Install cloned SSD, won't boot, black screen only

Question

I have a Lenovo Yoga 500 14IDB and want to install an SSD.

I have an Crucial M500 960GB which generally works (on another machine Lenovo X201).

I connected the SSD via an USB-case and cloned the original SSHD from Lenovo.

If I exchange the internal SSHD with the SSD and boot again the screen keeps black. It does not seem to boot. Also the (extremy small) Firmware key does not work in this case.

Can anybody give an advise what is going wrong or which SSD is compatible to the device?

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More details:

The Yoga 500 has a small pin to access the UEFI. Within the UEFI Secure boot is disabled, the setting to boot to Setup is choosen.

If the SSD is installed in the laptop, it won't boot. Keyboard lights up, but nothing more happens.

You can try to boot to UEFI pressing the pin. If the SSD is installed - nothing will happen after the keyboard lights up.

So it is not a problem with the cloned image so far. Even if all partitions on the ssd are deleted (using Acronis TrueImage 2017) the same problem occurs.

If some old hdd (not the original one) without OS is inserted, the laptop will boot to a no OS detected screen - this behaviour is expected iand I would also expect the behaviour if no OS is on SSD.

So the question is mostly a swarm intelligence question:

Does anybody know a compatible SSD for this laptop? Both Laptop and SSD have the latest firmmware - and the Lenovo helpdesk is of no use at all (only want to do support on supported SSHD). For this reason it is the last Lenovo device I will buy...

Solution 1

I have no personal experience with your laptop, but the following information might be useful.

The Crucial page Lenovo Yoga 500-14IBD compatible upgrades does not mention the Crucial M500 960GB. The only compatible Crucial SSD listed is Crucial MX300 2TB SATA 2.5" 7mm (with 9.5mm adapter) Internal SSD, but it is rather pricey : $549.99. The page does say: "These upgrades are guaranteed compatible when you order from Crucial.com".

The DriveSolutions.com page lists the following, although it weirdly calls the laptop model "IBM IdeaPad Yoga 500-14IBD" (so some suspicion is in order) :

Cloning might not be the safest solution for installing such a drive.

Solution 2

SOLUTION

When you switch AHCI mode to IDE mode in bios you'll be able to boot.**

Other problem may arise because windows boot loader may load AHCI and you may encounter ACCESSIBLE DEVICE error.

Comments

[Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007]

If you can hook it up, it should work, this sounds more like a Windows problem. Does the BIOS see it properly? How exactly did you clone it? Did you try running a Windows Repair against it? If you install the SSD into the notebook and install Windows from scratch, does it work OK?

[Offler]

The problem does not seem to be windows. As stated before: The screen keeps blank. The Firmware (Aka UEFI/BIOS key) does not do anything. (Lenovo has a small pin to access the Firmware - that one does not work if SSD is inserted)

[harrymc]

I think that your SSD is badly created. Try to make a boot USB stick and if with it the BIOS agrees to boot, you can then install Windows on the SSD.

[Thalys]

cloned it using what?

[Offler]

Acronis True Image

[harrymc]

The Crucial page Lenovo Yoga 500-14IBD compatible upgrades does not mention your M500 960GB. The only compatible Crucial SSD listed is Crucial MX300 2TB SATA 2.5" 7mm (with 9.5mm adapter) Internal SSD, but it is rather pricey : $549.99. The page says: "These upgrades are guaranteed compatible when you order from Crucial.com".

[Offler]

Have you done this with a Yoga 500? As stated before: UEFI/BIOS is not available if SSD is inserted into the device. Without SSD a "no boot device" message apperas. With SSD BIOS is not accessable. With SSHD or HDD BIOS is accessable. (I used ACronis to do a clone - as long as the ssd is extrenal (USB) everything seems to be ok, but as soon as i put it into the Yoga nothing seems to work - with an older X201 or with DEll or HP machines i did not have that kind of problem. It really seems that as soon as put the SSD in the device does not start)

[Offler]

That means: With inserted SSD i cannot boot from from CD to install windows. Therefore it looks like some incompatibility between Yoga and some SSD. If you look in the technical manual only a few SHDDs are listed, and funilly model dependend (some are only listed as spare part for teh IDB line, other for the isk - even if they have the same form factor and size...)

[Offler]

Hi, no BIOS possile. The Lenovo Boot Button is normaly working ( a very small pin) - but not if the SSD is inserted. In this case the whole thing stays blank. Maybe there is something like a UEFI partition which the notebook expects at a certain point? BTW: Laptop - only one device can be inserted, either HDD or SSD. It is not just unable to start - it is unable to access the bios at all.The small pin to access teh bios also starts the laptop normally...The hw manual only lists some SSHDs as compatible and others as not compatible - no word about ssd...

[Offler]

BTW2: the Yoga 500 idb hardware manual seems not to be the same as the Y500 manual...the Y500 is a Ideapad, not a Yoga.

[Offler]

IdeaPad is fine. It seems to be the same product line and on some of the Lenovo pages it is also called IdeaPad Yoga. Yoga is just the line with a 360 degrees turnable touchscreen display. can you tell what manifacturer is used on the drivesolutions page? Cloning with modern tools normally do the adjjustments of sectors and so on. The weird thing is that with the m500 the laptop does not even boot to UEFI.

[harrymc]

Impossible to tell the brand. You could get in touch with Sales assistance via the Email Contacts page

[Offler]

I bought a 1 TB MX300 now which works without problems. Thanks.

[DavidPostill]

Please don't leave answers stating that you have the same problem as the one described in the question. If you have sufficient reputation, you may upvote the question. Alternatively, "star" it as a favorite and you will be notified of any new answers.

[Virgile]

Hi, as stated, i just clarify the issue and then give a solution. what's wrong with that ?

[Ravindra Bawane]

It's awkwardly worded, @DavidPostill, but I think there is an answer in the last two paragraphs.

[DavidPostill]

@music2myear "There is method to solve this (need to run windows in safe mode with a procedure that i 've done one time since i found it on the web)" is a comment not an answer. If the answer is edited to include the "procedure" then it will be OK.

[Ravindra Bawane]

"Switch AHCI mode to IDE mode in bios you'll be able to boot" is an answer and "run windows in safe mode" is part of one.

[Virgile]

@music2myear : Thank you for reading AND understanding the procedure. Please add a +1 on my solution to help others.

[Virgile]

@DavidPostill : you still don't have read until end of my Post. PROCEDURE : When you switch AHCI mode to IDE mode in bios you'll be able to boot. The issue is a bug in lenovo BIOS when accessing SSD in AHCI mode.

[Ravindra Bawane]

@Virgile I won't +1 yet just because you asked. While this is an answer, it requires VERY careful reading to tell that it is. You can edit your answer to make it more clear what the solutions you are proposing are, and that would greatly improve it. Besides those two paragraphs at the end it really does look like you're asking another question.

[Virgile]

@music2myear : it is not for me to be rewarded. I don't care virtual reward. It's for the answer be the first to come up. Many +1, and the solution will rise at first position, the rest will be discarded.

[Virgile]

@music2myear As per your suggestion, i remove the description and give just the answer as for other things in life. Understanding the problem is far beyond many people capacities. And i'm bored to explain what every word of my was intended to... Just try to read and understand what's behind the word.*

[Offler]

"Switch AHCI mode to IDE mode in bios you'll be able to boot" is an answer -> does not work. Therefore it still stops before booting an OS.

[Schalk Keun]

this worked for me.. just saying