkbig]

It looks like the issue I was having all along was the battery. Who would of thought that
a little battery could screw up a computer so bad, although you guys have probably seen it all (-:

I was able to load the system image on the SSD, but it wouldn't load all the files for some reason
so all of the settings were not the same. I couldn't get it back as it was, so I put my original HD
back and it is working great.

I'm trying to decide whether to keep the new SSD or send it back to Amazon.

Is there is a way to get all of the files to load just like it is on the old drive, and would
I see a real difference with the SSD as opposed the original drive? I mostly use the computer
for Internet and E-mail.

Thanks again for everyone's help!!! I'm glad to have this working again!!!

 

[essenbe]

I'm glad you have everything working. Good job. You are better off doing a clean install, always. In fact I'm in the process of doing one as we speak/ But, you can transfer the OS. The only issue with an SSD is it has to be properly aligned. Notice in the diskpart I showed you align=1024. That would be the problem with restoring an image, sometimes it is not aligned properly. Here is a tutorial of how to transfer the OS to an SSD. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html The easy way is what I use, but it costs $19.95, but it's well worth it and mentioned in the above tutorial. I use it all the time. Paragon migrate OS to SSD (Paragon Migrate OS to SSD - System migration to Solid State Drives (SSD) - Overview). You have to do nothing except click about 3 buttons. It will format, align and transfer the os and I have never had it fail. In about 20 minutes you will be on the SSD.

You will notice a big difference in the responsiveness of the computer. The biggest comment we hear here is 'Why did I wait so long' and 'I'll never have a computer without one again'. It is mostly the read speed and response time. A typical mechanical hard drive has a response time of 15-16ms. A good SSD has a response time of 0.1ms. You will notice a difference. Try it and see how you like it. You have 30 days to return it. Give it a try.

 

[thinkbig]

Had to step away from it this weekend. I will load the operating system onto the SSD this week and let you know how it goes. Thanks again!!