Here is my problem: I have an IBM ThinkPad X41 (model type # 2525E2A whose non-functioning (presumably dead) HITACHI HTC46060G9AT00 IDE PATA 60 GB HDD has been replaced with a brand new, never used KingSpec SSD 1.8” PATA 128GB drive. This KingSpec has the same proprietary connector and size used by the ThinkPad’s dead HDD.

However, when I used an external DVD drive to load and install my Win XP Professional Setup disk to the new SSD, the Setup program eventually told me that “Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer. Make sure any hard disk drives are powered on and properly connected to your computer, and that any disk related hardware configuration is correct. This may involve running a manufacturer-supplied diagnostic or setup program. Setup cannot continue. To quit Setup, press F3”.

I can run a Live Puppy 5.2.8 (Lucid 528) from the external DVD and I am wondering if Puppy has the ability to format and partition the new SDD so that my Win XP Setup disk can then proceed to install the Win XP OS on the SSD.

Can someone tell me if the Live Puppy (which runs from within the RAM) can perform whatever needs to be done to the new SSD to make it useful?

If it is possible to do as I have just described, please detail the various steps that I need to follow to make it all happen – without making a mess of things on the new SSD.

Eagerly looking forward to your comments and suggestions.

Khun Phet
in Thailand

WIN XP is probably too old to recognize SSDs.
can puppy see the SSD? try to confirm.

Since the drive is PATA XP should be able to recognize it regardless if it is a SSD. I had built a a couple of computers a few years ago using SSDs and XP and it worked great for its intended purpose. Make sure the BIOS is configured correctly.

1 members found this post helpful.

For Michaelk: Thanks for the positive news! And just how should the BIOS be correctly configured?

By making sure it is enabled in the BIOS.

Thinkpads have restrictions in the standard BIOS that stops none authorised devices from working. You need to get the unofficial BIOS that bypasses those restrictions.

Dear Friends,

I have some interesting news from some of my explorations that I wish to share with you. I placed the new SSD in the IBM ThinkPad and with a Live Puppy 5.2.8, I was rewarded with 2 icons on the bottom left corner of my monitor: sda1 + sr0.

Clicking on sr0, I got:
Description: HL-DT-STDVDRAM GP65NB60 Size: 132MB

details were apparently located at /mnt/sr0

Clicking on sda1, I got the following info:
Description: Filesystem: ntfs Size: 118.2GB

details of the only file/folder shown:
System Volume Information:
MountPointManagerRemoteDatabase (which is an empty file)

In a terminal window, I tried:
sh-4.1# fdisk -v and it showed fdisk (util-linux 2.13-pre7)
sh-4.1# fdisk -s but it showed nothing !!!!

Poking around on the Puppy desktop, I clicked on Menu>System>Pdisk Partition Manager which told me Puppy knows about the SSD located at /dev/sda/|drive|ATA KingSpec KSD-PAI and that the following partitions are/is currently mounted:
shmfs /dev/sr0, /dev/sda1 and that I can view these but NOT change them.

To continue this program, click a drive button. [[Options are: sda, EXIT ]]. I chose sda and fdisk reported that the number of cylinders for this disk is set to 15435.

From the Puppy desktop:
Menu>Utility>PupControlpanel>Settings>System Information>Devices>HDD provided thhe details that Puppy knows about my new SSD. The details are provided in the two attachments, I have included.

All of which is most interesting and seems to indicate that the new SSD is alive and well in the IBM ThinkPad. I have not attempted to install anything on the new SSD yet. There is no OS on the new SSD yet.

Once you have checked the two attachments, can you confirm to me that there IS NO NEED to Initialize, format or partition the new SSD?

Eagerly awaiting your comments and guidance. Please let me know if both attachments are readable. I got Puppy to do screenshots of the details.

Peter
in Thailand

Attached Thumbnails

 

Attached Files

SSD information.pdf (38.3 KB, 15 views)

There is no need to Format them again.