SSD Doesn't want to accle.
 

Dear PPRuNe, any thoughts on this:

In an attempt to speed up the boot-up time of the home PC, I splashed out on an Intel 330-series 120GB solid-state drive.

The first one didn't work so I sent it back for a replacement. The replacement doesn't work either. I've filled in the tech request form on the Intel website, and had a long questionnaire back from them, none of which really tackles the problem. This may be a long correspondence...

Then it occurred to me: lots of people have installed SSDs so someone else must have had the problem. Google finds a variety who have, but no solutions.


PC was new in early 2011, so not antique. Spec below for those who like to read such.
The problem:

On boot-up, the SSD is not detected by the BIOS.
Pressing Delete at boot-up and inspecting the BIOS confirms no SSD.

Once the PC has booted and Windows is running, the SSD is not present in the "Device manager" list (or anywhere else in Control Panel).

At this point, disconnecting and reconnecting the SATA power connector to the SSD causes the Microsoft "new device has arrived" bing-bong, and the SSD appears in the Device Manager list. It seems to be all fine.

Until I power down and restart the PC. Then it's back to the beginning.
Hence, I can't boot from the thing.

I've tried it with several different SATA data cables (including the one that connects the primary hard drive).
I've tried it in all the SATA ports on the motherboard and on the eSATA extension card.
I've tried all the SATA power connectors on the power supply string (including the ones that power the HD and DVDROM).
I've tried with no hard drives, or only one or two, and in every case the SSD does not appear to BIOS at boot-up.

I put it into a USB caddy, and that works exactly as it should. However, I'm not thrilled at the idea of booting from an external USB SSD.

Ideas, or better yet a solution, will be most welcome.

Ta!

Keef

____________________________________________________________ _

Operating System
MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1
CPU
Intel Core i5 760 @ 2.80GHz 32 °C
Lynnfield 45nm Technology
RAM
8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 668MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard
BIOSTAR Group H55 HD (CPU 1) 34 °C
Graphics
VX2336 SERIES (1920x1080@60Hz)
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
LogMeIn Mirror Driver
Hard Drives (all AHCI)
977GB Hitachi Hitachi HDS721010CLA332 ATA Device (SATA) 27 °C
488GB SAMSUNG SAMSUNG HA500LJ ATA Device (SATA) 29 °C
977GB Hitachi Hitachi HDS721010CLA332 ATA Device (SATA) 32 °C
Optical Drives
TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-S223C ATA Device
Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio

BIOS not compatible?
Motherboard or even the BIOS website to check for available updates.

Or a conflict with one of the other drives?
Maybe a setting in the BIOS.

It's been a while since I messed with PCs, but as more types of drives became available, I would occasionally run into a similar issue. Especially when CD-ROM made way for CD-RW.


Wild guesses. Probably wide of the mark.

Sounds like the BIOS isn't using AHCI but everything works with the OS AHCI driver is loaded.

Is the BIOS set to AHCI (but from your report, it seems like it is)? If not, it should be. If it is, what happens when you set it to RAID?

Also, try to boot with only the SSD connected one time (although I see you've already tried that).

On my own Frankensystem, it doesn't boot unless the BIOS is set to RAID, and I've not got the inclination to debug that.

There probably is a setting in the BIOS that will sort it, but I have no idea what that is. Knowing that setting would be good.

The PC came with HD set to IDE (I think it was). I changed it to AHCI, with big warnings about the dangers of changing. I've not tried RAID - is that a one-way switch that changes the drives and can't be reversed?

Keef, have you read the manual for the BIOS for your motherboard?

There's no RAID support, just 4 x SATA II connectors.

H55 HD :: Motherboard :: BIOSTAR

SD

Are you sure that drive is SATA2 compatible Keef? Only I was looking a SSD a couple of weeks ago that was SATA3 only.

I did read it, but had forgotten that there's no RAID support.

Last forlorn attempt - I see there's one BIOS update since the one in mine. Let's see if I can update without killing the Motherboard.

I may be gone some time...

GG: I think the drive and mobo are compatible, because I can see it if I do the "drive power off/drive power on" thing. The box says "6.0Gb/s compatible with 3.0Gb/s".

Well, that was a lot easier than the last time I updated a motherboard BIOS!
Download it, put it on a stick, reboot, press F12, wait.

