PhotoFast G-Monster 1.8 IDE SSD - won't boot - help!

[iThinkPad]

Hey guys

I just bought a PhotoFast G-Monster 1.8 IDE SSD for my X40 (2371-8EG).

Now this bad boy won't boot on it!
When I start the machine the boot screen appears - it checks the drive (green LED flashes) and then nothing.
When I press F12 I get the list of the boot devices - the G-Monster is NOT on it!
When I load the OS (XP Professional) from CD it writes on the drive (green LED flashes) the operation stops when Windows tries to load it self from the drive to begin the real install.

Do you have any suggestions? It seems to me like I can write on the drive but I can't read.
It isn't recognized as boot drive - why?

There is a lot of information out there in Japanese - can somebody help?

Thank you

[visionviper]

Check the BIOS and see where it is in the boot order.

[sjthinkpader]

I had quite a bit of trouble with my setup over this weekend too. Try one of these:

1. Old drive in a USB housing. Hitachi ATA drives (non ZIF) are 3.3V/5V compatible. New drive in the HDD slot. Cloning software in the Ultrabase X4 CD drive. Boot fromthe cloning software inthe CD drive.

2. New drive in the HDD slot. Win7 RC or WindowXP setup disc in the Ultrabase X4. Setup Windows from scratch.

3. Using a A31p, old drive in the right side Ultrabay (IDE channel 0 slave). New drive in an USB housing. Cloning software already installed and ran from the A31p HDD (IDE channel 0 master).

[iThinkPad]

it seems like I'm not the only one with that problem.

http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php ... 63566&p=10

幾天前買了 1.8" 44 pin 32GB 配合 IBM X40 來用
我能夠安裝win xp, 但安裝完成後重啟, 則說 operation system not found, 找不到硬碟了

如果外接於其他電腦, 它也是可以使用

但就是不能用來boot 機


請問如何解決 ?
謝謝 !

google translate:

A few days ago bought a 1.8 "44 pin 32GB to use with the IBM X40
I can install win xp, but restart after the installation is complete, said operation system not found, can not find the hard disk

If external to other computers, it is also can be used

But that can not be used to boot drive


I would like to ask how to solve?
Thanks!

[tim S]

Getting back to basics, I assume you formatted the drive and made it bootable?
Tim S

[sojourner]

I don't have a SSD yet but hope to soon , thus there is an interest in these posts. Having had some experience getting HDD's to boot in TP's I'd guess the MBR is not correctly written. To verify this you can set the SSD in a USB enclosure and verify it has data. If it has data (looks like a good Windows installation, WINDOWS dir exists etc.) then repair the MBR.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-62978

Lastly, a previous post mentioned the BIOS. I highly recommend setting BIOS to defaults, setup the SSD using defaults and only change it once your SSD is fully operational!

[iThinkPad]

Thank you for all the help so far!

IBM X40 2371-8EG

As far as I know, I have the newest BIOS and Embedded Controller Version available.


When I hit F12 on boot I get the boot devices list => there is no hard drive!


When I boot from CD (Acronis Disk Director) and try to access the hard drive I get this message!


When I boot from CD (Win XP Professional) I get as far as this => Setup is starting Windows


How can I format a drive I can't really access?

When I go back to my CF Transcend 300x 16GB everything is fine.

[sjthinkpader]

Try cloning with two USB housing or 1 UBS+ 1 Ultrabay tray in your T61.

[tim S]

You should get a USB floppy. Download a Super fdisk boot disk (from Google).
Start the laptop with the floppy in the drive then you'll be able to format etc.
Tim S

[sojourner]

When I load the OS (XP Professional) from CD it writes on the drive (green LED flashes) the operation stops when Windows tries to load it self from the drive to begin the real install.

Saw your pic of "setup is starting windows" too, but tell us, is ANY readable data written to the SSD? You said the LED flashes like it's writing to the drive, but is it?

What we need to get to is this; is there a problem with the SSD (defective) OR is there a problem with the SSD being recognized by the TP!

If there is readable data on it we can figure the SSd is likely good. If there is NO readable data, if you tried formatting and writting data to it via a USB enclosure and there is still no data, you may have a bad SDD!

[CKae]

http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php ... 63566&p=10

I was reading this post and somebody mentioned that you have to keep the jumper next to the IDE plug (master/slave thingy I assumed), otherwise the computer won't detect the drive. I don't have the drive, so you need figure out which two pins to insert the jumper (read the manual?).

And one more thing, make sure you update your bios to the newest one.

I'm very interested in this SSD actually, and from the photofast website, there's a V3 (version 3) coming out soon! So tell us about the performance of this bad boy when it turns good!

[iThinkPad]

http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php ... 63566&p=10

I was reading this post and somebody mentioned that you have to keep the jumper next to the IDE plug (master/slave thingy I assumed), otherwise the computer won't detect the drive. I don't have the drive, so you need figure out which two pins to insert the jumper (read the manual?).

And one more thing, make sure you update your bios to the newest one.

I'm very interested in this SSD actually, and from the photofast website, there's a V3 (version 3) coming out soon! So tell us about the performance of this bad boy when it turns good!

The jumper is fine, I think. That was the first thing I checked. Trust me, I tried every f***ing position!
I would love to have a manual but I didn't get one with the drive and couldn't find one online.
I do have the newest BIOS version installed for my IBM X40.

