Can't boot hp 6200 from usb attached SDD

[JoWazzoo]

I have literally tried everything.  For ~ a week.  Cannot boot to an SSD that is attached via a USB 3.  I accessed it once.  But no more.

HP Compaq 6200 Pro MT PC
Windows 7 Pro Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601

And yes, I have tried EVERYTHING available on HP support, here and elsewhere.

Upgraded BIOS to 2.28.

SSD has Windows 10 installed on it.

In Setup Boot order choices I have several entries for USB.  When I go to Boot selection there are no entries for EFI nor any entries for USB attached devices.  EFI listing is there but no entries.

This has been an ongoing problem for ~ 10 years and amazes me that HP has not fixed this.

TIA

[itsmyname]

@JoWazzoo -- This has been an ongoing problem for ~ 10 years and amazes me that HP has not fixed this.

To me, it is not surprising that a computer designed for Windows 7 is not getting any attention from HP. I think that their hardware specialists are focused on Windows 8 or Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Did you insert the SSD into an external adapter?  If so, can you remove it, and directly connect the SSD to power & data cables inside the computer?  Does it boot, in that configuration?

> [no] entries for USB attached devices.

Within BIOS SETUP, sometimes there is a "Disk Drives" section, that lists all the disk-drives, both the internal disk-drive, with Windows 7, and the USB-attached external device. Can you modify the order of that listing, to put the SSD into the top-most position in that list?

[JoWazzoo]

"To me, it is not surprising that a computer designed for Windows 7 is not getting any attention from HP. I think that their hardware specialists are focused on Windows 8 or Windows 10 or Windows 11."

Whic is why I installed windows 10 Pro on this. 🙂

"Did you insert the SSD into an external adapter?"

Yes

"If so, can you remove it, and directly connect the SSD to power & data cables inside the computer?"

Yes - that is how I installed Win 10 on it.

"Does it boot, in that configuration?"

Yes

"Within BIOS SETUP, sometimes there is a "Disk Drives" section, that lists all the disk-drives, both the internal disk-drive, with Windows 7, and the USB-attached external device. Can you modify the order of that listing, to put the SSD into the top-most position in that list?"

Have tried scores and scores of combos.

I may just attach it as an ESATA drive and to hell with this "challenge".

Thanks

[itsmyname]

@JoWazzoo  --  I may just attach it as an ESATA drive and to hell with this "challenge".

Can you install the SSD as the "internal" disk-drive, and keep the current disk-drive as a "secondary" disk-drive inside the computer, or as you suggested, as an external eSATA device (so that you can access your files, but probably not boot from it.

[JoWazzoo · Accepted solution]

I gave up on attaching via a USB.  I hassled with this for 3 days and nothing others did worked.  Screw it.

II simply attached thes ssd to the esata port on my hp 6200 motherboard and voila! BIOS sees it and I can boot from it.

So Now I have 2 Kingston SSDs - one dedicated to Windows 7 Pro and one dedicated to Windows 10 Pro.

And I didn't have to spend $50 setting up an External Esata box.

Seems to work fine.  Disk Management works too but so many drives ... 🙂  I also retained an HDD as a backup/recovery.

So Solved sort of.  Would still be nice to know how to attach an SSD that I can boot from.