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Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 12:00 pm
by downdog89
When I place a new SATA NTFS formatted hard drive and boot off of my Windows 7 32-bit disc it cannot see my drive. My computer had Vista on the previous hard drive. What am I missing so I can install Windows 7 on the new hard drive?
Thank you for looking.
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 12:28 pm
by Harryc
Is the drive seen in BIOS in the startup section?
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 12:45 pm
by downdog89
Thank you moderator.
It does not show up on the BIOS.
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 12:48 pm
by Harryc
Have you installed the drive in a silver caddy with (4) screws and the rubber rails? Have you installed it (label up) in the Drive bay?
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 72166.html
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 72157.html
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 1:05 pm
by downdog89
Yes, I have.
I just updated the BIOS to 1.30 and it still does not show up on the BIOS.
When I hook up the hard drive to a USB hard drive device it is recognized.
Thank you.
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:44 pm
by Harryc
What's the manufacturer and model number of the hard drive?
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:47 pm
by ZaZ
Does the old drive still work?
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:52 pm
by downdog89
The new hard drive is a Seagate 320GB Momentus 5400.6
Yes, the old one still works.
Thank you.
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:55 pm
by ZaZ
If you've got another PC or notebook, you could test the drive in there.
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:58 pm
by downdog89
I've hooked up externally to another PC and formatted the drive to NTFS. The status of the drive was healthy in the Disk Management utility.
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 3:20 pm
by Harryc
Long shot here, but when you hook up the drive to another machine, try going into disk management and initialize the drive. Now try it in the Thinkpad.
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 5:10 pm
by downdog89
It was worth mentioning but it didn't help.
Thanks.
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 5:17 pm
by Harryc
Code: Select all
With the 5400.6 installed internally on SATA, if you boot from SeaTools for DOS CD does it see the 5400.6? If so, it's not a bad idea to run the SeaTools tests on your new drive.
If SeaTools does NOT see your new drive, then you might try:
Change the BIOS settings SATA mode from "compatible" to "AHCI";
Jumper the 5400.6 to force 1.5 Gb/s.
Reference -
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/T61-and-pri ... d-p/121478
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 5:24 pm
by Thinkpad Lover
Try this- not sure if the BIOS settings are the same on an SL400 as my X60 but:
Hit F1 on startup to get into BIOS, choose CONFIG, Serial ATA and make sure it is set to "Compatibility" not "AHCI" mode.
Daniel.
Re: Installing Windows 7 on a SL400
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 9:57 pm
by downdog89
The SATA config setting was in AHCI mode but when I changed it to Compatibility mode the drive was still not seen.
I'll run the Seatools and let you know what happens.
I am also going to try to find another laptop to install the hard onto.
Is there a mass storage controller available for this laptop. I know I've had to do that on another laptop but I didn't see that option on the driver page.