New internal SSD install results in black screen / blinking cursor

[dkaplowitz]

Hello - new to the forums. I've just bought a new Samsung EVO870 1TB to replace an existing internal Samsung EVO860 250GB - this is just a data drive NOT the OS drive.

I've connected the new drive via SATA/USB cable and formatted it and copied over 250GB to it no prob. But when I shut the machine down and swap the drives out (using same SATA cabling the old drive was using), when I start back up I just get a black screen with blinking white cursor jumping around. Any ideas?

I've not yet tried booting into the bios as someone suggested changing the boot drive priority because when installing a new drive it sometimes defaults to trying the new drive as boot drive - does this sound plausible?

Any suggestions welcome - many thanks in advance. Let me know if you need more info from me.

Edition Windows 11 Home
Version 21H2
Installed on ‎12/‎01/‎2022
OS build 22000.795
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22000.795.0

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9820X CPU @ 3.30GHz 3.31 GHz
Installed RAM 64.0 GB (63.7 GB usable)
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

 

[interlocutor1980]

So let me get this straight, sometimes, you turn the PC on, and you get... only a black screen? Does it display the BIOS logo, or POST info, or ANYTHING?

But if you plug in an older HDD, it's fine?

Sounds like either your new SSD is faulty, to the point of actually shorting something out, or your PSU is defective or has a flaky connector, or something else is shorting out in the system, or the mobo is failing.

 

[HelloNNNewman]

BEFORE deciding that your drive is faulty or some connector is messed up... is this a secondary drive where you are using another as your OS drive? Have you checked boot drive priority since these are not the same drives? If it is looking to boot to that new drive - you are going to have your computer basically stop and give you a blank screen like this.

 

[dkaplowitz]

Thx @HelloNNNewman - yes it's a data drive not my boot drive like I said. So some have suggested I try getting into the BIOS before that screen appears and making sure boot priority is set correctly - have not had time to get into this again but hope to over the weekend. If I CAN'T get into the BIOS before that screen appears then what?

regarding faulty drive @interlocutor1980, also like I said, the drive functions fine connected via SATA/USB cable externally - I formatted it, copied 250GB data to it no issues. and it's not sometimes, it's every time after I install this drive. The computer functions normally before installing this drive so I don't believe there is any motherboard issue.

 

[HelloNNNewman]

You should be able to get into BIOS somewhat easily. Depending on the computer type, be sure to look up that computer's specific directions (some have you tapping F11 during bootup - others have a different key). I've had PC's where it took a couple tries, but others where it went right in. That would be my first step though.

 

[dkaplowitz]

Thx - yes it's a data drive not my boot drive like I said. So some have suggested I try getting into the BIOS before that screen appears and making sure boot priority is set correctly - have not had time to get into this again but hope to over the weekend. If I CAN'T get into the BIOS before that screen appears then what?

regarding faulty drive, also like I said, the drive functions fine connected via SATA/USB cable externally - I formatted it, copied 250GB data to it no issues.

 

[dkaplowitz]

I got into the bios and reordered the boot priority to no effect. Not sure what's going on here! Thanks for the replies let me know if any other ideas!

 

[me just saying]

I have two computers that came with an uefi partition on the data drive. too bad you already pulled the drive or we could see if yours had one. I do not know that much about uefi to help. Just providing info thinking someone else would know. .