Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP


  1. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2120

    You will still be able to activate online as usual when you reinstall on the new SSD later. If it won't activate online for some reason, you will still be able to activate by phone.

    Go ahead and create a new thread about your Windows Update issue in the Windows Updates & Activation forum with as much details as possible about is.
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  2. Posts : 48
    Windows XP SP3
       #2121

    Okay. So finished clean install of Windows 7 onto the solid state drive I bought and well, its proving the biggest disappointment. Windows Update is working but almost every thing I do or click ends up hanging something - every window goes to Not Responding for ages. Takes ages to do anything.

    I suspect it must have to do with the SSD. I thought using a SSD drive was plug and play.

    Are there any special settings or drivers needed for an SSD?
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  3. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2122

    Yeah, something is not right. A SSD should make a huge difference in performance over a HDD.

    Did you have your BIOS set to AHCI and not IDE when installing Windows?

    Check to make sure that you have all of your Thinkpad T61p chipset and SATA drivers installed for the OS you have installed on it.

    Laptops and netbooks :: ThinkPad T Series laptops :: ThinkPad T61p - Lenovo Support (US)
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  4. Posts : 48
    Windows XP SP3
       #2123

    Brink said:
    Yeah, something is not right. A SSD should make a huge difference in performance over a HDD.
    yes, very disappointing. every thing I tried to run, copy or move caused window to hangchange to not responding and if I clicked again white out until ages later. the kind of bad experience to make me stay away from SSD forever and stick to what I know.

    Especially given my next to replies.

    Brink said:
    Did you have your BIOS set to AHCI and not IDE when installing Windows?)
    Yes, don't forget I have a parallel (dual boot) installation on a regular HDD running almost perfectly but for the Windows Update and related issues.

    Brink said:
    Check to make sure that you have all of your Thinkpad T61p chipset and SATA drivers installed for the OS you have installed on it.
    Did all that. I keep all my drivers on my NAS and have done for years checking periodically for updates even for Windows 7 as I had expected to migrate years before now. So I have everything at hand.

    As I mention I have a parallel installation on a regular HDD although under Device Manage in both installations, and in addition to a Biometric Fingerprint reader, which I never install (PITA), I had three unknown or 'Other' Base System Devices, for which I could not find drivers.

    However weird development. I can't remember how I found it or what the solution was originally meant for however, after hours of browsing for a solution to both the unrelated Windows Update problem and SDD problem I found a reference to installing Intel Rapid Storage Technology Drivers.

    Which I did except that the link was to driver on an HP support page and one which I suspect is not the latest. Nonetheless, hey presto Windows Update and every seemingly related issue which was not working and or causing errors (on the regular HDD) suddenly was and is.

    So I installed every Windows Update which MS threw at me.

    Even stranger I see now that I only have two unknown or Other Base System Devices under Device manager and despite not installing any driver for it, no Biometric Fingerprint reader any more. I don't know if this change is since installing SP1 and over 150 Updates.

    Anyway as the SSD installation is still impossible to use and I don't have the time or inclination to find a solution, I am going to try and return it. Many of the related posts or articles I read point to this 520 series drive from Intel being a problem child. Just my luck!
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  5.    #2124

    What type of IRST do you have? It can be used for MSATA drive cache RAID which is itself a small SSD chip on the HD. Is IRST enabled for SATA controller in BIOS setup? More here about Install Windows on System with MSATA and ISRT - Windows 7 Help Forums

    Can we see a screenshot of Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image showing all drives?

    You may need SSD Alignment - Windows 7 Forums or to consider SSD Tweaks and Optimizations in Windows 7.

    In addition look over these steps for doing a Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 which compile everything that works best in tens of thousands of installs we've helped with here.
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  6. Posts : 48
    Windows XP SP3
       #2125

    gregrocker said:
    What type of IRST do you have? It can be used for MSATA drive cache RAID which is itself a small SSD chip on the HD. Is IRST enabled for SATA controller in BIOS setup? More here about Install Windows on System with MSATA and ISRT - Windows 7 Help Forums
    Firstly I am not even sure I am supposed to have IRST installed or actually what I should have installed it for in the first place.

