Stuck at Windows Start screen after connecting new SSD drive to a new Sata 6gb Controller

robertkjr3d

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I installed a IOCrest Sata III 6GB PCI Express Card into my "Dell Inspiron 560". I installed the necessary drivers, as per the instructions that came with the controller card. It is now registered as a: "Marvell 92xx SATA 6G Controller" under Storage Controllers section in the Device Manager.
Here is a link to the card: http://www.sybausa.com/productInfo.php?iid=1376

I do still have 3 drives connected to the motherboard -- SATA... 'AHCI'. Assuming I get this card working. I was planning on moving two of those drives over to the new reportedly 'faster' card. My motherboard is only 'SATA II'. This is with the idea of not using my motherboards Sata Connectors anymore.

However the moment I plug in a new SSD drive into the device with a 'brand new' SATA cable. Windows becomes stuck at the start screen. I get 'Starting Windows'. But no swirling logo. I tried letting it sit for about 10-15 minutes.

But - The Post screens do recognize the SATA drive, and it's size as 450GB. (That is when I attempt to connect it)

I've tried going into the BIOS, and seeing if there were any settings to mess with. The A06 Dell-Inspiron bios is rather limited.

When stuck: The only recourse I had was to 'unconnect the Sata-cable'...Then hard-turn-off, and then turn-back on. Then Windows starts normally. I haven't tried any Safe-Mode stuff.

I have yet to try connecting any other drives to the new card.

Event-Viewer? - I figured you might ask... I've looked, but haven't found anything that might be noteworthy. Maybe I need a better clue of what to look for.

Specifications:
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Service Pack 1
Dell Inspiron 560 - Q8400 2.66
8GB RAM
3 Drives Sata connected to motherboard
Attempted 1 Drive connected to this aformentioned described Sata-Controller

Edit: New information... So any hard-drive I connect to it, will crash in the same manner. I tried both the new and one of the old drives together, plugged in. Then I tried just plugging in just one of the old hard-drives, that's not a boot drive. Same error everytime.

However the bios does recognize the drives in the boot-sequence-- in each case. Even the new SSD it was there. So it is just Windows that is hosed, when I plug something into this new 'Card'.
 
The problem is this, if you have used the existing boot drive with windows installed on it.
And connected it to the new Pci-e based sata III control card.

Why it freezes at the windows loading logo, is because you have changed the physical drive controller and mode windows os is set to boot from.

When you first install windows, it takes note what device it is connected too, and the mode of the interface.
Sata, Achi mode, IDE. Changing or connecting it to another controller interface fouls up the booting process of windows os.

At the loading logo it is loading the driver for that interface, and drive controller plus the set mode to continue booting of the OS.
But it no longer resides on that interface, so windows locks or stops booting.

In order to have windows boot properly you will be required to do a fresh install of windows os on that drive when it is connected to the Pci-e based Sata III card. If it is your intention to use the new card for booting a working OS from the drive double check that the card supports booting from the bios also.


Making sure that before you install windows to it, the driver for the Pci-e based card is pre installed with the add drivers options in windows setup on the left side, with the add drivers option, in windows install and setup.

Once done, the drive and the Pci-e controller with the Sata III ports will display in the box where you are asked to select a drive to install windows to.

Any other drive that does not contain a boot able OS on it is fine to connect to the new controller card.

 

robertkjr3d

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I have not yet tried connecting my 'C' boot disk to the new SATA controller. In the bios settings when booting-- I have made sure that it still says it is booting with the old - 320GB drive that I have always booted off of. So I believe your commentary is not what is going on. In the bios settings, it does allow me to pick items on the new card to boot from, if I would like.

That being said. If I do get this to new card to work: It is my intention to make a perfect copy of my 320gb drive to the SSD. And then boot from it....

New information: I am able to hot-connect a drive to the controller. That drive is recognized by Windows. See this reviewer who is on the right-track... but I don't have the same bios settings as he does..."Freezes upon boot!-Win7--SOLVED!!! ASROCK 990FX" So I can't follow his way of solving the problem.
http://www.amazon.com/IO-Crest-Controller-Non-Raid-SI-PEX40064/dp/B00AZ9T3OU
 

robertkjr3d

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Since I was able to access the SSD via Windows: I decided to boldly go ahead and create a Cloned Drive. I used EaseUS. I cloned my Windows Drive. Then I unplugged my old C-Drive and attempted to boot.
At first this was a fail. I got an error. But then I put the Windows-Disk in and asked it to 'Repair'. For some reason I had some troubles with it starting and thinking it needed to do a ton of updates... Some it actually didn't finish properly. But eventually Windows came up no problem. And now I'm humming along.