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    W7 install won't see the SSD

    Discussion in 'Panasonic' started by gn7p71, Sep 5, 2014.

  1. gn7p71

    gn7p71 Notebook Geek

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    I am trying to clean install W7 onto my CF-29 MK4 on an OWC Legacy Pro SSD. BIOS recognizes the SSD, but W7 setup won't see or recognize it. I tried to implement the Microsoft recommended solution using diskpart, but that won't see the drive either. HELP!
     
    gn7p71, Sep 5, 2014
    #1
  2. ADOR

    ADOR Evil Mad Scientist

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    I have have problems like this before on CF-M34 Mk 7 and older toughbooks. I had to put the SSD in a usb caddy and format it to NTFS after that it worked fine.
     
    ADOR, Sep 6, 2014
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  3. Toughbook

    Toughbook Drop and Give Me 20!

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    What type of drive are you using? A hybrid? Are you using the IDE to SATA adapter?
     
    Toughbook, Sep 6, 2014
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  4. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    I'd venture a guess that it's one of the OWC's PATA SSDs which are SandForce-based...

    OP, feel free to set me straight if I'm incorrect.

    Try booting a "live" Linux CD/DVD and check whether it "sees" the SSD. We might be looking into a compatibility issue and/or a defective drive.

    Good luck.
     
    ajkula66, Sep 6, 2014
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  5. Shawn

    Shawn Crackpot Search Ninja and Options Whore

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    Someone had a similar problem on a CF29 a while back....
    I'll see if I can find it.
     
    Shawn, Sep 6, 2014
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  6. gn7p71

    gn7p71 Notebook Geek

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    aj, yes it is the OWC PATA SSD with Sandforce controller

    As suggested by ADOR, I placed the SSD into a USB enclosure and plugged it into another PC running W7. The drive was recognized and I was able to format it (NTFS with MBR). However, when I placed it back into the CF-29, it was still seen only by BIOS and not by W7
     
    gn7p71, Sep 6, 2014
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  7. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    I'd still suggest booting a "live" Linux media and checking what happens there.

    Otherwise we won't know whether the drive is defective/incompatible or we're looking at a software glitch of some kind.

    My $0.02 only...

    Good luck.
     
    ajkula66, Sep 6, 2014
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  8. gn7p71

    gn7p71 Notebook Geek

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    This is too weird...the HDD works in an enclosure hooked up to multiple different PCs, yet it refuses to play nice with my CF-29...how can BIOS see it but not Windows? I bet the CF-29 doesnt play nice with OWC's controller
     
    gn7p71, Sep 6, 2014
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  9. ajkula66

    ajkula66 Courage and Consequence

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    That would be my guess as well. However, the drive itself might be defective regardless of the fact that is "seen" when in an USB enclosure by other PCs.

    That's why I suggested taking a somewhat painless Linux route.

    Good luck.
     
    ajkula66, Sep 6, 2014
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  10. gn7p71

    gn7p71 Notebook Geek

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    I wound up returning the OWC SSD. Then I got a Kingspec 128GB PATA SSD, and suffered the same problems as the OWC rig. Then I decided to throw in an old 60 GB Hitachi HDD, worked fine. I even got a 500GB WD SATA hooked up to techtough's IDE/SATA adapter to be recognized by w7! So I just went to MircoCenter and got a Crucial 256GB SSD and hooked it in with the Techtough adapter, and bam! W7 running on my CF-29MK4 on a SSD. 4 hours later, I got the GPS to work too (found out I was one of those suffering the pesky resource conflict with the modem, which when resolved has now left me running smoothly)
     
    gn7p71, Sep 14, 2014
    #10
    ADOR likes this.