I got my Samsung 830 128GB in the mail today...I was pretty stoked to pop it into my Thinkpad X220.

As my Thinkpad doesn't have an optical drive, I put my Samsung 830 into my desktop rig to install Windows 7 from my OS disc.

After the OS installed I removed the SSD from my desktop and installed it in my Thinkpad. I booted it up, got the Lenovo prompt, and then it just went to a black screen with a blinking cursor in the top left (although I'm unable to type in said screen).

I put the SSD back into my desktop and it works.

I put the stock HDD back into my Thinkpad and it works.

Also, when the SSD is in I'm unable to boot using my Linux USB drive. It works at all other times--even with no SSD/HDD in the laptop.

The SSD obviously works, since it's doing great in my desktop rig.

The Thinkpad obviously works, since it boots from the HDD and a USB drive.

I checked some forums and found that many people are using these two pieces of hardware together with no problems at all.

WHY THEY NO PLAY NICE? :(

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks folks.

If you put it in a computer and install windows on it the installation remembers the hardware configuration of the installer computer

Now, in line with Microsoft licencing policys if you change 3 or more critical system components you have violated your licence agreement and as the os recognizes the new changes as a "different" computer, it will not boot.(licence is for 1 computer)

so trying to run the newly installed os on another computer you will have more than 3 conflicting hardware "errors"

edit; does sound like you have something else going on tho

I've never attempted to install an OS in a new system using the method you are talking about but unless I am mistaken your problem is that normally an OS when installed on system it reads the motherboard/chipset the drive is attached to and then from that point on it requires that same exact combintion in order to work.  I never did much research into why this is required but one can assume it helps to prevent piracy at the very least and the reason you can't install on OEM version on more than one system.

If you own a regular retail version of the OS you can of course install it on more than one system, this is it's primary benefit but it still has the same stipulation, you need to install it while the SSD in actually installed in the laptop.  I know you said you do not have an optical drive available for your laptop (even an eternal would do mind you) so you may have to consider installing it via an image burn to a USB and installing via the USB.  This also normally requires a lot of playing around in the BIOS to allow installation via USB.  But considering you have Linux on a bootable USB I assume you understand how that works.  That said it sounds like the reason you can't boot up via the USB drive when the SSD is installed is because your boot order is set to go off the hard disk first and since there is a detectable copy of Windows on it (although not bootable due to the aforementioned reason) it doesn't even attempt to load Linux via the USB.

Sorry if that was a bit wordy and run on, had a few beers but hopefully it helped a little.

EDIT: Nitth put it in simpler terms

Thanks for the protip! Looks like I need to put Win 7 on a USB drive, eh?

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Originally posted by boikymar
Thanks for the protip! Looks like I need to put Win 7 on a USB drive, eh?

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There is a free microsoft usb helper tool available too:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

The Windows installation process includes installing a bunch of drivers.  If you install Windows on your desktop, then the SSD ends up with all of the drivers for your desktop hardware.  When you put the SSD in your laptop, it doesn't have the drivers for your laptop hardware, so it doesn't work.  I'd expect the laptop to be able to get through the BIOS with the SSD (since it could get that far even with neither a hard drive nor an SSD at all), but something should go awry when it tries to load Windows, as it doesn't have the drivers for your laptop hardware installed.

If you want to use the SSD in your laptop, then you'll probably need to wipe it, put it in the laptop, and do a clean install of Windows to your laptop.  I know that it's possible to get an external optical drive.  It's probably possible to make a bootable USB drive with the contents of the Windows DVD on it, but I don't know how to do that.

Also, make sure you switch from IDE to AHCI in the Thinkpad's bios.

Thanks loads guys. I'll do that now, then.

Also, I didn't install any drivers for my desktop hardware to the new SSD. I pulled the ethernet cable to avoid just that.

Be aware even via the microsoft produced USB installer assistance software Windows 7 and laptops are notorious for various installation issues, the main one being it requests you to install CD/DVD drivers that do not exsist.  There are many many documented cases of this and fixes that don't always work for every situation.  Just be sure to do a little research first is all I'm saying.  The easiest would in fact be an external CD/DVD drive as it would avoid the whole driver issue that plagues USB installs for Windows 7.

EDIT: NOW THAT i THINK ABOUT IT THE PROBLEM i MENTIONED ABOVE MIGHT ONLT BE FOR DUAL BOOT INSTALLATIONS

Originally posted by boikymar

Thanks loads guys. I'll do that now, then.

Also, I didn't install any drivers for my desktop hardware to the new SSD. I pulled the ethernet cable to avoid just that.

 

The Windows DVD has a bunch of drivers on it, which is why you don't have to track down separate drivers for every piece of hardware and install them manually.  Windows is able to detect what you have and install drivers for nearly everything as you install the OS.  This just isn't downloading Windows updates, either; if it didn't have a network driver available, you wouldn't be able to get online.

Quiz is like always correct, you need to set up a windows 7 boot from usb. make sure your computer has the boot from usb option selected in the bios and run it that way on your laptop. its the only way your going to get it to work short of buying a cheap usb dvd drive to install the os and whatever else from cd youd like to have.

Also ive never ever had issues with usb installs of windows 7 in the 50+ computers ive used it in. Just make sure you follow the instructions on how to make the usb bootable and you should be golden