Question SSD problem

[Filip20]

Hi. Recently I have bought an SSD for my old laptop Toshiba NB500 because it had an old hard drive in it. First I tried to migrate the Windows 7 to the SSD via a SATA to USB cable using Partition Wizard. The problem is that after swapping the HDD with the SSD the SSD would not boot. I tried changing the SATA mode in BIOS from Compatibility to AHCI but no result. After that I tried installing Windows 7 from scratch using a USB ISO image. Again, during the drive selection step, it appeared the error: Windows cannot be installed to this disk, indicating a BIOS problem. I am lost. What should I do?

 

[SteveRX4]

The SSD manufacturer will recommend Migration or Cloning software to use. Samsung has their own. Others recommend Acronis.
So try using the software that your SSD manufacturer recommends.
Note: Your SSD has to have more space on it than there is data on the HDD.

 

[Filip20]

Unfortunately it did not work... I think my pc has a problem. BIOS simply cannot see the ssd.

 

[USAFRet]

What specific SSD is this?

 

[Filip20]

It is this: Solid State Drive (SSD) Kingston A400, 120GB, 2.5", SATA III

 

[USAFRet]

It is this: Solid State Drive (SSD) Kingston A400, 120GB, 2.5", SATA III

If connected externally, via USB, can you see and interact with the SSD?

 

[Filip20]

Yes, without problems. The SSD is running and is recognized in Windows 7.

 

[USAFRet]

How much space is consumed on the current C drive?

 

[Filip20]

The SSD has 2 partitions: the C that has 200mb and is called System Recovery and the D that has 100gb in total, only 45 occupied.

 

[USAFRet]

The SSD has 2 partitions: the C that has 200mb and is called System Recovery and the D that has 100gb in total, only 45 occupied.

I meant on the HDD. Sorry.

 

[Filip20]

Oh, I migrated the HDD to the SSD so the partitions are the same. Although the C is the 100gb partition because the System Volume is hidden. The rest of 400gb of the HDD remained unallocated.

 

[USAFRet]

But the migration failed?

Try it again. Different tool this time

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specifiy the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------

 

[Filip20]

Ok, I will try. But i really think the migration I already did was good. The problem is that my BIOS does not detect the SSD.

 

[USAFRet]

Ok, I will try. But i really think the migration I already did was good. The problem is that my BIOS does not detect the SSD.

If it fails to boot up, it was not a success.

 

[Filip20]

I did everything as said. The cloning worked but the SSD simply does not show up in BIOS.

 

[Filip20]

I also tried booting the SSD via the SATA to USB cable but it blue screens and starts rebooting right after in an infinite loop.

 

[USAFRet]

Install the Kingston diag tool. I believe it is "Kingston Toolkit".

But, there have been lots of complaints regarding Kingston drives.

 

[USAFRet]

I also tried booting the SSD via the SATA to USB cable but it blue screens and starts rebooting right after in an infinite loop.

And that won't work natively.

 

[Filip20]

Ok, so I tried booting in another PC. It bluescreened (I expected it) so the SSD works. The problem is the laptop.

 

[neojack]

can you try to clean your ssd and install a new fresh OS on it ?

 

[Filip20]

After it bluescreened it booted again, this time letting me repair the problems. I thought it should bluescreen because it had a Windows adapted for the laptop, not for the desktop PC. I will try installing a fresh OS using my desktop because my laptop cannot install OSs

Windows cannot be installed to this disk, indicating a BIOS problem.

 

[SteveRX4]

It bluescreened (I expected it) so the SSD works.
So it made the other computer bluescreen when you put the ssd in it?

 

[Filip20]

Yes.

 

[SteveRX4]

So there's something wrong with the SSD or with Windows on it?

 

[Filip20]

I think the SSD is fine, also the Windows. The problem is the laptop that does not want to see the SSD in BIOS. If it could see the SSD as a boot option, the problem would be solved.