Installing a SSD

phancy on 03/07/2014 - 22:58

I've just installed a ssd into an old hp slimline s5395a desktop.
I installed windows 7 off a disk and the installation seemed to be completed. Once it went through the ropes and rebooted it comes to a windows error recovery.

"Windows failed to start. A recent hardware of software change might be the cause etc". Ill continue to 'start windows normally' and it will just reboot and go back to that screen.

I opened up and found that the sata cable im using is a sata2 cable and the SSD is a intel 530 120GB (which on the spec sheet says its 6gb/s compatible). As far as I can understand, SSDs are backwards compatible in this regard and it also seems that I have been able to install windows on it (at least in some part).

Can anyone help me? I've searched online and haven't found anything this specific.

Thanks guys!

Computing

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 03/07/2014 - 23:03
    +3

    Did you remove the old HDD from the comp? Make sure the SSD is the only drive that contains windows. Unplug any other drive which has the 'old' windows on it.

    Also, it may help to reset the BIOS and to check that AHCI is enabled.

    EDIT

    Are you using a 'clean' version Windows? If you are using the same Windows disc that shipped with your computer, it may have come with HP drivers that will complicate the installation process. I suggest that you procure a vanilla version of Windows and installing that instead.

    Click here for an SSD Installation Guide — it also includes links to Windows 7 ISO's
    http://www.overclock.net/t/1156654/seans-windows-7-install-o…

    • phancy on 04/07/2014 - 13:39

      thanks scrimshaw and everyone else~!

      yeh it seemed that when i first installed I had not switched to AHCI. I Switched after the initial install and I guess that is what stuffed it up. All good now and super quick. Thanks agaiN!

      • [Deactivated] on 04/07/2014 - 15:20

        Need to apply a registry change in order to switch to AHCI after a Windows install. You should be able to Google something to help

  • geek001 on 03/07/2014 - 23:04
    +2

    You may want to check your bios settings. I recently had similar issues with the new SSD I bought off a deal on OzB. Turns out somehow my sata mode has defaulted to intel raid after I swapped out the hard disk.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/07/2014 - 07:32
    +1

    Reset BIOS to defaults and I always remove any secondary harddrives while windows is installing an SSD. Then reconnect after I know Windows is functioning correctly.

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