Build: Asus P5K-E WiFi-AP Corsair VX450W PSU 769 MB Nvidea 8800 GTX 4 GB Corsair XMS2-6400 32 GB Corsair Nova Series SSD 1 TB Samsung SpinPoint F3 HDD Windows7 Pro x64 Rant: This is the second SSD that just simply will not allow Windows7 to be installed. The files are copied across and unpack fine. Unfortunately, the system blue screens with a stop error after the second restart; promptly shutting down or restarting. Windows7 installs without any problems on the Samsung HDD despite using the same installation disc and hardware configuration. I have experimented with using different installation discs, different RAM configurations, different SATA cables, swapping SATA ports (unfortunately - the majority of the SATA ports are covered by the graphics card) and experimenting with the BIOS; without success. Two out of two SSDs with somewhat arbitrary failures doesn't really inspire confidence in the technology. I can't seem to be able to find any other faults with my system. Perhaps I'm just unlucky. More to the point, it took a lot of time and effort on my part to get a replacement for the first one from Scan Computers despite the fact the engineer discovered a fault. I'm not too keen on another uphill struggle to get a replacement if I can avoid it. I've seen a few solutions on the web. Don't use AHCI (I'm using the default IDE emulation settings on SATA anyway). Don't format the SDD before installing the OS (I didn't on the first attempt, why bother on a blank drive?). Don't let the CPU overheat (I'm not overclocking anything). I even tried only using a single 2GB RAM stick during the install as suggested by some Vista users. *sigh* This shouldn't happen on two brand new SSDs! If anyone has any ideas, feel free to probe or comment. TLDR: Windows7 BSOD during installation on SSD. Installed fine on HDD inside same PC using same disc/config. This is the second SSD from Scan Computers and it was a pain getting a replacement - despite the fact they admitted the original drive was faulty.
Sounds like your motherboard SATA controller doesn't like your SSD. You can try and installing the SATA drivers during Windows 7 setup (there is a screen for that, I think it's on the same screen where you pick the drive partition you want to install the OS. You should have a button "More options" (or something along that line), where you'll have the option to load a driver. It doesn't work that way.. if it doesn't work for one (assuming that the port is not broken) then it won't work for the others, unless you have a motherboard like the majority of Gigabyte's one with 2 SATA controllers available (3Gbps and 6Gbps). Please leave your SATA controller to AHCI. You are not install DOS, or Windows 95 or Windows XP... you are installing a OS which knows what SATA is. Not using AHCI means: - No NCQ technology support (boost drive performance) - No proper TRIM support - No SSD optimization to boost performance and lifespan. Quick Format (default behavior in Vista/7 setup) is fine as long as you don't do it a several thousands of time. Bug fixed in Vista SP1 disk release. Note: Based on a RAM problem with ASUS motherboard (where 6GB appears to be 3GB every now and then, but not all the time), ASUS doesn't test Corsair products with their motherboards, as the above mentioned issue was affecting Corsair Ram users. I don't know, for me it's like not testing your motherboard with Apple products where the computer doesn't boot if you have one plug-in, like my A7N8X *Deluxe*.... wait that's from ASUS as well. :S
Awesome. Thanks. I will see if this is the case tonight when I return from work. I'll remember that next time I talk to Scan Technical Support. Last time they suggested I tested on every single SATA I could find, I guess they wern't aware that this board only has one SATA controller. That'll save my time removing the graphics card again. Thanks. I proberbly should have known that before trusting the Internet; although, I'm not that familiar with the intricasies of SSDs yet. Live and learn, I guess. Thanks.
Just to update: - The computer doesn't boot at all when set to use AHCI. It simply just get's stuck on trying to detect my SATA devices just as the computer is starting. The device it is trying to detect (unsuccessfully it seems when not in Enhanced IDE mode) is the Samsung Spinpoint F3 HDD. - The installation was a success, eventually. - Unfortunately, within hours the system bluescreened and will no longer load Windows7. Startup recovery is unable to resolve the issue. I'm going to try and get hold of a non-Asus motherboard to see if I can reproduce the problems. If I discover that replacing the board is the way to go, does anyone reccomend any particular s775 boards? I've been told that, for Intel CPUs, Asus and Gigabyte are the best manufacturers. Although the buyers guides seem to have moved onto i5 and i7 CPUs so I'm a bit lost as to specific models.
As an ASUS ex-fanboy.. I am really disappointed with ASUS lately (since 2006, their board were getting lower and lower in quality same for their service) - same for all my friend with ASUS - no exception. Before, it was hard to read a user having a real motherboard issue with ASUS, but now they pop-up more and more, like pop-corn. When Gigabyte said that ASUS was crap publicly, they knew what they were saying. Also, I only hear good thing about them. Sure enough, for my brother computer I got an mid-low-range Gigabyte motherboard. And WOW! Build quality is serious, manual is thick and descriptive, easiest assembly I had (just plug and go (well set the time and all that)), and the motherboard has more overclock feature than my 300$ old ASUS A8N32-SLI *Deluxe* board which was supposed to be good and easier overclocker (it's crap in reality). So now ASUS is on my black list... and Gigabyte is what I'll get for my next upgrade end of summer or end of year depending on what's coming up and when and specials.
Pulls out custom Pc The biostar Tpower I45 http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Bios...2-1066-1200(OC)-667-800-SATA-II-SATA-RAID-ATX i have the same board and have never had a problem but i getting the idea that asus have let them selves down in the current gen of boards
Thankyou for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I'm afraid my graphics card could very well cover all of the SATA ports - bearing in mind that the four rightmost SATA ports and the rightmost PCI slot on my current board are covered by the 8800 GTX's cooling solution (see below). It seems that others have experienced problems with AHCI on P5K-E boards; although their solutions are infeasible considering the OP and myself was unable to make it past the POST.
Just to update: Although I haven't resolved the AHCI issue yet, the system hasn't bluescreened on startup this weekend. I installed Windows7 onto the SSD using a different computer. Once that was up and running I downloaded all the appropriate drivers for my actual kit. I then flashed the BIOS of the P5K-E to the latest version. It seems that the main issue was the motherboard and the default drivers. Now that the computer is working, rather than purchase a new motherboard now, I will wait until I have enough money to upgrade to a whole new kit. Thankyou for the help everyone!
