Problem installing SSD in HP P6230F under Windows 7

[David453]

I'm trying to install a SSD  ( a WD Blue 3D NAND 1TB, WDS100T2B0A) in my desktop, a P6230F. The BIOS seems to recognize it if I press F10 at boot time, but Windows doesn't see it.  Eventually, I want to replace the HDD with it, but for now, I just want to format it and test it. Is there something I need to do in order for Windows to see it?

Thanks.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

If you are wanting to see a new drive in Windows, you have to initialize the drive first.

Initialize new disks | Microsoft Docs

[David453]

Thanks, but Disk Management doesn't see the drive at all, so I can't initialize it. Neither does Device Manager, even though it shows up in the BIOS menu.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Unfortunately, I don't know what the problem could be since initializing the disk should have gotten it to show up.

Solved: Re: HP Omen 15-en0013dx laptop won't recognize additional M.... - HP Support Community - 832...

You may just want to proceed with installing Windows on the new SSD.

You can also google the problem.  I found several links with other things you can try such as this...

Fix: New Hard Drive not showing up in Disk Management - Appuals.com

[David453]

Thanks. I ran the "SMART Extended Self-test" in BIOS and it didn't find any errors, so I don't think there's anything wrong with the drive itself, or the way it's connected. I'll keep googling.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

If you can't figure it out, but you still want to format the drive instead of installing Windows, I recommend you do this...

If you don't have a W7 installation DVD...

Make a bootable USB W10 installation flash drive with the media creation tool.  You will need an 8 GB flash drive.

Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com)

Temporarily disconnect your PC's primary boot drive's SATA cable and plug it into your SSD, instead of using the cable from the secondary SATA port.

Boot from the W10 installation media, and when you get to the part that asks 'where do you want to install Windows,' create a partition, and format the partition.

Then exit out of the program, shut down the PC, put the SATA data cable back in the original hard drive, hook the secondary SATA data cable back in the SSD and hopefully it will now show up in Windows.

[David453]

Actually, I've already tried that, following the instructions here: https://editorsean.com/articles/clone-hdd-ssd-windows-7-software/ 

(BTW, I'm on Windows 7, not Windows 10).

But that didn't work either, I got this error below I tried to restore. So that's when I tried to format it, just to see if it would work.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Yes, but did you try booting from W10 installation media to see if W10 sees the drive when you go to install it?

It is important that you have the drive connected to the sata port that your mechanical hard drive boots from and no other.

If you did, and W10 can't find the drive either, something is wrong well beyond my knowledge of what the problem could be.

The drive should be showing up in Windows or showing up when you go to install Windows.

If nothing works, it is very possible your PC just doesn't like SSD's.

It happens sometimes for no rhyme or reason.

[David453]

I don't have any Windows 10 installation media. Why would Windows 10 recognize the SSD and not Windows 7, anyway?

[David453]

FWIW, this company claims that their SSD's are compatible with the P6230F. I bought a WD SSD, but I don't think that should matter.

https://www.crucial.com/compatible-upgrade-for/hp---compaq/pavilion-p6230f