Adding an SSD Aspire Tc-1660

Goozer321

Hi - just got an Aspire Tc-1660 (2Tb HDD) and I want to replace, or at least add an existinG SSD (samsung 860 Evo - 1 TB). My previous dell developed a fault i couldn't fix whereby it blew its PSU and a replacement. It was over 5 years old anyhoo. Because of the eccentric nature of the PSU and mobo on the 1660, there's only one SATA power cable, so I plugged the SSD into that intending to format it and start fresh via installation, but windows doesn't recognise it and the drive screen in the setup is blank. I looked in the bios and it wasn't recognised. I used the windows troubleshoot secion to set up uefi and that worked in bios - the drive was named as a boot drive. However, windows set up still didn't recognise it. I disabled secure boot to no avail

I have ordered a second cable and will try to format the SSD within windows using the HDD - and then try to install windows on it and boot from it, using the HDD as storage.

Do you think this will work

[Edited the thread to add model name to the title]

Larryodie

Disconnect your original HD or do a clone then disconnect the original.

OR Create your windows from a USB flash drive.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-installation-media-for-windows-99a58364-8c02-206f-aa6f-40c3b507420d

Disconnection the original is a must until your SSD is confirmed as the boot drive.

Be sure that your Boot Enabled is enabled within BIOS before attempting a F12 boot to your USB flash drive

Goozer321

Hi Larryodi

Thanks for reaching out - I did disconnect the original - I only have one sata power cable, no choice.

I also di the create media installation thing too - that's what doesn't recognise the ssd

Thanks

Larryodie

Did your USB Flash drive complete the install to the new SSD ?

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11

Goozer321

No - it gets to the bit where you choose which drive to install on, but there's nothing there - blank.

I tried the shift-F10 diskpart/list drive thing and there's just the usb drive listed.

Thanks

Larryodie

Shift F10 won't work because the factory info is on your old HD.

I thought that the USB Create Windows would work but maybe others can tell you if you have to clone 1st using your 2nd cable.

Have you looked in the box as usually a 2nd sata cable is sent ?

Goozer321

No second cable, but I worked it out as I was able to dig out a ssd-usb cable i had in the shed

i also had to bu some software to emable cloning my HDD

I won't advertise it here, though it was flawless - if you google clone my hdd to ssd you will find it, or by all means contact me.

Thanks for your help Larryodie

Commodore_1995#

With the ssd connected, can you upload a picture of that tab?

Larryodie

I'm happy that you got it going.

Super that you had a USB adapter and found a cloner.

I still think that the Create Windows USB should have found it and formatted & installed but I live and learn ?