SYSTEM WON'T RECOGNIZE SSD WHEN IN SLOT 1

[Chrisurfer]

system: HP ENVY dv7 Notebook PC

System Type      x64-based PC (win 8.1)

System SKU        C2N66UA#ABA

BIOS Version/Date          Insyde F.13, 9/4/2012

SMBIOS Version               2.7

Embedded Controller Version    55.36

BIOS Mode         UEFI

purschased SP sata III ssd (240gb) to replace the factory drive.  Drive was from newegg and had decent reviews.  I have tried everyway i can imagine to move the os from hdd to ssd without success.  when i connect the ssd to usb enclosure seems to work fine.  I have cloned the lapatop os to the ssd and then connected the ssd to my desktop as the only drive and it boots (uefi) and works perfectly so I am convinced that the drive is ok.  but when i install it into the laptop (only drive) system says "not installed" .  I can boot the system on minitool disk wizard with the ssd installed and minitool sees the disk and will let me alter partitions, format etc. Seems the the HP bios for some reason is not seeing it but there very few options in the bios to change.    I have tried booting system on windows install disk but when i go to install screen no available drives show up.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking

[Huffer]

SP = "Silicon Power" is manufacturer of the SSD? Not familiar with that one. We have had similar reports about Crucial SSDs. 

Apparently there is a version out there using an inferior controller chip:

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/6868/silicon-power-s60-240gb-ssd-review/index.html

[Chrisurfer]

Thank you for that info.  I also have an A-data 256 GB (sata III) in my desk top that I tried in the hp evny DV7 and had exactly the same results.  This bios has no option for setting  sata mode seem only options are uefi and legacy and I'm not sure if there is a bios update that will help me.

[Huffer]

The SATA mode is set to RAID so Windows 7 and even 8 may need a driver during install before it will install to a hdd or SSD. The RAID is fully AHCI (native SATA) compliant so there is no tweaking needed just the proper F6 RAID driver provided during Windows installation

You need to put the driver on thumb drive and point Windows to it during install. 

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/24779/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-RAID-Driver

If you have 64 bit Windows it will be the top driver in the list above

[Chrisurfer]

Huffer,  Thank you for this info.  I really thought that this would solve my problem but unfortunatly no luck.  I put the drivers on a usb and did as you suggested using the "load driver" in the windows install program.  It attempts to load the driver but after attempting it flashes back to the install screen with no drives listed  in the "where to install" screen.  There are no drivers listed in the "compatible" selection window but when i uncheck that box it shows 10 entries.  I tried each of them but just goes back to where to install screen.

I went into dos prompt and tried diskpart to list drives and dos can't see it either. 

I can't understand why partition wizard minitool can see the drive and allow me to modify partitions etc but windows install enviorment can't see it. Thanks again for looking if anything else occurs to you let me know.

[Huffer]

t wonder if I got you the right driver. Let me do some digging

[Chrisurfer · Accepted solution]

SOLUTION!!!

I discoved the solution from another person with the same problem.  It turns out it was the hd connector cable that was defective.  I can't explain why it worked with the mechanical drive but not ssd but changing the cable solved it.  Hope this helps anyone having the same problem.

[darrylw99]

Do you have any pictures of the Cable from the SSD to the Motherboard?

I have connected it to the Motherboard but I cant get it to install. There is no option in my BIOS for the HDD.

[Chrisurfer]

the cable has a plug on each end on my  laptop (see model in this thread) . the hd cable has a connector on each end. the one i bought was on ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171310204906?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT.

there is a picture of the cable on that listing. hope this helps