System fails to start when an SSD is installed.
System fails to start when an SSD is installed.
He owns a pre-built system he acquired six years ago. He replaced the SSD with a new one, but recently he wanted to use the old one again. When he connects the SSD, it fails to start, not even entering BIOS. The fans spin, the monitor turns on, and he sees the BIOS screen, but it doesn’t progress further. The PC works fine when he removes the SSD, though he tried various cables in case that was the problem. Everything is properly installed and connected. If he connects it while the system is already running, it appears in Device Manager but remains unreachable (screenshot saved).
Disconnect all connected storage devices and insert the SSD. Launch any Linux distribution available. Upon startup, you should see a desktop icon for the drive, which you can click to access. It's been quite some time since I performed this task, so the name isn't clear to me. Just navigate through the icons one by one until you locate it. This confirms both the presence of the disk and displays its directories. You can then copy any desired files to a separate USB drive. Open a terminal and run 'gparted'. In the pop-up window, locate the attached drives in the upper-right area. Select the correct one and reformat it. Yes, you can follow a similar procedure using Windows, but Linux offers a quicker and simpler process. * And if the drive appears unreadable, skip the highlighted steps. 'GParted' can also be downloaded and installed on a separate USB drive.