Made no difference to the SSD, though. I'm now on the latest BIOS for this mobo.

Can you the device if you go into "Disk Management"?

:ouch:

Only if I disconnect and reconnect the power connector while the PC is running. Then it appears in Disk Management (and all the other places a disk drive appears) until I power down the PC, whereupon it vanishes again on the next boot.

If I find a spare half hour, I may build a little delay box to turn it on some seconds after the PC boots (to simulate connector off/on). If that interval is enough for the PC to recognise it (or it the PC) I may have a kludgy fix.

Not much from Intel yet, but it's only a week since I e-mailed them.

Thanks for those!

IDE time-out detect was set to 35 (max). I moved it to 0.

IDE busmastering was DISABLED. I left it there.

ACPI High Performance Event was disabled. I enabled it.
No idea what it does, but it sounded promising

Intel VT-d was disabled. I enabled it. Ditto.

No difference on boot, and still no SSD in the Devices list.

Next step is to reverse the first two and see what happens!

Round 2:

IDE time-out to 35

IDE busmastering ENABLED.

Found one called "QUickboot" which was enabled, and disabled it. That just made the PC count to 10 before continuing to boot.

Rest as above.

Still no SSD visible.

I reckon the next step is a device to add 5-second delay on power to the SSD when I can get out to the workshop and my soldering iron. A relay, a few resistors and diodes, and a suitable capacitor all hooked into a Molex Y-cable should do it.

Interesting, if in a negative sort of way. I've found lots of threads like this one in various places, and they all end in the same place: bafflement and no solution.

It's over two weeks since I asked Intel, who made the thing and ought to know, and over a week since they asked me for serial number and system details. Silence since then.

There has to be a reason why a variety of (live) SSDs don't function at power-up in a variety of computers, whereas every SATA hard drive I've had does so with no fuss unless it's failed. It seems nobody knows - or the answer is classified.

When I get back from holiday I'll make my little power connector delay device and see if that fixes it. My SSD works fine if the PC is up and running before the SSD is powered on. That suggests to me that something in the SSD BIOS may be very impatient.

We'll see! My curiosity is stimulated.

Have you tried asking the tech support people for the mother board?

Found this on their website although not your mobo.: BIOSTAR :: FAQ

Have you tried updating the firmware in the SSD?

You may need to download a firmware updater and run it once you get the bing-bong new device noise, but that might fix an errant bug in the drive.

I'm rather hoping that Intel will come up with something like that, Mike, but given that these were two brand new drives I rather hoped they'd be up to date already BIOS-wise.

I'm relaxing on holiday this week. No reply yet from Intel. Next week I'll get out my little soldering iron. More anon!

Does the 'Intel SSD Toolbox' tell you anything interesting? (That's also where you'll find the tool for updating the device firmware, just in case it is out of date).

I've got an older Intel X-25M SSD in my PC and it's worked like a charm from day one.

The Intel SSD Toolbox tells me there's no SSD connected until I do the power connector shuffle. Then it tells me the drive is absolutely fine.

I'm going back home tomorrow and will have a play with a delay in the power feed to it next week. As long as that will bring it online before the BIOS times out looking for it, I may have a workable kludge. I'm still apprehensive about relying on it for day to day work though.

Nothing heard from Intel since I gave them all the serial number and spec information. Google results show numerous people with the problem and none with a solution.

Further developments...

Intel have offered to swap this SSD out for another one the same. It's good of them, but I don't think the problem is with the specific unit.

I tried booting the PC with the power connector off the SSD, then pushing it on as soon as the PSU fan started (after something like one second). The subsequent boot-up drive search found the SSD with no bovver.

So it seems to be that the SSD has to power up a second (or maybe less) after the rest of the PC. I've thrown that idea at Intel to see if they have any suggestions. Meanwhile I'm building a little relay/resistor/capactor/diode device to provide a brief delay at power-on. It may be a kludge, but if it gets my SSD to accle, I'll live with that.

The next interesting bit will be copying the 100GB "Drive C" off the big 1TB (partitioned) drive to the SSD. Intel's supplied utility seems unable to handle partitioned original drives, but I'm hoping EASEUS and EasyBCD between them will do the job.

You might try asking these guys - you need to join (free) but generally they are a knowledgeable and helpful lot.