Listen Up "Same" problem with 2x laptops fitted with SSDs

jeallen01

jeallen01

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I would not have thought this could happen - given the hardware/software differences - but it did:

The main Samsung NP355V5C (AMD A8 & Win 7 Ultimate) laptop was fitted with a 500Gb Samsung Evo 850 SSD before Xmas and spent all the first 3 weeks like that on the desk in the office - but then I took it to an event where I was giving a presentation, and it got to the desktop and then "hung". Had to (with the aid of someone else's nail file!) remove the cover over the disk and reseat the SSD - and then it worked fine, although I firmly "wedged" the disk in place (because there were no fixing points - even for the old HDD!) when I got home (and no similar trouble since then).

My little ASUS 1225B (AMD E70 & Win 7 HP) netbook was fitted with a 240Gb Sandisk "SSD Plus" in Jan this year, and that SSD was screwed into the old HDD frame which, in turn, was screwed on to the m/b. That's been moved about a lot and never gave any real trouble until this morning - when it too got to the desktop and hung about 30 mins later. Had to take that one apart (far more tricky than the Samsung) and reseat the drive on the connector - and it too has worked fine since then!

Please do have a laugh at my "expense" - but has anyone else had similar experiences as I rarely (if ever) have with previous laptops & netbooks with HDDs?
 
At least the SSDs aren't goosed. Small mercies.
 
The SATA connection is certainly less forgiving than the IDE pin system, even that used by the 2.5" drives, but the clamping and screws in mass produced kit should make a secure arrangement. Are you sure the replacement ssd drives are of exactly the same dimensions as the earlier ones ?
 
Channel Hopper said:
The SATA connection is certainly less forgiving than the IDE pin system, even that used by the 2.5" drives, but the clamping and screws in mass produced kit should make a secure arrangement. Are you sure the replacement ssd drives are of exactly the same dimensions as the earlier ones ?
Click to expand...
Thanks - you have a point!
The SSDs are the same width/length, but not as "high", as the HDDs's - that was certainly the issue with the SSD in the Samsung because it meant that the SSD was not properly located until I "packed" it on top and at the "far" end, but not the SSD in the ASUS because it was screwed in place in the frame which had held the HDD which was also screwed in place.
 
Sata data and power connectors = Awful design, does not latch well enough considering how critical it is!
Internal USB 3 = Awful
Micro USB = Awful, Mini was better but apparently Micro is stronger, more reliable and has a higher insertion rate.
But my findings are Mini is/was better.
 
Double sided tape works wonders for loose hard drives.
 
Replaced a Micro USB today funny enough, took one off some random scrap board and made it fit on the Pi Zero.
It's the one on the left... Hate Micro USB, such a limited insertion rate in the real world.

Also had to replace SATA connections on Hard Drive/SSD PCB's, equally useless.
20180402_150002.webp
 
Well I decided to splash out on a Vaseki 240Gb SSD last week and I am being singularly unsuccessful in transferring over the OS from the original. I have done hundreds of Ghost image transfers and used other proprietary software previously, I am using Mini Tool partitioner as one now has to pay for Easus partition manager to migrate SSDs. Because my data partition (which obviously has the o/s on) is larger than the drive I have purchased, despite it saying it can accomodate the amount of data I am transferring it does not and fails, I am wondering if I have to reduce my original data partition to match the capacity of the new drive? Also the used parts of the partitions never match the transferred used parts, which makes me wonder just what is going on.


ssd.webp
 
Topper said:
Well I decided to splash out on a Vaseki 240Gb SSD last week and I am being singularly unsuccessful in transferring over the OS from the original. I have done hundreds of Ghost image transfers and used other proprietary software previously, I am using Mini Tool partitioner as one now has to pay for Easus partition manager to migrate SSDs. Because my data partition (which obviously has the o/s on) is larger than the drive I have purchased, despite it saying it can accomodate the amount of data I am transferring it does not and fails, I am wondering if I have to reduce my original data partition to match the capacity of the new drive? Also the used parts of the partitions never match the transferred used parts, which makes me wonder just what is going on.


