Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Trouble booting from new SSD MSI GE60 Apache Pro

by Jul 4, 2015 7:51PM PDT

I bought a MSI GE60 Apache Pro the specs are listed on my profile if you need to know more. So I voided the warranty immediately to install the SSD and haven't been able to take advantage of it yet which is greatly disappointing. The msata drive is a 256GB Samsung EVO SSD and I used Samsung's cloning software to clone my HDD to the SSD, I don't know if there is a better program yall can recommend or if that one is fine. But I cloned the hard drive just fine as far as I can tell and then I reboot and go into the bios and I can only select Boot from hard drive it does not specify which one. Then through watching you tube videos there is another option in the bios that is supposed to let me pick one and in the videos it works it shows 2 different drives but when I do it they both just say windows boot manager. I tried picking the 2nd windows boot manager assuming that would be the ssd and windows wouldn't load when I rebooted the circle thing just spun and spun so I figure that is not it because I tried it again to try and trouble shoot it.

I can normally figure things out if I keep playing with it but this has got me stumped so I need help from you guys are the best THANK YOU in advance and if any screen shots are needed let me know ill do whatever it takes to clone it and not have to do a fresh install because there are to many drivers to hunt down MSI website does not have up to date drivers and you have to hunt them down and there are quite a few msi and intel specific programs needed to optimize the laptop.

Also I almost forgot I called Samsung trying to get help and the guy I spoke to said I have to update the bios which I did and it didn't work. so like I said and screen shots or need any more info don't hesitate I'm on a mission to figure this out.

Discussion is locked

7 Posts
- Collapse + Expand Details
- Collapse -
Answer
Update
by Jul 4, 2015 7:52PM PDT

Ive tried doing a fresh install of windows on the ssd and removing the hdd and it just goes to the Bios and wont boot windows.

So then I gave up cloning and created a back up of Windows and created a Bootable Flash drive. Then Used a special program to format and merge all the hidden recovery partitons on the HDD and then I installed windows on the SSD it booted to a fresh install of windows I thought I had it at this point so I restarted the laptop and it would only go to the bios.
So I tried it again and I restored windows from the back up and it all went back on the hdd instead of the ssd. So I tried this about 4 or 5 times.Then I went into options the last time I tried it and when I was restoring the back up I selected exclude drives and picked the hdd and it gave me an error and wouldn't let me.

I am totally stumped I have installed at least 100 ssd's with no problem I fix and build computers for people. This is my 3rd forum Ive tried with no solutions I hope I will get it here. Right now I feel like I wasted $200 on a ssd that I can't even use properly its really upsetting.

If you need any more information just ask I will respond right away. I'm constantly monitoring the forums I am desperate for an answer.

Also I'm using windows 8.1

- Collapse -
Answer
Pictures
by Jul 4, 2015 8:01PM PDT

Here are some Bios pictures.
http://i.imgur.com/ZAFxcHl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ALAt9K1.jpg
And when I select Drive BBS properties this is what I get
http://i.imgur.com/2jq4utp.jpg
When I select one they both just say Windows Boot Manager
http://i.imgur.com/m0O71wV.jpg
Then all of a sudden one of the boot selections disapeared I tried restoring to defaults and reseating the SSD
http://i.imgur.com/tcefitj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Afq3RdO.jpg
Then on another forum where no one could help me some one told me to disable secure boot and there is no option to turn it off but I tried clearing the boot keys and disabling everything I could here are the options
http://i.imgur.com/8u57a3T.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/RTzsUva.jpg
when I switch secure boot from standard to custom I get an extra menu
http://i.imgur.com/U88M3Fy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UgHzd2a.jpg
I even tried setting that option to disabled and it didn't do anything

- Collapse -
Answer
Just checking.
by Forum moderator Jul 4, 2015 8:08PM PDT

When I clone the drive I clone from one to another, BUT did you put the new drive you want to boot into the old drives position/location?

- Collapse -
response
by StaticNoize Jul 4, 2015 8:28PM PDT

It is a laptop one port is sata one is msata which the ssd is plugged into. I do believe I stated I even tried unplugging the hdd with a fresh install of windows on the ssd and it wouldn't boot it would go straight to the bios.

- Collapse -
SSD
by James Denison Jul 4, 2015 9:15PM PDT
- Collapse -
Looks like you have to get back to the maker.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 5, 2015 12:17AM PDT

Those msata installs may not be as if it's a normal drive. One machine only used it as some sort of cache system and required the maker's supplied restore media to make it work. Time to call the maker.

- Collapse -
windows 8
by James Denison Jul 4, 2015 9:21PM PDT
"So I tried it again and I restored windows from the back up and it all went back on the hdd instead of the ssd. So I tried this about 4 or 5 times.Then I went into options the last time I tried it and when I was restoring the back up I selected exclude drives and picked the hdd and it gave me an error and wouldn't let me.......Also I'm using windows 8.1"

You need to turn off Secure Boot in the BIOS. You can set it later to the SSD instead of the HDD (maybe).
Back to Laptops forum

CNET Forums

Operating Systems
Software
Electronics & Gadgets
Hardware
Tablets & Mobile Devices
General Help
Brand Forums
Roadshow Autos
Off Topic

Other Forums

Forum Info