Try to boot SSD and install Windows please help

[chrisafp07]

I recently purchased an OCZ Vertex 4 to make my first transiton into SSD's and to use it as a boot drive and my 1tb HDD as storage. I installed Windows from a bootable usb onto the ssd and then reformatted the HDD.
After that thought once Windows launched it was asking which OS to run, instead of just selecting the drive with Windows instead of still showing the empty HDD. I tried to change the defaults and still the HDD boots... I also tried to repair Windows 8 on the SSD and now I cannot reinstall it, says the partition is locked on ssd.

This has rendered my pc completely useless, I can't figure this out. I've looked everywhere, read as many forums as I could today. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know! I have a valid copy, and key for Windows 8. Right now im having to use my girlfriends computer just to ask for help.

 

[Gundy]

Tricky problem. I'm not sure what's up, but here's a guess.

When Windows installs itself on a drive, it actually creates 2 partitions. One small boot partition and one main partition. You need both to run Windows unless you're some sort of wizard. This boot partition has messed me up before when trying to do clean installations. Unless you get rid of it Windows still sees it as a bootable drive and might try to use it as the main partition.

The rule of thumb when setting up a new primary system disk is this: physically unplug all other drives until you're set up. You might have already tried this, but if not it's a good place to start.

If you can hook your SSD into your girlfriend's computer and use the Disk Manager to wipe it clean (don't just format it, delete all partitions and leave unformatted) then you can start all over again with a single clean drive. If you can't do this, you can always build a bootable Linux USB drive and use it to format the SSD.

 

[chrisafp07]

The only issue is my girlfriend's pc is a laptop so I dont have access to its sata inputs.

How do I go about building a bootable Linux USB Drive? Thanks for your response this has been hellish.

 

[leandrodafontoura]

Look, you gonna have to start from scratch, but you can do this on your PC. Go to your BIOS and Create a RAID 0 with the SSD and the HDD. This will wipe clean everything on both drives. Afterwards, delete the RAID 0 by putting the drives in non-RAID, this will wipe clean the drives again.

Now, with only the SSD in the Machine, install Windows. Then with Windows running, insert the HDD, it will pop-up in Device Manager. Format the HDD and you are set.

 

[chrisafp07]

Look, you gonna have to start from scratch, but you can do this on your PC. Go to your BIOS and Create a RAID 0 with the SSD and the HDD. This will wipe clean everything on both drives. Afterwards, delete the RAID 0 by putting the drives in non-RAID, this will wipe clean the drives again.

Now, with only the SSD in the Machine, install Windows. Then with Windows running, insert the HDD, it will pop-up in Device Manager. Format the HDD and you are set.

Ok, I'm going to try that right now. Luckily I have my girlfriend's pc for the day or this would be alot worse...

 

[chrisafp07]

My bios has the option to put the drives into RAID MODE, but no option for RAID0. I have an ASRock 990FX Professional Fatal1ty board. How should I go about putting them in RAID0 to erase all data?

 

[smorizio]

all you need to do is make a hirem boos cd or use the windows boot usb stick. go int advance mode and remove all the partion for all the hard drives. then power down and then unplug the hard drive. then rerun the windows installer and install windows on the ssd.

 

[chrisafp07]

Well I ended up putting both the drives into RAID0 by following my motherboard's manual. I then put them back in ACHI but I still couldn't install Windows with my bootable USB. It kept telling my is couldn't create a new partition. Finally I just decided to call OCZ and they recommended I try to install Windows from a DVD instead. I ended up using the Windows 7 DVD Installer and made a bootable DvD from my girlfriends pc. After that I made sure my HDD was unplugged and I installed Windows flawlessly from the DVD and plugged in my HDD after, reformatted it in Windows and am using it for storage now. Thanks for the different tips, I wish I could select a best answer but all of your answers along with other forums and OCZ tech support brought me to my solution. Thank you to all! May this help anyone else who screws up their SSD and needs help!