Windows 7 BSoD - suspect hard drive fried, but skeptical

Nevan · Sep 30, 2012

I have a desktop that has two hard drives. One SSD, one HDD. Windows is on the SSD, Ubuntu and various other files are on the HDD. I have Ubuntu and Windows in a dual-boot format. The other day, after playing around in Ubuntu and updating the software, I restarted the computer and decided to load into Windows instead. It showed the beginning of the "Starting Windows" animated icon and then it froze, a BSoD appeared and then it said "Windows cannot load"or something along those lines. I suspected it was because the SSD fried. But I can still access everything on the SSD through Ubuntu and it doesn't appear to be non-functional. I'm copying all my stuff off of it right now, just in case.

Can't seem to figure out the problem here. I've tried to load Windows multiple times since then; it's not working.

usasma · Sep 30, 2012

Lot's of different reasons for this.
First, here's my canned speech on SSD's:

There's not a whole bunch available to test SSD's. The "easiest" test is to remove the SSD, install a platter-based hard drive, install Windows and test for stability that way.

Here's some suggestions:
- Update the SSD's firmware to the latest available version (VERY IMPORTANT!!!)
- Update the motherboard controllers drivers to the latest available version from the controller manufacturer (NOT the mobo manufacturer unless you can't find any on the controller manufacturer's website)
- Slow the memory (RAM) down to the next slower speed (I've only seen one person who claimed that this worked for them).
- Use any manufacturer's utilities that you may have. If you don't have any, then try this free one (I haven't used it myself): Crystal Dew World
- Update chipset and storage controller drivers to the latest available from the manufacturer of the device (not the manufacturer of the motherboard). Be sure to update ALL controllers on the motherboard!
....NOTE: Recently (Nov 2011) we had BSOD issues with the Marvell 91xx controller and an SSD. You may have to switch controllers also.
- Replace the SSD with a platter based hard drive and see if that stops the BSOD's. If it does, then it's likely that there's a problem with the SSD OR an incompatibility with your system.
It's my opinion that SSD's aren't reliable enough (with current hardware) to be used on a system that needs to work reliably. Until I see reliability I will not recommend, nor will I use, SSD's for critical applications.
06 Dec 2011 - This post tends to confirm issues with certain SSD chipsets and certain controllers - [SOLVED] cant find the cause of BSOD F4 - Tech Support Forum
29 May 2012 - The frequency of BSOD's with SSD's seems to have been decreasing over the last several months. It may be approaching time to re-evaluate my stand on their suitability for use in production systems.

If you can access the files on the SSD in Ubuntu, then it's not very likely that the SSD is fried.
But it's possible to have drive issues if one hard drive is fried - so try one of these free diagnostics on the non-SSD hard drive: Link Removed - Invalid URL

Beyond that, then try Startup Repair to see if that helps.
Then, if that doesn't work, try reinstalling Windows clean.

Nevan · Sep 30, 2012

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with the SSD itself. I cloned the SSD onto a blank HDD I had, and I put it back in my desktop, and the same problem happens. The problem appears to be with the Windows software and I have no idea what I did to cause it, but I hope there's a way to fix it.

I don't have a Windows 7 installation disc. Should I buy a new one?

usasma · Oct 1, 2012

Cloning the hard drive from the SSD to the blank hard drive won't necessarily result in a bootable system. There may be other issues (such as security and activation) that may cause the system to BSOD on boot. FYI - this is less common than in XP, but it still does happen.

Have you ensured that the firmware on your SSD is updated?
Have you tried to install Windows on the SSD without cloning it?
Have you tested all the hard drives on the system?

Depending on the age of your Gateway system, it either came with recovery disks - or it has a utility to make recovery disks.
Check through the Start menu to see if there's a Recovery Media Creator or something similar.

If there's not a way to make the disks, you can contact Gateway for another set (it's much cheaper than buying a legitimate retail copy of Windows 7). Here's a link with info on this: Order Recovery Discs (USA)

Windows 7 BSoD - suspect hard drive fried, but skeptical

Nevan

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usasma

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Nevan

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usasma

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