Thinkpads Forum

Hi,

I recently upgraded my T61... Did the Middleton BIOS flash which worked, new RAM and CPU (T9500). The OS (lubuntu) was running fine after that, but then i put in a brand new Crucial MX500 SSD in, and the same OS. Now it takes around 5mins to boot. It basically shows a flashing underscore on a black screen for 5mins, then a dark blue Ç then it goes into the user login. When into the desktop it offers to report system problem.

This can only be the SSD - is there something i needed to do to the BIOS? AHCI is set to compatibility mode.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Do you have any other SSDs to check? I've been running more than 50 T61/ps with SSD, never an issue.

EDIT: never used sucha top-tier SSD on the other hand, as SATA-2 limits the performance anyway.

I used on my T61s and T60 the following: Samsung pro 840, pro 860, Evo 860 and crucial BX500.
The only issue I had it's with the crucial BX500 but in the way that it didn't improve the speed of the system, albeit I'm pretty sure it's because it's an XP machine, not WIn7

I'll aim at either controller or memory die size. I am running SSDs in my Z60 and Z61 units and the speed vs HDD is tremendous.

wujstefan wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:01 am

I'll aim at either controller or memory die size. I am running SSDs in my Z60 and Z61 units and the speed vs HDD is tremendous.

The memory controller on the z60 wasn't The same as the T60?
Plus I have 4 gigs installed so 2 gigs per stick, seen as 3 gigs of course since I run win XP32 bit.
All my other systems with SSD s have seen major speed improvements no matter if it was win 7 in 32 bit, so just 3 gigs available or win 7 with 64 bits, so 4 gigs and more. That's why I concluded its the fault of the old win XP operating system which wasn't built with SSDs in mind.

To the OP, was it a clean Install on the ssd or cloning?
Also, did you install all the drivers?

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:31 am

The memory controller on the z60 wasn't The same as the T60?

Nope, these are completely different machines, chipsets, technologies! However, I rather had SSD memory controller in my mind

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:31 am

Plus I have 4 gigs installed so 2 gigs per stick, seen as 3 gigs of course since I run win XP32 bit.

T60 chipset can eat 3Gb of RAM max. It does not matter whether X86 or X64. You can plug 2x2Gb but only 3 gigs would be useful. 4gig modules are not accepted by T60 afair.

Note that X300 - a XP-built machine - had a stock SSD main drive. Defrag should be disabled in XP, and a TRIM / ssd optimalization tools should be used to get the best of it. Try Crucial SSD Toolbox software, disable paging, defrag, indexing, prefetch. Try to set partitions under W7 and install XP on them. XP has some troubles alligning partitions from what I've heard - never had this particular problem though!

I have that same 500GB Crucial CT500MX5 in my T440p.
It is used purely for storage in an Ultrabay adapter in the CD-bay.
Running W7Pro/SP1 64-bit from a 256GB Silicon Power A55 SSD in the main bay, boots in about 20 seconds (never timed it).

TinkerMan wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:32 am

To the OP, was it a clean Install on the ssd or cloning?
Also, did you install all the drivers?

Yes it was a brand new SSD, nothing on it.

The install was pretty painless, then when i logged into the OS the first time there were loads of software updates.... which i installed. But nothing specific for the SSD. Online there is some firmware, but I assumed that these things should be plug and play.

I am in the process of putting a more complete OS on it.

The stuff that appears on screen is a bit worrying, it's like an old TV freaking out.

I've got Crucial BX SSD drives in my Z61p (same as T60p more or less) and X61 machines, and they perform brilliantly. From memory I think I put a 500GB model in the Z61p.

I would change the BIOS SATA settings back to AHCI and reinstall the OS.

Just an update, it must have been something to do with the OS. Did a clean install with slackware and it seems to boot up fine. Once into the OS it's really fast.

That's more normal. A properly installed SSD on these machines will give you a significant speedboost and will do most in speeding up the computing experience. Sometimes an OS reinstall is required to reset things.

As RBS said I would switch the BIOS SATA setting to AHCI mode and reinstall the OS.

okedoke wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:12 am

Just an update, it must have been something to do with the OS. Did a clean install with slackware and it seems to boot up fine. Once into the OS it's really fast.

There you go - it was just a matter of installing a proper OS, and not some junk from Seattle!

Poster said XP, This OS does not have trim support and no XP partition support for aligning on 4K sectors. You have to manually fix this during partitioning the storage. Instructions to do this is on website searches.
Currently last models to have tool for trim utlity is Crucial M550, Samsung 850 as well. Intel also have tool for their intel ssd but not all, older ones is supported.

Aligned to 4K block will speed up the boot, programs execution time shorter as well.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection