Unable to Boot Windows XP Install CD after installing RunCore SSD

[jenart90]

Re: Unable to Boot Windows XP Install CD after installing RunCore SSD

Have you any other version Mac OS Installation DVD?
If you just have, you can try it.

Sorry, are you asking me to try and install a fresh version of another version of Mac OS X on the SSD instead of my cloned Snow Leopard drive? Such as Tiger or Leopard?

Stuart

[RunCore Tech_Support]

Re: Unable to Boot Windows XP Install CD after installing RunCore SSD

We recommend that you can try Leopard version.
If a fresh install version of another version of Mac OS X can't solve your problem, you can contact with the agency for a placement.

[bdavidson]

Re: Unable to Boot Windows XP Install CD after installing RunCore SSD

In the end, i don't think this really has anything to do with "Bootcamp" per say... from my experience with my iMac and MBP, there is something about either adding a SSD or simply a third party drive that prohibits some macs from booting off a windows disk or partition.

Over on the OCZ forums, there are hundreds of posts about people who have to take the SSD out of their macs and put into a windows machine to upgrade the firmware because the mac wont boot with a simple unix CD with the SSD in place.

However, since I haven't been able to get a clear answer on my MBA rev A and the RunCore drive, I am on the edge of giving it a try. Maybe using Winclone would eliminate the need to boot off a DVD/CD. (Or maybe that partition wont boot ether :-( ) Unfortunately, the MBA isn't powerful enough to run Windows in a VM well enough to work an since I use the MBA for work, bootcamp is a necessity.

[jenart90]

Re: Unable to Boot Windows XP Install CD after installing RunCore SSD

Hi bdavidson,

thanks for your comments. Yes I've arrived at the same conclusion now too I think. We're paying the early adopters tax here! I need both partitions for my development work and I'm loosing far too much time and money just trying to test all the possible combinations of booting, installing, partitioning, trying different Mac OS X versions, Parallels, and so on. This past week I think I've easily spent over 40hours trying to solve this issue and it's time to give up.

thanks

Stuart

[cc101]

Re: Unable to Boot Windows XP Install CD after installing RunCore SSD

Thanks for bdavidson.

I am a new user of Mac and SSD.
My friend have a MacBook Air Rev.A, he purchased a RunCore SSD and feels great. I am very interested in it, So I pruchased a RunCore SSD for my MacBook last few days.

But in my Mac it boot Windows CD/DVDs is ok.
And my friend boot DOS for firmware update to the last version via CD-ROM according to the RunCore support's guide.

Whether the versions of mac os or other issues causes can not boot Windows from CD-ROM on Mac ?

[jenart90]

Re: Unable to Boot Windows XP Install CD after installing RunCore SSD

We recommend that you can try Leopard version.
If a fresh install version of another version of Mac OS X can't solve your problem, you can contact with the agency for a placement.

Hello RunCore Support,

I tried this last night and it doesn't work. I erased and reformatted the SSD so that it was totally clean, then put in my Mac OS X Leopard installation DVD and chose it from the boot up option screen - after holding down the option key. Installation went fine, no drama's at all.

I think went and ran the Boot Camp Assistant and created a 140GB Windows partition which left me a 98GB Mac OS X partition. I popped in the Windows 7 Professional Installation DVD and hit the restart option on the last Boot Camp Assistant screen.

The laptop rebooted and started to spin up the DVD drive for about 10 seconds, and then the drive powered down and the system was hung. Nothing more happened or could be done.

I can't continue any longer with these issues, so I will be returning the drive to my vendor for a full refund.

thanks

Stuart

[jenart90]

Re: Unable to Boot Windows XP Install CD after installing RunCore SSD

...I can't continue any longer with these issues, so I will be returning the drive to my vendor for a full refund.

*** FINAL UPDATE ***

I have returned the drive for a refund. I bought it through Solid State Central in Melbourne, Australia. They were really helpful and also got in touch direct with RunCore in China. Highly recommend them.

cheers

Stuart

[bdavidson]

Re: Unable to Boot Windows XP Install CD after installing RunCore SSD

UPDATE

Success!

I received my 64GB RunCore SSD for my MBA Rev A today. (RCP-IV-ZA1864-C). It came with the most current firmware 1916. I used the included Carbon Copy Cloner to clone my existing Mac partition to the SSD. I then installed it quickly and easily into my MBA. Once installed, the MBA booted up first time without problems.

First thing I tried was booting off the windows 7 install disk and a dos firmware update CD from an external DVD drive. Both worked perfectly. (This is what doesn't work with an SSD in my 2007 iMac.) I also tried booting off the Snow Leopard install DVD for good measure. It worked perfectly also.

Next I used Boot Camp assistant and created a new boot camp partition. No problem. Then I used WinClone to restore a backup I made of my previous boot camp partition. I rebooted with the option key and booted into the new Bootcamp partition. After a very, very long disckchk Windows 7 wanted me to do, I arrived at the Windows desktop. Again, everything worked perfectly.

I only have less than 12 hours on the SSD, but I am currently very satisfied. At the moment, I would recommend the RunCore SSDs for MBA Rev A owners without hesitation.

One thing I noticed is that this SSD isn't as fast as the OCZ Vertex I have in my iMac. Not sure if its due to the RunCore SSD or the PATA MBA. Here is an xbench result from the MBA:

Results 113.05
System Info
Xbench Version 1.3
System Version 10.6.2 (10C540)
Physical RAM 2048 MB
Model MacBookAir1,1
Drive Type RunCore 64G-C SSD RunCore 64G-C SSD
Disk Test 113.05
Sequential 80.40
Uncached Write 84.92 52.14 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Write 83.28 47.12 MB/sec [256K blocks]
Uncached Read 51.51 15.07 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Read 152.55 76.67 MB/sec [256K blocks]
Random 190.35
Uncached Write 80.43 8.51 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Write 180.06 57.65 MB/sec [256K blocks]
Uncached Read 1795.79 12.73 MB/sec [4K blocks]
Uncached Read 404.88 75.13 MB/sec [256K blocks]

[ppayne]

Also unable to boot any Windows CD

I have a brand new 2010 Macbook Pro with an Intel 160 GB SSD (SSDSA2M160G2GC) and a 500 gb hard drive. (I always take the DVD ROM drive out since running two hard drives fits my workflow better.) My setup works fine except that I *CAN NOT* boot any Windows disk to install Boot Camp. It tried to boot and then gives a flashing "no" symbol like Ghostbusters without the ghost. I have tried two different Vista discs and 7 and it's no go. I also removed the SSD and tried it...no go.

(The only thing I didn't try is seeing if the 500 Gb hard drive, which is where the CD ROM drive is now, would work if I moved it to the normal hard drive area instead. Does anyone know if this should matter, e.g. if there's any reason why it could address the hard drive connected to the hard drive place but not to the DVD ROM SATA place?

I ran a similar system with a 2009 MBP and all went well. I didn't need to ever install Windows actually, so I can't say if it booted from the CD or not.

Can anyone help me figure this out?