View attachment 117155
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Ref partition sizes: I had the same problem with the transfers to an SSD to put into the ASUS. The original 320GB disk was partitioned (as I always do) into 3, i.e. Boot, Apps and Data but the SSD is only a nominal 240GB (but still plenty big enough).

I wanted to (roughly) partition the SSD into 100GB, 80GB & 80GB for the three partitions that I needed - but I could not do a successful straight cloning from the 320GB one. In the end I had to do a lot resizing of the partitions on the latter so that all the partitions on were smaller than those I wanted on the SSD, and with a total of <240GB (so I finished up with unallocated space at the end of the 320.).

I used mainly Acronis Disk Manager 11 (great version - no need to register it, and I've used it on probably a dozen or so partitioning jobs on various machines - inc 1 Windows 10 - over the years!) to gradually (took quite a few iterations and transfers of data to/from one partition to another!) reduce the partitions on the 320 down to where I could then clone them to the SSD. The SSD is a Sandisk and I did then actually manage to get the "recommended" WD-branded Acronis cloning s/w to work (although many people don't like and say that it does not work)
 
I tried a few different methods for shrinking the partition sizes and kept getting it wrong.

In the end I saved myself a lot of hassle and just reinstalled the os.

I wasted hours trying to get it to work with both my ssd’s
 
RustySpoons said:
Micro USB = Awful, Mini was better but apparently Micro is stronger, more reliable and has a higher insertion rate.
But my findings are Mini is/was better.
Click to expand...

The cynic in me says the push towards micro was probably driven by the mobile phone manufacturers, long term reliability isn't any use to them. IME Mini is a lot more reliable.
 
Terryl said:
Double sided tape works wonders for loose hard drives.
Click to expand...

Update - I was fixing a ctv system last week and found a spare Sandisk 480GB ssd drive in the stores to replace the chatering 1TB unit that had been overheating for years in the server rack.

Not that it was needed do for this project but the new packet contains a rectangular plastic spacer of around 1.5mm height, presumably to pack the drive into the original space and give the SATA connections an easier life.
 
Channel Hopper said:
Update - I was fixing a ctv system last week and found a spare Sandisk 480GB ssd drive in the stores to replace the chatering 1TB unit that had been overheating for years in the server rack.

Not that it was needed do for this project but the new packet contains a rectangular plastic spacer of around 1.5mm height, presumably to pack the drive into the original space and give the SATA connections an easier life.
Click to expand...
There was nothing like that in the pack with the Samsung disk that went into the Samsung laptop - finally, I stuck some foam tape on the compartment cover to stop it moving "vertically" and (IIRC) some "bluetack" sort of stuff between the free end and the case so that it can't move horizontally.
 
If you want I can post it out to you, seeing it will never be used. It is for the Sandisk ssd so if you can measure the Samsung height accurately beforehand.
 
Chris1979 said:
I tried a few different methods for shrinking the partition sizes and kept getting it wrong.

In the end I saved myself a lot of hassle and just reinstalled the os.

I wasted hours trying to get it to work with both my ssd’s
Click to expand...
Thinking along the lines myself which is why I have just done a partition copy and backup, I will get there in the end.
 
Channel Hopper said:
If you want I can post it out to you, seeing it will never be used. It is for the Sandisk ssd so if you can measure the Samsung height accurately beforehand.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the offer, but I don't think there is any need because the Samsung SSD is now firmly located in the Samsung laptop.
 
Makes me glad my laptop actually has a proper caddy to screw the SSD into before slotting it into the laptop, makes for a good solid fit for an SSD even if the thing lacks the stick-on spacer that it came with, not had any connectivity troubles since fitting it... :)
 
Please to say that a clean install worked fine, however I still need to lock stuff down and fix the ssd with sponge to stop it moving, boy it has given a new lease of life to this unsupported Sony laptop, no wonder they were flogging them off a bit cheaper when I bought this about four years ago, they knew they were shutting down their laptop operations.
 
SSDs are great for reviving older laptops, my Lenovo T410 is nice and speedy with a SanDisk 960GB SSD (one which Yodel "lost" a few years back, but delivered two weeks after the replacement!!) compared to my T61 with a WD Black HDD, granted the CPU & RAM are better in the T410, but using the T61 is like going from driving up a hill to walking instead... :lol:
 
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