SSD Help please - Resolved

gramps

gramps

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So my SanDisk Ultra ll 960 Gb SSD in my laptop has gone belly up, laptop will not load Windows and the SSD is not recognised by either of my desktops :(

I have a current backup via Macrium Reflect (Free) but I am wondering what I will need to do to get back up and running from a replacement SSD?
The laptop is a Dell XPS originally running Win 7 but upgraded to Win 10 with the recent free upgrade offer, so of course I don't have a disk for Win 10 and the Win 7 is Dell OEM and I'm not sure about recovery.

I haven't had to recover from Macrium Reflect up to now, can I bypass Windows and do a restore to the bare SSD and if so what do I need.

TIA for knowledgeable assistance :)
 
I installed windows 10 on a new SSD, I just downloaded it from their website to a USB drive and turned the computer on with it plugged in, it did everything else, didn't even need a key..
 
gramps said:
So my SanDisk Ultra ll 960 Gb SSD in my laptop has gone belly up, laptop will not load Windows and the SSD is not recognised by either of my desktops :(

I have a current backup via Macrium Reflect (Free) but I am wondering what I will need to do to get back up and running from a replacement SSD?
The laptop is a Dell XPS originally running Win 7 but upgraded to Win 10 with the recent free upgrade offer, so of course I don't have a disk for Win 10 and the Win 7 is Dell OEM and I'm not sure about recovery.

I haven't had to recover from Macrium Reflect up to now, can I bypass Windows and do a restore to the bare SSD and if so what do I need.

TIA for knowledgeable assistance :)
Click to expand...
i think (not done it via that particular software) you can create a boot disk in macrium, boot to that, select the backup from your backup media.
 
Thanks ... now to search for the boot disk, USB stick somewhere I think!
 
If you have activated your Windows 10 it will reinstall ok. You can get image from microsoft website.
 
Thanks, all useful information :)
 
Doesn't seem that long since you got that SSD?

Is your backup an image?
 
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Have you tried downloading the Sandisk SSD Dashboard tool to see if it can detect the drive? Presumably you have tried more than one SATA/power cable?

When you say neither laptop/desktop can detect the SSD, does that include in the BIOS setup?
 
broc said:
Have you tried downloading the Sandisk SSD Dashboard tool to see if it can detect the drive? Presumably you have tried more than one SATA/power cable?

When you say neither laptop/desktop can detect the SSD, does that include in the BIOS setup?
Click to expand...
I have the Dashboard but as the laptop doesn't see the drive (inc BIOS) I'm stuffed ... Have used a USB SATA/power cable to check with my desktops but not seen by anything.
 
gramps said:
Yep, just a few months and backup is an image.
Click to expand...

Have a wee look at your Macrium information but I guess it would be as easy as replacing your SSD and renewing the image.
 
Just need to find out how to return the faulty unit to Amazon :thinking:
 
Sandisk give a 3 year warranty so I would get in touch with them, they are not a cheap SSD so why should you suffer a lot of downtime.
You did get it from a reputable place didn't you.... and not Ebay :eek:

EDIT: see you got it from Amazon, they are usually good with returns.
 
gramps said:
I have the Dashboard but as the laptop doesn't see the drive (inc BIOS) I'm stuffed ... Have used a USB SATA/power cable to check with my desktops but not seen by anything.
Click to expand...
Sounds like it is goosed :(

Unlucky, I have had hundreds of SSDs through my hands (recently retired IT Manager in a school), I have never come across a totally dead one before.
 
broc said:
Sounds like it is goosed :(

Unlucky, I have had hundreds of SSDs through my hands (recently retired IT Manager in a school), I have never come across a totally dead one before.
Click to expand...

Story of my life :(
The laptop just started up this morning with a delayed power-up screen, then showed an Intel Product statement (white lettering on black background) then went to a boot-up option select box, selecting HDD took it back to the initial screen with white lettering.
I tried plugging it into a USB slot and booting from there but it still couldn't see it ... at least a refund should be okay and I've got a new SSD coming tomorrow morning ... fingers crossed!
 
