Help with New SSD in upgrading build!

[NaryaMithrandir]

Hey guys! So firstly, thanks for taking the time to check out this post and trying to offer some help. This is my first time on the forum so forgive me if I miss something.

SO what I'm doing:

Currentlly I'm in the process of re-upgrading my computer. I have an EVGA Nforce 750i SLI FTW with Core2Quad 9400 (2.67GHz) and currently connected to it are two aging BFG 7800GTX (yeah BFG aren't even around anymore), OCZ 1066 DDR2 SD RAM (PC 6400) 2 X 2GB, 550 W Antec PSU, and two harddrives: a really old WD 160GB and WD Cacviar Blue 500GB (Master). To top it off everything runs on WinxP.

So what I'm putting in now is:

Crucial m4 SSD 128GB
ASUS ENGTX460 1GB OC
Win 7 Professional (working with the student upgrade, I'm planning on doing a clean install by installing twice, since I've burnt the .iso to disk, I'll install the first time without product key and then re-install with product key. The laptop I'm using is a successful victim.)

So I've migrated everything but the two new parts into a new computer case. I'm currently backing up files from both the old HDD and the Caviar onto external's, so I can wipe the two drives. But I know that I'm supposed to upgrade the firmware on my SSD before I install.

So should I plug in the SSD to the system as is, let windows xp detect it, and then download new firmware for it and then - THEN - wipe the drives, make the SSD master and install winxp onto the SSD, followed by upgrading to win 7, then re-installing win 7 as a clean install??

(Phew that was a heck of a run-on sentence) I'm sorry if this is a bit confusing.

If anyone can tell me a better way to sort this little mess out, I'd be super happy.

It's been a while since I've jumped into building again, and what's really got me worried is playing around with SSD's.

Please help!

And do ask if anymore info is needed.

Thanks,

NaryaMithrandir

 

[Proximon]

Welcome to the forums.

Yes, you have done your research on the installation. That's the way to go. I have done that many times between Win XP and Win 7 Pro. Just be sure to not use the XP license any more.

The m4 firmware update is done from a CD. You do not need to have an OS installed.
http://www.crucial.com/support/firmware.aspx

 

[tsnor]

Not sure why you want to "So should I plug in the SSD to the system as is, let windows xp detect it" As proximon says, the firmware upgrade is a bootable CD.

Before anything else, get the latest BIOS firmware for your mother board and load it.

Download and create the boot-able CDROM with the SSD update. Open case, Pull your old hard drive from system.

Insert the SSD (you may need to buy a sata cable with power or separate sata and sata power cables -- I'd guess your old disk drive used an IDE ribbon cable and a molex power connector... because only IDE drives have 'master' settings.)

Go into the BIOS and set the SATA port to the correct mode for your SSD -- probably ACHI or RAID will work = your SSD manual will tell you. You will lose performance and maybe function if you run the port in legacy mode. 'SAVE' the bios change before u exit.

Now put the bootable CDROM into the CD drie adn power off. Boot the PC.
If the CDROM doesn't boot go into your BIOS and change the boot order to boot off CDROM before hard drive.

If for some reason you need to access your SSD from XP make sure you are on at least XP service pack 3 to make sure you have sata support.

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

Not sure why you want to "So should I plug in the SSD to the system as is, let windows xp detect it" As proximon says, the firmware upgrade is a bootable CD.

Before anything else, get the latest BIOS firmware for your mother board and load it.

Download and create the boot-able CDROM with the SSD update. Open case, Pull your old hard drive from system.

Insert the SSD (you may need to buy a sata cable with power or separate sata and sata power cables -- I'd guess your old disk drive used an IDE ribbon cable and a molex power connector... because only IDE drives have 'master' settings.)

Go into the BIOS and set the SATA port to the correct mode for your SSD -- probably ACHI or RAID will work = your SSD manual will tell you. You will lose performance and maybe function if you run the port in legacy mode. 'SAVE' the bios change before u exit.

Now put the bootable CDROM into the CD drie adn power off. Boot the PC.
If the CDROM doesn't boot go into your BIOS and change the boot order to boot off CDROM before hard drive.

If for some reason you need to access your SSD from XP make sure you are on at least XP service pack 3 to make sure you have sata support.

Actually, I didn't get a manual or anything else with the m4 for some reason. I opened the box and there's just the drive in there...

Also, BIOS updates - never done one before. Should I simply boot the comp, go into BIOS and be able to find the current version number there? And then google away for the latest?

Also, my 500GB is already a SATAII 3GB/s. So, shouldn't I just be able to plug in the SSD as is to the motherboard, boot into XP, google the newest firmware update, apply it, and then restart and double install Win7 ?

 

[Proximon]

Well now, discovering your current firmaware on the m4 might be a bit trickier. I bet if you boot from the CD with the firmware update it will tell you if it's already there.

I agree that you want that BIOS update. Not always recommended but you want the most recent in this case because of the age of the board and the new hardware and OS.
You will find instructions particular to your MB at EVGA.

XP is old, and may not recognize the SSD. Especially before a MB BIOS update. You can certainly try that. First you will want to make completely sure your MB drivers are up to date, especially the HDD controllers.

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

OK now I have a big problem. I've migrated all the parts into the new case, have not installed the new graphics card or the ssd, just have it sitting in the case unplugged. The system is set up as previously. I turn it on and get the error

floppy disk fail 40
cmos checksum error defaults loaded

And then if I don't do anything, the computer shuts off in around 30 secs to a minute.

WHAT'S GOING ON??

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

I disconected everything but the MN CPU Memory GPU. I hit the CMOS Clear button. I then turned on the device

It runs into black screen and says it sees the CPU and memory and then says none to IDE and SATA's.

But then it says

Floppy DIsks fail (40)
CMOS checksum error degaults loaded

I can press F1 to continue or Del to enter BIOS, but I just let it sit there for a minute. It shut off in two minutes.

But now, it shuts off almost even before the system runs upto display the errors.

This is really confusing.

Also, don't know if this is important, but the POST code displayed is 7F.

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

I hit F1 and it gives me a DISK BOOT FAILURE message.

I let the computer sit for 15 minutes, and turned it on again. It stayed on while I flicked around the BIOS for a bit and turned off.

It keeps shutting off, anywhere between 10 seconds of turning the system on to 5minutes.

 

[Proximon]

Check the IDE and floppy ports at the front edge of your board for anything stuck in them.

If not that check for any innapropriate contact on the back of the board. Are the standoffs in the right place?

Treat it like a new build:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-boot-video-problems

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

Best answer selected by NaryaMithrandir.