240GB 530 series SSD Visible in BIOS but Not in Windows

[GUnde]

I've installed a 240GB 530 series SSD in my Dell XPS 8700. My system is two weeks old running Windows 8 with a 1TB HDD with 56GB of data on the drive. I followed the instructions by installing the SSD, hooking up the power and SATA cables, and powering the system up. The instructions state that there should be a message about the new drive after starting up. There was no message. I then downloaded the migration tool. When I try to install the migration software an error message states that I need to have an Intel drive installed. I've looked in BIOS and the SSD is there as SATA 2, which is where it is plugged in. I have tried two different SATA cables and both show the SSD in BIOS. However, I cannot see the drive in Disk management or anywhere else for that matter. Only my HDD with it's various partitions shows up. I chatted with Intel support and they had me use the Diskpart command followed by List disk to try to format the SSD. However the SSD was not on the listed disks, only the HDD. Support wanted me to install the SSD in another computer. With the SSD showing up in BIOS, I don't think it's a power or SATA cable issue. Any thoughts on solving this problem? Is there a BIOS setting or something else that needs changing? Thanks.

George

[DLew]

Very weird situation indeed. Maybe enabling AHCI in your BIOS will help Windows environment recognize. Mess around with that.

[Jose_H_Intel1]

It is possible that your system has different storage/SATA controllers. You may want to review its documentation and test the Intel® SSD in different controllers or ports; usually Intel® controllers are the best option for compatibility. You may also update your BIOS and drivers.

Does it make a difference if you do a cold boot or just restart?

[GUnde]

Thank you Davey and Joe for you recommendations. I'm no computer expert by any stretch, but I finally gave up on the cloning route and did a clean install of Windows 8 on the SSD. It seems to be working fine as far as I can tell. I also installed the Intel SSD toolbox and everything looks good there. I'm still working on making sure I have all the correct drivers installed according to Dell. Windows 8 was originally installed on the HDD when I received it, so I'm not sure I have to install them all again.

Joe_Intel

I checked the BIOS setting and the SATA mode was (and is) in AHCI mode during the original attempt to install the SSD. As far as I can ascertain in the device manager under IDE ATP/ATAPI controllers it shows Standard SATA AHCI Controller. The properties of the controller only show Microsoft as providing the driver. No manufacturer is specified. The storage controller is listed as Microsoft Storage Spaces Controller. Should I install an Intel SATA contoller?

I did both a cold boot and restart originally with no effect on seeing the drive in Windows. I chatted with Intel SSD support, but it wasn't much help. He recommended installing the SSD in a different machine, which I didn't really want to do. The Intel videos make it seem like a virtual plug and play to install an SSD. I guess there are always problems, but my Dell is brand new running up to date software.

Thanks again for the help.

George

[AMart59]

I also have a problem with my new Series 530 SSD. I'm designing a new embedded computer system which has the latest Gen 4 Intel i7 and have been using the Series 335 SSD. The Series 335 SSD works flawlessly, so I know that my SATA port and cables are all working. When I install the new Series 530 SSD into my system, the drive can be seen in the BIOS which I have set to AHCI. When I exit the BIOS, this drive is not recognized by Windows or any other program. I even tried to boot from the firmware download utility by using a bootable USB drive, but the drive still can't be seen. Is there another software driver that will allow me to connect to the Series 530 SSD?