Problem with booting from new SSD

[RyanGiggs11]

Hi everyone,

I bought a new rig which comprises of the following:

Intel I3 4160
Gigabyte Z87H-D3H
Crucial 8Gb memory
OCZ 120gb SSD
WD 1TB Hdd

OS is Windows 7 which is installed onto the SSD.

Everything is working fine but I had 2 old Sata hdd from my old computer which I will like to add into the system.

I install into the system and since then the system has been trying to boot up windows Xp on my old hdd instead of the new SSD. My boot priority is the SSD and my old hdd is in the fifth/sixth priority.

When I disabled all 3 hdd including the new WD hdd in BIOS, the SSD can boot up on its own with no issues. The computer shows one SSD hdd which is correct.

If I disabled the 2 old hdd in BIOS, the computer can load up fine showing the SSD and also the new WD HDD.

The only problem is if I enable all my 4 hdd together.

Any ideas???

 

[Rock-kun]

Try disabling CSM.

 

[RyanGiggs11]

I go under BIOS and choose the OS as windows 8 so that I can disable CSM?

Now the default option is "always" and I can't change it unless I change the OS as windows 8 instead of the current "other OS".

 

[Rock-kun]

I go under BIOS and choose the OS as windows 8 so that I can disable CSM?

Now the default option is "always" and I can't change it unless I change the OS as windows 8 instead of the current "other OS".

...Can you boot into Windows 7 and show me your partition layout in Disk Management. I want to confirm something before you disable CSM.

 

[RyanGiggs11]

If I want to boot into windows 7 then I will have to disable the 2 old hdd in bios.

Thus I will only see the new SSD and the new WD hdd.

 

[Rock-kun]

I know. I want to see your Win 7 partition layout.

 

[RyanGiggs11]

Pardon the quality. Took using iPad.

 

[Koenig168]

You can leave the HDD (with XP) enabled in BIOS but exclude it from the boot priority list.

 

[RyanGiggs11]

You can leave the HDD (with XP) enabled in BIOS but exclude it from the boot priority list.

I can't seems to exclude it. I can only set the priority.

 

[Rock-kun]

is that a 300MB EFI system partition?

 

[Koenig168]

I can't seems to exclude it. I can only set the priority.

Alternatively, you can use an external dock or your old computer to transfer the data on this HDD to another HDD and then format the former, removing the Windows XP installation.

 

[RyanGiggs11]

is that a 300MB EFI system partition?

It's a 100mb EFI system partition.

 

[Koenig168]

is that a 300MB EFI system partition?

nope. Standard 100MB partition

 

[jtjt00]

TS, when you setup OS in SSD, any other hard disk connected?

 

[Rock-kun]

You can try disabling CSM and Windows 7 should now boot up by default. But i won't be responsible for any potential corruption to the OS (if any).

 

[RyanGiggs11]

I bought the rig from SLS shop. They assembled for me.

I disabled the 3 Sata hdd in bios and enable only the SSD. Able to boot up fine. Thus I guess the people at the shop install the boot up files on the SSD and not the WD hdd?

 

[commach]

I go under BIOS and choose the OS as windows 8 so that I can disable CSM?

Now the default option is "always" and I can't change it unless I change the OS as windows 8 instead of the current "other OS".

First and foremost, you are not using Win8 or 8.1 thus you shouldn't be bother about CSM set to Enable.

CSM is required for booting legacy O/S (older than Win8) on motherboard with UEFI. In your case here, CSM should be Enable. But having CSM Enabled, you can boot from Win7 or the WinXP thus the problem lies with other factor not related to CSM.

If I want to boot into windows 7 then I will have to disable the 2 old hdd in bios.

Thus I will only see the new SSD and the new WD hdd.

Connect the SATA data cable of the SSD with Win7 to SATA0 and the HDD with WinXP to other vacant SATA connector on the motherboard.

 

[Rock-kun]

First and foremost, you are not using Win8 or 8.1 thus you shouldn't be bother about CSM set to Enable.

CSM is required for booting legacy O/S (older than Win8) on motherboard with UEFI. In your case here, CSM should be Enable. But having CSM Enabled, you can boot from Win7 or the WinXP thus the problem lies with other factor not related to CSM.

Wrong. CSM is BIOS legacy mode. It emulates a BIOS over UEFI that older operating systems that do not support EFI boot (like Windows XP) can use. An operating system installed under CSM mode will not create an EFI system boot partition.

Windows 7 fully supports EFI boot, and it is clearly what was done for that Win 7 installation on the SSD. Enabling CSM is now causing his old Windows XP installation to take precedence because the EFI installation of Windows 7 does not work on CSM. The fact that Gigabyte calls its EFI boot 'Windows 8' is a huge mistake and totally inappropriate.

I do not know if Gigabyte's 'Windows 8' boot is configured to look only for a Windows 8 bootloader, but I am certain that it determines whether CSM boot is used. Currently he states that CSM is set to 'ALWAYS', which means that Windows XP will always take precedence regardless of the boot priority because it's the only OS on his computer that requires it.

Source: my own experience with EFI boot on Linux and Windows

 

[commach]

Wrong. CSM is BIOS legacy mode. It emulates a BIOS over UEFI that older operating systems that do not support EFI boot (like Windows XP) can use. An operating system installed under CSM mode will not create an EFI system boot partition.

Windows 7 fully supports EFI boot, and it is clearly what was done for that Win 7 installation on the SSD. Enabling CSM is now causing his old Windows XP installation to take precedence because the EFI installation of Windows 7 does not work on CSM. The fact that Gigabyte calls its EFI boot 'Windows 8' is a huge mistake and totally inappropriate.

Win7 and WinXP are classified as "Legacy O/S" under UEFI, thus TS need the CSM to be Enable which is exactly why he/she can boot from the SSD with Win7 and HDD with WinXP.

So having CSM Enabled or Disabled is not an option for TS or rather not a concern in this case.

The solution to TS's problem lies with the physical connection of the SATA data cable to SATA0 regardless of whatever Gigabyte called it.

Mistake or not by Gigabyte no longer any concern for TS as long as he/she can boot the SSD with Win7 as default 1st boot device, no?

 

[RyanGiggs11]

First and foremost, you are not using Win8 or 8.1 thus you shouldn't be bother about CSM set to Enable.

CSM is required for booting legacy O/S (older than Win8) on motherboard with UEFI. In your case here, CSM should be Enable. But having CSM Enabled, you can boot from Win7 or the WinXP thus the problem lies with other factor not related to CSM.



Connect the SATA data cable of the SSD with Win7 to SATA0 and the HDD with WinXP to other vacant SATA connector on the motherboard.

My SSD is already at sata0 and my WD is at Sata 1. My old hdd are at Sata 4/5.

These are some of the steps I have done.

Disabled my 2 old hdd and I set the boot up priority to windows boot manager first and SSD as second. The others option I put as disabled. Boot up no problem.

Disabled my 2 old hdd and I set the boot up priority to SSD first and the other options as disabled. Error message "reboot and select proper boot device"

Enabled my 2 old hdd and the boot up priority as windows boot manager first and SSD as second. Error message same as scenario 2.

Enabled my 2 old hdd and the boot up priority as SSD first and the other options as disabled. Same error message again.

Urgh. Any help?