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Windows doesn´t recognize my SSD for install


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#1
DanielPozzobon

DanielPozzobon

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I have an old (2010) Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop and I want to install a SSD drive to run windows and all the softwares and a new 1 TB HDD to storage files.

 

When the system is running on my old HDD, it recognizes the SSD as a new storage device (which I assume is OK).

And I even could install the win 7 64 bits (the same I already have running on my HDD) from the DVD on the SSD drive.

 

However, the BIOS does not recognizes the SSD as a bootable option.

I have already updated the BIOS and checked all the config on it, but to no good result.

 

Is there anything I can do to use the SSD as the boot drive?

 

Thank you very much!

 


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#2
RKinner

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How big is the SSD vs the the original drive? It's best if the SSD is the same size as the original which is seldom the case.  It's possible that you can shrink the boot partitions down to use less space but I hate to mess with the original drive.  Too easy to wind up with a brick.

 

What cloning software are you using?  Not every cloning software will work going from a regular hard drive to an SSD.  AOMEI claims they can do it:

 

https://www.backup-u...e-software.html

but I haven't tried it.

 

If all else fails you may need to install Win 7 from a boot disk which is what I usually do.  If you no longer have the disk you can download an iso file from MS:

https://www.microsof...wnload/windows7

 

You will need an ISO burner :

Active works well

http://www.ntfs.com/...burner_free.htm


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#3
DanielPozzobon

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Hello RKinner!
The original HDD is 320 GB and the new SSD is 240 (plenty of space for a new win 7 installation).

 

I have the original Win 7 DVD I bought with the laptop, but when I remove the old HDD (and put the SSD in the bay) and try to install the win 7, the installation wizard did not recognize the SSD as a viable option for installation.

 

I really don't know what to do.

 

I just want to make my laptop faster again and give him a few more years of life.

 

Thank you for your help.


Edited by DanielPozzobon, 17 April 2018 - 05:17 AM.

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#4
RKinner

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With the SSD attached via a USB adapter right click on Computer and select Manage. Then under Storage select Disk Management.  Find the SSD in the bottom pane .  Right click where it says Disk 1 (or whatever number it is).  What options do you see?  Is there one "Convert to GPT Disk" (Probably grayed out)?  Should be directly below Convert to Dynamic Disk.  If you do not see Convert to GPT (it will probably say Convert to MBR then that's your problem.  To verify do the same to the original disk.  If it has the Convert to GPT option and your SSD doesn't then it needs to be converted.  (If by some strange quirk your original HD is GPT and has the  convert to MBR option then you need to make the SSD the same.)

 

To convert it to MBR: 

 

Start, All programs, Accessories then Right click on Command Prompt and Run As Admin.  Type with an Enter after each line:

 

diskpart

 

list disk

 

(Note which disk is your SSD.  You should be able to tell from the size and also from the * in the GPT column.  I assume it's disk 1 but if not change the 1 to the correct number in the following.)

 

select disk 1

 

clean

 

convert mbr

 

exit

 

Go back into disk management and verify that both have the same options.

 

 

If it still won't install from the DVD:

 

 

 

 

 

Put in the SSD and then go to BIOS setup (F2).  Reset the BIOS to Default then Save and Exit.  Go back into the BIOS Setup.  Does it see the SSD under the hard drives?  If not there may be an old IDE option that needs to be changed to SATA.  Also make sure they haven't set it to UEFI (if it has UEFI in the BIOS you want it set to Legacy)


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