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    How to reinstall Windows7 on mSATA SSD?

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by bsbiran, Mar 30, 2012.

  1. bsbiran

    bsbiran Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi all

    Today I will be installing my Runcore SSD mSata to my X220 and would like to move the OS across to it

    Can the OS be moved across from the hard disk to the SSD one?

    Do I have to reinstall? If yes, how do I do this

    Regards
     
    bsbiran, Mar 30, 2012
    #1
  2. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Did you make a restore disk from your original HDD? I removed the HDDs then installed it on the mSATA SSD. After that you can reconnect your HDD then reformat them.
     
    sgogeta4, Mar 30, 2012
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  3. bsbiran

    bsbiran Notebook Enthusiast

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    I still have my HD connected, I installed the SSD through the WWAN port

    All I want for the timebeing is XP on the SSD, is it simplier to go into recovery mode and install Windows7 onto the ssd?
     
    bsbiran, Mar 30, 2012
    #3
  4. Kaso

    Kaso Notebook Virtuoso

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    As @sgogeta4 said, remove the HDD from the primary bay, insert the mSATA SSD into the WWAN slot, then:

    Either recover from the Lenovo Factory Recovery discs that you have made earlier (put the first disc in the optical drive and boot from CD),

    Or do a fresh installation from a Windows 7 disc (put the disc in the optical drive and boot from CD). In this case, you will have to take care of installing the necessary device drivers (downloaded from Lenovo support site).

    Sorry, I do not understand this part.
     
    Kaso, Mar 30, 2012
    #4
  5. bsbiran

    bsbiran Notebook Enthusiast

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    Just to clarify, this is what I have at the moment

    - HDD connected which is where Windows7 is installed along with all my data
    - SSD connected via WANN slot

    What I would like is to install Windows7 on the SSD

    So I will create a recovery disk on my USB and boot from that and install the OS on the SSD

    Anything wrong with that?

    Why do I need to disconnect the HDD?
     
    bsbiran, Mar 30, 2012
    #5
  6. Kaso

    Kaso Notebook Virtuoso

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    You need to remove the HDD from the primary bay. Otherwise the recovery will be performed on the HDD. This has been mentioned earlier in the W520 Owners thread.

    You can try without removing the HDD and learn from it.

    In any case, back up your valuable data (currently on the HDD) onto an external drive.
     
    Kaso, Mar 30, 2012
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  7. bsbiran

    bsbiran Notebook Enthusiast

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    So I created a USB recovery stick without any errors
    Took out the HDD and tried to boot from USB

    I have changed the boot order and even selected the USB via pressing F12 and I always see tthe error "invalid partition table"

    So I assume it cannot boot from USB?

    I checked the bios USB setting and they are all ok

    Any ideas?

    Tried to use a different USB but lenevo recovery tool said I only can have one copy of windows!

    Looking at the folders on the USB I have

    A folder called Boot
    A folder called factoryrecovery
    A file called usb.tag
    A file called winRE.wim
     
    bsbiran, Mar 30, 2012
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  8. Kaso

    Kaso Notebook Virtuoso

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    You should have made the USB flash drive's partition ACTIVE before creating Lenovo Recovery on it to make it bootable. Read this.

    However, it may also be possible to make the USB flash drive's partition ACTIVE after, as it in your case.

    Put the OEM HDD back in and boot from it. When you are within Windows 7, plug in the USB flash drive, then use the Disk Management tool to set the USB drive's partition active: right-click and select Mark partition as active.

    Now, turn off the system, remove the HDD and reboot from USB as before.
     
    Kaso, Mar 30, 2012
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  9. bsbiran

    bsbiran Notebook Enthusiast

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    I reinserted my USB however the "Mark partition as active" is shaded out

    Any idea why?

    Later tonight I will use a different USB and follow the steps in the link you provided and copy the files from the old USB to the new one
     
    bsbiran, Mar 31, 2012
    #9
  10. Kaso

    Kaso Notebook Virtuoso

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    Try diskpart command, then select partition n and active subcommands.
     
    Kaso, Mar 31, 2012
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  11. bsbiran

    bsbiran Notebook Enthusiast

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    duplicate message
     
    bsbiran, Apr 1, 2012
    #11
  12. bsbiran

    bsbiran Notebook Enthusiast

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    bsbiran, Apr 1, 2012
    #12