Problem Swapping Hard Drives.

[AlanHo]

My desktop C drive (which carries the OS and all software) started clicking quite loudly a couple of weeks ago which corresponded with the computer misbehaving at times. It is an 8 year old Seagate hard drive so I figured I had the perfect excuse to replace it – with an SSD.

Because my present installation of Win7 and software is more than 2 years old and has been subjected to all sorts of amendments and tweaks - I decided that I would do a clean install of Windows 7 Professional using my Microsoft Win7 Upgrade DVD using the registry tweak method to be able to activate it. This to be followed by a clean install and set-up of all my software.

All my data and documents are stored on a separate hard drive - so there was no need to re-install any of this. I just had to use Windows Explorer to alter the location for the docs, pictures, music and videos to the existing D: drive

However – I realised that this would involve me in many hours of work over 2 or 3 days and I wanted to be able to continue to use my computer for Emails and web browsing. I therefore installed the new SSD in a spare slot and connected it to a spare SATA socket on the mobo. I left the previous C: drive connected for the time being.

The result was that each time I booted the computer, after the BIOS loaded, I got a message “Choose the Operating System to Start” with two Win7 installations listed. If I clicked on the first one – then the SSD would load Windows – and if I clicked on the second one, Win7 would load off the old hard drive. This served its intended purpose and allowed me to use the computer off either drive as required.

Once I had got all my software installed and properly set-up on the new SSD I decided to disconnect the old hard drive and move its SATA connection to the SSD. Upon booting I set the boot sequence in the BIOS to DVD followed by the new SSD.

This has resulted in a problem – when I boot the computer I get the following message

"Reboot and select proper boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key"

The computer will only boot off the SSD if the old hard drive is present in SATA 1 socket. I assume there must be a file on the old hard drive that the computer needs to boot from that is missing on the new SSD.

I have tried booting with the Win7 DVD and doing a repair - selecting the "Start Up Repair" option with the SSD in SATA 1 and the old drive disconnected - without success. I still get the same message on boot up.

I have therefore re-connected the old hard drive so that I can again use the SSD installation. But the question is – what do I need to do in order to remove the old hard drive and be able to boot from the SSD. There is a degree of urgency involved because the old drive is noisy and probably on its last legs.

Mobo : ASUS P5QL socket 775

CPU : Intel Core 2 quad Q9650 3.0 GHz

SATA set to AHCI

8GB RAM

[-pops-]

I recently used Acronis Clone Disk (part of the standard Acronis software) to replace an old "C" drive with a modern one.

It wasn't SSD though.

[AlanHo]

I recently used Acronis Clone Disk (part of the standard Acronis software) to replace an old "C" drive with a modern one.

It wasn't SSD though.

I was aware that I could clone the old disc to the new one - but I needed to do a clean install to get rid of old rubbish.

[D4\/!d]

If you are still looking for a solution a couple of things come to mind.

One is the BIOS.

You need to tell the BIOS to boot from the SSD.

Its a while since I did mine so cannot remember exactly but:

In the BIOS go to Boot>Boot Disk>Priority and set as HD.

Go to Adv > Onboard Device Config

MCP Storage config

SATA Operation Mode - select AHCI [not IDE nor RAID]...sorry I see you dun that already SATA set to AHCI

You may have to save and exit and reboot back into the BIOS

Your SSD is now listed Under Hard Disk Drives

Use + sign to bring to the top of the list.

[D4\/!d]

The other thing is a freebie program

EasyBCD

geddit here:

http://www.softpedia...s/EasyBCD.shtml

http://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/

Do let us know how you get on - I'm sure you will anyway, ha ha.

[AlanHo]

I have tried all the cures listed here and on another Windows forum I frequent - without success.

Hence I have bitten the bullet and installed Win7 again from scratch with just the SSD installed. It took 3.5 hours - mainly because there were 123 microsoft updates totalling 260 MB to be downloaded and installed.

I am part way through loading up all my sofware. This post allowed me to test the IE9 setup is OK

Thanks for your suggestions though.

Now to get stuck into loading MS Office and all the other software.........................and updates!!!

[andsome]

I reinstalled W7 a couple of weeks ago, and as you say the updates were the longest job..

[D4\/!d]

Hence I have bitten the bullet and installed Win7 again from scratch with just the SSD installed. It took 3.5 hours

Come to think of it, that's exactly what I had to do in the end.

I know there are a lot of updates to install, but I was advised it is better to do them in batches, with a reboot in between.

Esp the net framework ones. Install them in a batch with reboot before and after.

Oh what fun!