    I only found a reference to installing it fixing something - I cant remember what as I was looking for a solution to Windows Update not working and related issues on my HDD Win 7 installation at the same time as looking for a solution to the SDD problem and was suffering information overload. But I did install it and hey presto, all the windows update related issues went away.

    I suspect I am not actually mean to have it installed as I have never come across it before for my ThinkPads.

    gregrocker said:
    Can we see a screenshot of Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image showing all drives
    You could except that I returned the SDD to the store where I bought it. I don't think they're going to take it back as they have it apparently working in another application and suspect that it might related to my ThinkPad being 'older'.

    I started a thread about my problem on a ThinkPad specific forum. Some replies are indicating that SDD which have a SandForce controller, including the Intel 520 series SDD I bought, are problematic, at least in the ThinkPads I have, which are some years old now. Here is a link to that thread.

    gregrocker said:
    In addition look over these steps for doing a Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 which compile everything that works best in tens of thousands of installs we've helped with here.
    I did a clean install following that guide.

    I used an Intel Diagnostic tool and it tweaked some things but made no difference.

    I suspect that the store believe my ThinkPad is too old for SDDs and won't ultimately, let me exchange the SDD.

    Some further reading I did would suggest that Lenovo doesn't provide an official BIOS which allows SATA II or better. There is apparently an unofficial BIOS developed by a ThinkPad enthusiast which apparently does.

    T61 Wiki
    | Middleton BIOS questions

    I am just weighing up now whether to try it or not.
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  7.    #2126

    Shawn may have some thoughts on that. I wouldn't modify a BIOS except on an older board /PC I can afford to lose. And I'd have at least one known-good rescue method.
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  8. Posts : 48
    Windows XP SP3
       #2127

    gregrocker said:
    Shawn may have some thoughts on that. I wouldn't modify a BIOS except on an older board /PC I can afford to lose. And I'd have at least one known-good rescue method.
    This is what's weighing on my mind.

    Although initially a reluctant one, my decision to upgrade from XP to Windows 7 has been made. So now I have to also decide whether to stick with what I know HDD, or also upgrade to SDD.

    Unfortunately, this is my only experience with an SSD so I don't know whether to persist with it, or whether the benefits of an SDD would be worth the risk of flashing the BIOS.

    This unofficial BIOS by the way has apparently been used and tested by quite a few.

    See this post: What does the caveat mean to you?

    As I am reading the BIOS is quite a sought after mod because these Thinkpads are otherwise worth keeping and using. I once replaced a back light in an older Thinkpad and didn't ever think much else was possible. But the T61 Wiki details upgrades including upgrading the wireless card and even CPU. I have bought the wireless card on eBay which I hope is plug and play and will give me wireless 'n'.

    BTW who is Shawn as I am very new here. (Brink?)
    Last edited by dav1129; 07 Oct 2014 at 00:51.
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  9. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2128

    If you use an unofficial BIOS, you would void all warranties.
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  10. Posts : 48
    Windows XP SP3
       #2129

    Brink said:
    If you use an unofficial BIOS, you would void all warranties.
    Thanks. previous poster mentioned Shawn, that you?

    Anyway notebook is well out of warranty. And although it would be a real pity, if I did brick the laptop I am just itching to buy another .

    But in reality this is one perfectly good for now and probably years to come so I decided to risk it and install the BIOS. Basically it seems to be an official BIOS version 2.9 (current is 2.3) hacked to enable SATA II.

    I doubt it will because I can't imagine the sort of lag and not responding I saw before could solely be because of SATA I, but now Ill have to get the SSD back from the store and see if this makes a difference.

    Before I do how can I tell whether the regular HDD is operating at SATA II speeds?
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