Upgrading Dell Laptop to SSD, won't boot.

[leeboy4130]

I have a Dell Studio 1555 laptop that I bought a new Crucial BX500 SSD for but I cannot get the computer to boot from USB, which has windows 10 install tool on it. I have tried unplugging, removing battery and MB battery and change boot order in bios. I removed the old HDD, installed the new blank SSD and the USB flash drive containing Windows 10. Upon startup up I get to the dell BIOS screen but the load bar freezes about 2/3rds of the way and F2 nor F12 do anything. If I hit escape it takes me to a sort of review screen but then I can't go anywhere from there. At that point I have to hit the power button to shut down. If I plug the original HDD back in the computer starts up no problems. I can only enter BIOS if the original HDD is installed and hit F2/F12 on startup.

 

Any ideas? Do I need to update my BIOS to work with the SSD or boot from USB?

 

 

[Ben Mills]

Have you used the windows usb tool before trying to use the ssd?

Meaning that software is for another device then you select a usb drive... you boot to the usb on your new computer the select to install windows onto that ssd! you don't put the tool on the ssd

[homeap5]

Do you have access to any desktop or laptop is your only computer?

[flibberdipper]

I'd probably start with downloading the Windows 10 ISO (assuming you didn't and instead just used the media creation tool to create the flash drive directly) and then use Rufus and make the flash drive and have it set to UEFI (so it looks like this).

[Zmax]

Dell may have restriction in the bios, so that you can only install with a Dell restore disk or from the windows factory reset.

 

I have found this that may help. Windows restore tool from Dell

 

https://www.dell.com/support/contents/ca/en/cabsdt1/article/product-support/self-support-knowledgebase/software-and-downloads/dell-backup-solutions/media-backup

 

Install the new drive and use the Dell tool. I am not sure if this will work. Good luck

[homeap5]

Well, at this point we should wait for ANY answer from OP.

[leeboy4130]

19 minutes ago, Ben Mills said:

Have you used the windows usb tool before trying to use the ssd?

Meaning that software is for another device then you select a usb drive... you boot to the usb on your new computer the select to install windows onto that ssd! you don't put the tool on the ssd

SSD is blank, Used windows media tool on 8GB USB flash drive

[leeboy4130]

19 minutes ago, homeap5 said:

Do you have access to any desktop or laptop is your only computer?

I have access to other computers.

[leeboy4130]

14 minutes ago, Zmax said:

Dell may have restriction in the bios, so that you can only install with a restore disk or from the windows factory reset.

 

I have found this that may help. Windows restore tool from Dell

 

https://www.dell.com/support/contents/ca/en/cabsdt1/article/product-support/self-support-knowledgebase/software-and-downloads/dell-backup-solutions/media-backup

 

 

 

This seems likely.... however using the Dell OS Recovery Tool it says "Recovery image currently unavailable" for my service tag. I may have to create a restore disc from the original HDD. Just wanted a clean install of windows 10 and then bring my small amount of files over. This was originally a Windows 7 laptop, fyi.

[leeboy4130]

34 minutes ago, flibberdipper said:

I'd probably start with downloading the Windows 10 ISO (assuming you didn't and instead just used the media creation tool to create the flash drive directly) and then use Rufus and make the flash drive and have it set to UEFI (so it looks like this).

Thanks for the input, will try this.

[homeap5]

22 minutes ago, leeboy4130 said:

I have access to other computers.

So you can:

1. Install Macrium Reflect on other computer system, connect your laptop HDD as second drive, made image if your system, connect laptop SSD as second drive and restore that image.

or

2. Install Windows using other computer and move SSD to laptop after installation.

[leeboy4130]

So I put the original (working, Windows 10) HDD in the laptop and also put in the bootable USB drive to see what would happen. See image for what came up. The USB was setup from the Rufus program using an ISO from Windows. I hit the power button to turn off laptop, pulled out the USB, and started it back up fine.

 

 

[leeboy4130]

I created an image of original Dell HDD on my main PC. I unplugged Dell HDD and plugged in the new SSD (sata). It is not showing up in the disk manager or device manager. Any suggestions ?

[Zmax]

You  could try to plug the SSD drive using and adapter to a USB port. then try to copy the HDD to it.

 

If  the SSD is seen try installing Windows 10 to it, while keeping the HDD connected.

 

I hope you find a solution.

[leeboy4130]

Ok so I ended up sending back the SSD and getting a replacement through Amazon. It must have been a dud. Using my other computer, I made a system image of the old laptop HDD with Macrium and then put this image on the new replacement SSD. Installed the SSD it into the Dell laptop and everything worked great. Laptop is much faster now. Thank you all for the help.