[iThinkPad]

Saw your pic of "setup is starting windows" too, but tell us, is ANY readable data written to the SSD? You said the LED flashes like it's writing to the drive, but is it?

What we need to get to is this; is there a problem with the SSD (defective) OR is there a problem with the SSD being recognized by the TP!

If there is readable data on it we can figure the SSd is likely good. If there is NO readable data, if you tried formatting and writting data to it via a USB enclosure and there is still no data, you may have a bad SDD!

Good point. I have to check on this.

[iThinkPad]

I have a question about this USB enclosure.

The SSD seems to use 3.3V, the standard drive from IBM uses 3.3V/5V.
What is provided by a normal 2.5 IDE USB enclosure 3.3V or 5V or is both of it supported?

I have the feeling the SSD is fine but my X40 is too old to support the drive.

[CKae]

I have the feeling the SSD is fine but my X40 is too old to support the drive.

I doubt that. Actually it's designed for x40/x41 if I remember correctly. It's being called "the viagra of x40" at the mobile01.com post.

Look at the pics at this Japanese webpage, you can see that the ssd should be detected and can be seen in bios. Maybe there's something wrong with the drive?

[sjthinkpader]

I have a question about this USB enclosure.

The SSD seems to use 3.3V, the standard drive from IBM uses 3.3V/5V.
What is provided by a normal 2.5 IDE USB enclosure 3.3V or 5V or is both of it supported?
...

USB housings are 5V. You have to check with the seller but most of these 44 pinned devices are dual 3.3V/5V operation since they can be plugged into any 44 pin slots.

Normally you want the old drive in a USB housing, the new drive in the HDD slot; then boot from the USB device (old drive) or a Windows install disc in the Ultrabase.

[CKae]

I found the pic on the net.



It's the same drive as your. The jumper position shown is different from yours. Maybe you try this position once again?

Edit: One more pic.

[iThinkPad]

I doubt that. Actually it's designed for x40/x41 if I remember correctly. It's being called "the viagra of x40" at the mobile01.com post.

Look at the pics at this Japanese webpage, you can see that the ssd should be detected and can be seen in bios. Maybe there's something wrong with the drive?

It's being called "the viagra of x40" => nice one...!

I changed the jumper position. Now it takes even longer to get into the BIOS.
My SSD isn't detected by the BIOS!



Maybe there's really something wrong with this drive!?

Thank you!

[sjthinkpader]

Does it recognize the SSD when you remove the Ultrabase (CDRW/DVD Combo)?

[iThinkPad]

Does it recognize the SSD when you remove the Ultrabase (CDRW/DVD Combo)?

eh - no!

[sjthinkpader]

Stupid question, did you put the screws in the side before inserting the SSD; i.e. the two rows of pins are in the right place?

[iThinkPad]

Stupid question, did you put the screws in the side before inserting the SSD; i.e. the two rows of pins are in the right place?

That's a good question actually, because you can't really see where to put the drive exactly.
I checked it, still no luck!

I put up some pic's tomorrow.

[sjthinkpader]

Well, time to check the SSD functionality, put it in an USB housing and see if it can be recognized.

[crispinb]

Did you get anywhere? My X40 could probably do with some viagra.

[ithinkthereforeipad]

hope not to violate this forum's etiquette on my first posting, given this thread is slightly dated...:

I had two attempts at making my X41 and Photofast SSD live happily together ever after:

- the first was with the PhotoFast G-Monster 1.8 IDE SSD vII - trouble big time: super fast boot, crash, random behaviour; returned the SSD to the dealer; waited.

- the second attempt was with the PhotoFast G-Monster 1.8 IDE SSD v4 - smooth, no trouble, regular firmware updates may have even made it slightly better over time; has been in operation for about a year ( ? ) or so it seems; gives the notorious "error 2010" with concurrent boot delay (thanks IBM for that stupid stupid coding); then it's off to the racecourse: bottleneck apparently is the controller or whatever: the SSD gives top-speed (read: instant access). Good investment, especially given that my X41 SSD was defective according to PC doctor / system toolbox.

Hope this might help.

tp.

[RealBlackStuff]

There is finally a new BIOS available that stops the Error 2010 in T43/R52/X41.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=92115

[ithinkthereforeipad]

Thank you for sharing that info, RealBlackStuff !

I'll try to check it out (as thoroughly as I can) soonishly.

I was hoping for an official hack / fw-update from PhotoFast which would bypass the error.
Or from Lenovo (alas!) / IBM ...

The error 2010 means a delay of, say, 15 seconds.

But what if sth goes awry in the unoffical BIOS update, rendering my X41 unusable? To me this would mean an estimated loss of 500 - 1500 (or more) EUR for replacement costs (new or refurbished), not including my time (time expenditure would be huge, even if minimized through a SSD / HDD backup)...

It just seems the stakes are really high: small gain (if but much desired) vs a potentially huge loss.

A bit scary, no?

What I hope to do is to trace what "TTAV134" did step by step and possibly try to replicate it (so as to make sure I understand where and what he modified from the original file(s), and how).

I downloaded the zip file anyway, just to be sure I have it; but whether I'll actually let it loose some day I don't know, yet.

What do you think?

Thanks again,

tp.

[RealBlackStuff]

Your estimate of the X41 value is highly exaggerated. You can get them from around $125.- upwards.
Apart from that, I have applied that same hack already to three R52 and one T43 machines.
No problems AND no more Error 2010.