Computer will not recognize USB drives with new SSD

[mrfatboy]

Hey guys,

I am really stumped on this one and can use some help. I have a win7x64 machine with a Samsung 840 evo 250G SDD. I purchased a new 850 evo 250g and cloned the 840 to it using Acronis.

Everything seems fine except when I boot off of the 850 my usb external drives and sticks are not recognized. They get a driver not installed error. I have tried uninstalling, disabling and even cleaning out the old usb drivers and starting fresh but I still get the same error.

Here is the weird part. If I connect the old 840 also but but STILL boot off the 850 the external usb drives and sticks work perfectly. I have swapped the drives sata ports and rebooted. The problem still persist unless the old 840 SSD is ALWAYS connected but not booted.

All the USB ports check out fine.

Just to be clear, when the old 840 is booted the usb drives/stick are seen and everything is fine.

What the heck is going on? I have never seen anything like this and google has been no help.

 

[Steltek]

It might be worth re-cloning the drive in the event you just got a bad image. You could also try to run a repair disc on the newly imaged drive in the event there is some issue with Windows.

Did you clone the drive in Windows, or did you clone it outside Windows using a bootable Acronis disc?

 

[mrfatboy]

I have re-cloned the drive 5 times already thinking it might be bad. I backed up my drive in windows using Acronis. I then used Acronis to clone inside windows. I did not use a acronis bootable disc.

I can't even understand why the external usb drives/stick work with the old SSD plugged in. How can that have any effect?

I'm at a lose. Any more suggestions?

 

[Ketchup]

What motherboard?

 

[mrfatboy]

It's a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R.

 

[Ketchup]

It's a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R.

Thanks. Wasn't sure if we were talking about the computer in the sig. Great board BTW. Had the same model for a few years and it never had a problem.

When you are talking about removing drivers and starting fresh, are you referring to a fresh clone, or a fresh driver from somewhere? AFAIK, you really shouldn't need a USB driver for that board, as the Windows 7 drivers should do just fine (as all ports are run by the Intel chip).

So if you just remove or uninstall from device manager and let them re-populate themselves, is there still an issue?

One thing you could also try is a fresh Windows install on the new drive. If it works that way, it probably means that the clone missed something.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I then used Acronis to clone inside windows. I did not use a acronis bootable disc.

IMHO, that's a big mistake. Always clone from a bootable medium, and not from within Windows. "Funny" things can happen. As you've noticed.

 

[mrfatboy]

I have tried uninstalling and re-installing from the device manager with no luck. Drive manager always reports back that I have the most current driver installed but still gives the problem UNLESS the old drive is plugged in.

I still don't understand everything works with the old ssd plugged in. Very bizarre.

How can that even be? Even if device manger found the correct driver when the old Ssd is plugged in why wouldnt it still work when I unplugged it?

@larry
I used acronis to back my SSD image to a tib file and the reapplied the image back onto the new Ssd. It has always worked before. Just so I'm clear can you explain a better way to do?

 

[mrfatboy]

BTW. I also tried a windows repair and the problem still persists.

 

[LTC8K6]

Restore Win7 to an earlier date? Perhaps that will reset whatever went wrong?

 

[mrfatboy]

I have spent all day trying to fix this to no avail.

I have tried the following things.

1) Tried cloning with Samsung Data Migration tool. Failed. Software is junk.

2) Tried cloning with clonezilla. Failed. Drive would not boot.

3) Tried cloning with Acronis Bootable Media. Clone worked but I still have same problem.

Unless the original 840 SSD is plugged in when I boot the 850 SSD windows 7x64 does not recognized the external usb drives or sticks.

I don't really want to re-install windows. This is really a bizarre problem. I still don't see how it would work if the original 840 is plugged. I don't see the connection.

Could the 850 be bad and causing the problem?

Any other ideas?

 

[mrfatboy]

Here is one last bit of diagnostic information. Hopefully it will provide some other insight to what is going on.

1) I have cloned the SSD 840 to SDD 850 using Acronis Media Backup (no windows involved)
2) Boot the 850 WITHOUT the 840 plugged in. External USB Drives/sticks not recognized. Install errors in Device Manager

3) Plug in the 840
4) Unplug and plug back in the USB external drive.
5) Windows now sees the external USB drive
6) Unplug the 840
7) Windows still sees the external USB drive
8) Restart computer, booting on the SSD 850 without the 840 plugged in.
9) Still have same problem. Windows can't see the external USB drives.

What the heck?

 

[LTC8K6]

USB drivers on the 850 are corrupted?

Can you use something like driver cleaner to completely remove the USB drivers from the 850?

Uninstalling is probably leaving the corrupted driver files in place?

 

[mrfatboy]

I tried driver cleaner but still have the problem.

The one clue in all of this is why would it work if the 840 is plugged in?

 

[Bubbaleone]

Here is one last bit of diagnostic information. Hopefully it will provide some other insight to what is going on.

1) I have cloned the SSD 840 to SDD 850 using Acronis Media Backup (no windows involved)
2) Boot the 850 WITHOUT the 840 plugged in. External USB Drives/sticks not recognized. Install errors in Device Manager

3) Plug in the 840
4) Unplug and plug back in the USB external drive.
5) Windows now sees the external USB drive
6) Unplug the 840
7) Windows still sees the external USB drive
8) Restart computer, booting on the SSD 850 without the 840 plugged in.
9) Still have same problem. Windows can't see the external USB drives.

What the heck?

The first rule after the cloning procedure is completed is to shut down the computer and disconnect either the cloned drive or the original drive before booting to the desktop. If one fails following that rule and boots with both drives connected, then the MBR gets re-written to only one of the two drives regardless of whether boot manager is showing a dual boot menu. Further, if one also failed to disconnect all external USB drives, prior to the start of the cloning operation, then only the drive with the re-written MBR will contain the external USB drive boot data. This would explain why your USB drives aren't recognized by the clone unless the 840 is plugged in.

.

 

[mrfatboy]

@bubbaleone

Thanks for info. I will definitely take your advice. However, after trying to fix this I think I have a more serious problem. While trying to fix this issue it became clear my first problem was not a failing Ssd but rather a failing mobo or chip.

I have had the below system since 2008. Overclocked all the time. I think it finally gave up.

I am now if the market for a new system. I have no clue what to get. I need to research Mobo and chip quickly.

Suggestions welcome. 😀

 

[Ketchup]

Make a post in General Hardware. Use the questions in this sticky:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=80121

 

[mrfatboy]

@bubbaleone

I tried your advice but I get the same result. The usb/stick drives give an error when plugged in after cloning. I tried two different ways.

1) Restore with Acronis through Windows.
All drives disconnected except for the 840, 850, data drive where the acronis image was.
Start restore with image file
Acronis responded with successful cloning
Shut down computer
Disconnect all drives except for the newly cloned 850
Boot
Plug in external usb drive and or stick
Get same error.


2) Use Acronic Boot USB media to clone outside of windows
All drives disconnected except for the 840, 84=50, USB stick (acronis boot media)
Start cloning directly from 840 to 850
Acronis responded with successful cloning
Shut down computer
Disconnect all drives except for the newly cloned 850
Boot
Plug in external usb drive and or stick
Get same error.


Any more suggestions?