Help with Installing mSata to T420

I tried to install a Intel 310 40gb mSATA to my T420. I installed them to the WWAN slot and pushed the two WWAN wires aside (without connecting to anything). However, when I tried to install Windows using the burnt Recovery Discs, I don't see the mSATA as an option. When I rebooted using the original hard disk, I don't see the mSATA either even in Windows. Any tips/ideas of what I did wrong?

Thanks for your help in advanced.

Yee Kan

 

Do I need to install a driver for the mSATA and where to get it? (I didn't do so.)

 

I installed the mSATA in the 1070 PCI Express Mini Card for Wireless WAN, just next to a 4GB RAM that I installed. Anything wrong? Thanks!

 

You installed in the right place. Try removing the original hard drive and install windows with only the msata in place?

I'm not so sure so best if you wait for a more expert answer

 

That is the right place. Do you see the drive in your BIOS? Hit F1 on boot and look for it. If you don't see it, try to remove the mSATA drive and reinstall...maybe the connection is poor. If BIOS still doesn't see it, very possible you have a dead mSATA drive.

 

Where in the BIOS should I see it? Thanks.

 

I don't have my laptop with me now so can't remember exactly but somewhere there is a menu about boot devices / order or drives...if you go into that you should see your mSATA drive, plus DVD drive.

 

Hi Mazzmond,

Thanks a lot for your help!! In ThinkPad Setup (pressing F1), under "Startup" - "Boot", I see Boot Priority Order:

1. USB CD
2. USB FDD
3. ATAPI CD0 HL-DT-STDVDRAM GT33N
4. ATA HDD2 INTEL SSDMAEMC040G2
5. ATA HDD0 ST9500420AS

It seems that it is there (item #4), but just that it does not show up in the option to install when I used the recovery discs to install it. Any suggestions what I should try?

Thanks.

Yee Kan

 

Remove the hdd when using recovery disks to install to the msata, put it back after the install is done.

 

Furthermore, I used PC Wizard 2010 and it successfully recognized the mSATA hard disk. It seems that I didn't install the driver or something like that successfully and thus the Windows cannot recognize it. Any tips how to do it so that Windows can recognize it? Thanks.

 

I can tell you whats going on I think.

Your laptop is using AHCI to communicate with the HDD's.

You need the F6 driver for installing windows. *DO NOT PUT THE HDD IN COMPATABILITY MODE* it damages performance and can be tricky to get back into AHCI mode without Bluescreening your windows installation upon boot.


For 64 bit Windows
Lenovo Support - Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver Windows 7 (64-bit), Vista (64-bit) and XP (64-bit) - ThinkPad

For 32 bit Windows
Lenovo Support - Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver Windows 7 (32-bit), Vista (32-bit) and XP (32-bit) - ThinkPad

Put the downloadable file onto a USB flash-drive or CD and when installing windows click the "LOAD DRIVER" button, navigate to the USB flash-drive and let it detect the correct driver to use.

Be sure to EXTRACT the downloaded files to the USB drive, not just copy over the .exe or anything silly.

 

Hi Vinueuro,

Yes, I removed the hard disk. The only option that I see is "CD/DCD" and I don't see the mSATA disk as an option to install Windows using the recovery discs.

Yee Kan

 

Engmus, I installed Windows 7 clean to my T420's 80GB mSATA drive, no AHCI drivers were needed. I think this will only be an issue if the original poster is trying to install Windows XP.

I have not attempted to use the factory recovery discs to restore, so I can't be sure about why it isn't working. In my case, I installed my SSD, set the BIOS to UEFI-only mode (rather than UEFI+Legacy, which is probably the current setting) and ran my install). You can try doing it this way kohyeekan, and see if it works.

EDIT: Like posters below me have also suggested, I removed my hard drive prior to install. I would highly suggest doing that if you have not.

 

That 'option' is to select the source, just click ok. It doesn't give you an option to select the destination which is why you need to remove the hdd. When I had them both installed, it'd automatically select the hdd. After removing it for the install, it then defaulted to the msata as desired. I went through this just yesterday.

To be clear, this is for installing Windows using the recovery discs. A standard Windows disc gives you the option of which drive to install on.

 

Don't forget that the mSata has probably not been formatted if you bought it new. And you need to initialize it through Windows Disk Manager for it to be visible under My Computer.

 

I see, I think I understand it now. I thought the option I have in the installation process is to choose where to install the Windows. I will try it again.

Yup, I didn't format it yet, probably that's why I didn't see it in "My computer". Will do it now...

Thanks a lot for your help!

Yee Kan

 

It doesn't have to formatted for either Win install or through Recovery discs.

 

You are right. But I thought the problem was that the OP couldn't find the drive when booted into Windows.

 

According to the original post, the Recovery disc install wasn't able to find the msata ssd. For some reason, the Recovery install defaults to the hdd without giving any option for the msata unless the hdd is removed.

 

I was referring to the following by the OP:

"When I rebooted using the original hard disk, I don't see the mSATA either even in Windows."

 

Hi Ferganer80 and Vinuneuro,

First, thanks a lot for the help from both of you.

I didn't explain it clear enough. Initially, I tried to install Windows 7 using the Recovery Discs. It is my mistake that think that I can choose from which drive to install the windows. Apparently, I cannot choose (the recovery discs will choose for me) and that's why I cannot see the mSATA. My mistake #1.

Then, I tried to find it in Windows using the original hard disk. I still cannot find the mSATA, because I didn't format it. My mistake #2.

Now, I am installing the Windows into my mSATA drive. Everything is working fine now. Thanks a lot for your help!!

Yee Kan

 

sorry to resurrect an old thread but I have the same problem. I'm installing a 64gb MyDigitalSSD msata and have screwed it in place in the WWAN spot under the computer next to the ram.

I have the factory restore disk set on a USB to boot. I took out the original HDD and started the computer which went into the recovery utility. The only drive available to select for the recovery medium (which I'm assuming means the drive I would like to wipe) was the external HDD connected via the USB.

Suggestions?

 

Sounds like your problem is that the HDD is still connected to the computer... disconnect the HDD altogether so the computer cannot see it at all (whether via USB or any other way), leaving just the USB stick and mSATA SSD installed. That should then work (I believe BIOS boot order is by default set to use USB and optical drive first, so you shouldn't have to change anything there).

I just installed an mSATA SSD smoothly, removing the HDD altogether from the machine and booting off the recovery discs I'd previously burned.

 

got it running.

misunderstood

"Apparently, I cannot choose (the recovery discs will choose for me) and that's why I cannot see the mSATA"