New System Upgrade from Win XP to Win 7 with SSD! Please Help!

[NaryaMithrandir]

Hey guys! So firstly, thanks for taking the time to check out this post and trying to offer some help. This is my first time on the forum so forgive me if I miss something.

SO what I'm doing:

Currentlly I'm in the process of re-upgrading my computer. I have an EVGA Nforce 750i SLI FTW with Core2Quad 9400 (2.67GHz) and currently connected to it are two aging BFG 7800GTX (yeah BFG aren't even around anymore), OCZ 1066 DDR2 SD RAM (PC 6400) 2 X 2GB, 550 W Antec PSU, and two harddrives: a really old WD 160GB and WD Cacviar Blue 500GB (Master). To top it off everything runs on WinxP.

So what I'm putting in now is:

Crucial m4 SSD 128GB
ASUS ENGTX460 1GB OC
Win 7 Professional (working with the student upgrade, I'm planning on doing a clean install by installing twice, since I've burnt the .iso to disk, I'll install the first time without product key and then re-install with product key. The laptop I'm using is a successful victim.)

So I've migrated everything but the two new parts into a new computer case. I'm currently backing up files from both the old HDD and the Caviar onto external's, so I can wipe the two drives. But I know that I'm supposed to upgrade the firmware on my SSD before I install.

So should I plug in the SSD to the system as is, let windows xp detect it, and then download new firmware for it and then - THEN - wipe the drives, make the SSD master and install winxp onto the SSD, followed by upgrading to win 7, then re-installing win 7 as a clean install??

(Phew that was a heck of a run-on sentence) I'm sorry if this is a bit confusing.

If anyone can tell me a better way to sort this little mess out, I'd be super happy.

It's been a while since I've jumped into building again, and what's really got me worried is playing around with SSD's.

Please help!

And do ask if anymore info is needed.

Thanks,

NaryaMithrandir

 

[velis]

Too much complication:
1. Plug the SSD in and upgrade its firmware
2. Pull out all other disks without formatting them
3. install win on the SSD
4. Plug the rest of the disks back in
5. then and only then do what you want with them

Since you have additional disks I see no reason why you should take any risks with wiping them before re-filling. Just move tha data around and re-partition when you have backed up one disk at a time...

 

[Atheus]

So should I plug in the SSD to the system as is, let windows xp detect it, and then download new firmware for it and then - THEN - wipe the drives, make the SSD master and install winxp onto the SSD, followed by upgrading to win 7, then re-installing win 7 as a clean install??

Yep that's the easiest thing to do. I stupidly installed Win 7 on my new SSD without upgrading the firmware first, so I had to flash it from a Linux USB stick, then reinstall Windows. Very annoying.

/edit: Hang on I didn't read that properly... why on earth would you install XP first? Just install Win 7 on the flashed SSD, move your files over to your storage drive, and you're sorted.

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

Yep that's the easiest thing to do. I stupidly installed Win 7 on my new SSD without upgrading the firmware first, so I had to flash it from a Linux USB stick, then reinstall Windows. Very annoying.

/edit: Hang on I didn't read that properly... why on earth would you install XP first? Just install Win 7 on the flashed SSD, move your files over to your storage drive, and you're sorted.

Cause the Win 7 I have is an upgrade version. Doesn't that mean I need to upgrade from XP first?

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

Too much complication:
1. Plug the SSD in and upgrade its firmware
2. Pull out all other disks without formatting them
3. install win on the SSD
4. Plug the rest of the disks back in
5. then and only then do what you want with them

Since you have additional disks I see no reason why you should take any risks with wiping them before re-filling. Just move tha data around and re-partition when you have backed up one disk at a time...

In this case, when I pull out other drives and install Win7 on the SSD, won't there be a problem when I plug the other drives back in, since WinXP was installed on one of them?

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

Too much complication:
1. Plug the SSD in and upgrade its firmware
2. Pull out all other disks without formatting them
3. install win on the SSD
4. Plug the rest of the disks back in
5. then and only then do what you want with them

Since you have additional disks I see no reason why you should take any risks with wiping them before re-filling. Just move tha data around and re-partition when you have backed up one disk at a time...

When you say plug in the SSD, there's no problem plugging it in while running XP right now to download the firmware?

Also, I guess I should then be booting off the Win7 Upgrade CD to install win 7, and do a double install.

And as I asked the previous poster, wouldn't having WinXP already installed on the other drive conflict in any way with the new win7 on the SSD?

Also mate, could you fill me in on the "just move the data around and re-partition" bit? I don't know why I'm so confused. Probably cause of lack of sleep..

 

[VirtualLarry]

When you install Win7 to the SSD, have ONLY the SSD connected to the PC. DONT install XP first, just install Win7 (I recommend 64-bit for future-proofing purposes). DONT enter the product key. Once Win7 is installed, insert the disc again, and this time, from within Windows 7, select "Upgrade". Let it finish, then type in the product key in Control Panel / System, when you click "Activate".

Only after all of that is done, should you reconnect your other HDs.

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

OK now I have a big problem. I've migrated all the parts into the new case, have not installed the new graphics card or the ssd, just have it sitting in the case unplugged. The system is set up as previously. I turn it on and get the error

floppy disk fail 40
cmos checksum error defaults loaded

And then if I don't do anything, the computer shuts off in around 30 secs to a minute.

WHAT'S GOING ON??

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

I disconected everything but the MN CPU Memory GPU. I hit the CMOS Clear button. I then turned on the device

It runs into black screen and says it sees the CPU and memory and then says none to IDE and SATA's.

But then it says

Floppy DIsks fail (40)
CMOS checksum error degaults loaded

I can press F1 to continue or Del to enter BIOS, but I just let it sit there for a minute. It shut off in two minutes.

But now, it shuts off almost even before the system runs upto display the errors.

This is really confusing.

Also, don't know if this is important, but the POST code displayed is 7F.

 

[NaryaMithrandir]

I hit F1 and it gives me a DISK BOOT FAILURE message.

I let the computer sit for 15 minutes, and turned it on again. It stayed on while I flicked around the BIOS for a bit and turned off.

It keeps shutting off, anywhere between 10 seconds of turning the system on to 5minutes.

 

[Mongrelchops]

Have you been into your BIOS and checked the settings are as you want? If you have a floppy drive - are the cables connected correctly? if you don't - try disabling it in the BIOS - make sure its not set as one of the 1st,2nd,3rd Boot devices etc?

Also - check the date & time for your CMOS error - could be something as simple as that?

re: Machine powering off after a short time - check to see if your CPU heatsink fan is spinning? is it getting too hot perhaps?

Disk boot failure will more than likely be because you have no HDD plugged in.

I have a question too - Can someone clarify the need to update the SSD firmware? is this an old drive which has firmware issues? or just something you wanted to do before installing the OS etc? is it necessary if you just wanted to get up & running?

Larry - nice input with the Win 7 fresh install - i.e - just installing without product key, then "Upgrading" with the product key. I'll give my mate that little tip - will save XP install time etc!!