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Inspirion 6400 No bootable drive

  • 15-04-2013 10:05pm
    #1
    bridster007
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 417 ✭✭


    Hi

    My 80Gb drive works fine but nearly full. It's a 9.5mm height.
    As a test before buying, I have tried to install Win 7 home premium on 2 different 250 / 320 Gb drives but although both work in their own machines I can't get Windows installed on them in the Dell. It cannot see either drive when I boot and install from a bootable USB. The bootable USB also works in another machine so that rules it out.

    The drives I'm using are 7mm but I've been able to connect them to the dell and screw them in securely - just wondering now if that could be the problem -- they seem secure and feel seated and I would not be able to get the screws in if not fully seated.

    Original drive is Sata 1 and new ones are Sata 3 ( one of them is a SSD). I presume they are backwards compatible albeit at Sata 1 speeds. I expected some possible problems with the SSD but not the regular one.

    IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers is a Intel ICH7-M 27C4 - I have the latest driver 9.1.1.1016.


    Any thoughts ?


Comments

  • #2
    hearny
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 953 ✭✭✭hearny


    Is the BIOS up to date on the laptop maybe the older bios didn't support larger capacity hard drives.

    What OS is currently installed on the hard drive, when you put the new drive in see if you can change the SATA mode to AHCI

    Another thing is the version of Win 7 32 or 64 bit.

    Have a look at this page:

    http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/t/19465402.aspx

    Try running the Upgrade Advisor (Link below is direct download):
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=20


  • #3
    bridster007
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 417 ✭✭bridster007


    Thanks Hearny

    Yes, BIOS up to date.
    Win 7 32 bit - have been using it for 2 yrs no problem on the original drive.
    There is no option within Bios to change sata mode.
    AFAIK should only need to do so for the SSD.

    Need to look into the Dell Media Direct issue a bit further but thought that would only be an issue when cloning.


  • #4
    bridster007
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 417 ✭✭bridster007


    Eventually found the problem.

    The new HDD was taken from a Lenovo laptop and had a HDD password on it.
    When I put it into the Dell it seems the encryption system is different to Lenovo and Dell was not properly recognising the HDD password. Hence it couldn't access it.

    So I put it back into the Lenovo, removed the password and it works straightaway in the Dell.


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