What would we do without iPads to keep us going! :D
 
Use our other spare computers. ;)
 
Okay, so problem 2 encountered!
I have received the new SSD and installed it in the laptop, BIOS sees it fine.
I have downloaded the Windows 10 ISO file and extracted it to a small SSD connected to a USB SATA cable ... so with:-
  • Replacement SSD installed in the laptop.
  • BIOS changed to boot from USB.
  • SSD with extracted Windows 10 plugged into USB slot.
  • Power up.
Confronted with "NTLDR is missing - Press Control + Alt + Del to restart" ... no further progress possible :(

Further assistance appreciated.
 
Sounds like your extract to SSD isn't right. Normally you would 'burn' an ISO to a DVD/CD, & this creates a bootable disc. How did you do the extract to SSD?
 
broc said:
Sounds like your extract to SSD isn't right. Normally you would 'burn' an ISO to a DVD/CD, & this creates a bootable disc. How did you do the extract to SSD?
Click to expand...
Extracted via a free ISO extractor software ... contents look okay, trying to copy to data DVD now and see if it will work with USB DVD drive.
 
No joy with the extracted ISO to DVD ... do I need to install to the bare SSD from the ISO itself or the ISO extracted ... or something else?
 
Did you have a wee look at your Macrium?

I would think it would work as per Neil's post 3, without bothering about Windows.
 
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On my desktop PC if I right-click on the ISO file, I have an option to 'Burn'...... to my optical drive. This process creates a bootable disc. Extracting the files & copying them to the SSD will not create a bootable disk, I was 'burned' by this many years ago :(
 
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Mikesphotaes said:
Did you have a wee look at your Macrium?

I would think it would work as per Neil's post 3, without bothering about Windows.
Click to expand...

Yes, embarrassingly my Macrium USB stick is nowhere to be found! :(
I intend to be more careful with the new one!

broc said:
On my desktop PC if I right-click on the ISO file, I have an option to 'Burn'...... to my optical drive. This process creates a bootable disc. Extracting the files & copying them to the SSD will not create a bootable disk, I was 'burned' by this many years ago :(
Click to expand...

broc said:
You can create a bootable USB image directly from the Microsoft Windows 10 Download site too using the media creation tool 'perform a clean installation using USB or DVD....'.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10
Click to expand...

My extracting of the ISO file was obviously erroneous but I have since done a 'Burn ISO image to DVD' and that seems to be working with Windows currently installing to the new SSD :)

Thanks all for the help, hopefully I am on my way now :)
 
Well it took a long time to get it right but Windows 10 eventually re-installed to the bare SSD and Macrium Reflect restored an image from two days ago ... now back and typing on the laptop ... phew! :)
 
gramps said:
Well it took a long time to get it right but Windows 10 eventually re-installed to the bare SSD and Macrium Reflect restored an image from two days ago ... now back and typing on the laptop ... phew! :)
Click to expand...
A good result, lets hope you manage to sort out a refund/replacement on the defective SSD :)

At least you had your data backed up, you would be amazed how many people don't bother. The worst culprits are those who use external HDD to store their life's work without having any other copy!

As a retired IT man, I have 3 copies of all my important data, on the original device, a backup of it on my backup server, and a backup of the backup server!
 
broc said:
A good result, lets hope you manage to sort out a refund/replacement on the defective SSD :)

At least you had your data backed up, you would be amazed how many people don't bother. The worst culprits are those who use external HDD to store their life's work without having any other copy!

As a retired IT man, I have 3 copies of all my important data, on the original device, a backup of it on my backup server, and a backup of the backup server!
Click to expand...

Refund has been agreed by Amazon and the duff SSD has been returned to them today so hopefully that will go well.
I have used Acronis for years but only recently changed to Macrium, it works well but I confess I was sloppy in losing or re-using the Rescue USB Stick, I have made another and setup a boot option for Macrium so should be better prepared for a next time ... hopefully not soon! :)
 
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