My PC used to start normally, but after running for a while it would stop detecting the SSD. I had the drive checked by a professional and ended up buying two replacements. I installed one yesterday, but while using the computer today, it suddenly crashed and powered off. After restarting, the same detection problem happened with the new SSD. It later showed only a black screen with the mouse pointer. I've already tried different motherboard sockets, and I'm worried that a hardware problem may have damaged the new drives. Could the power supply or another component be responsible?
3 Answers
A sudden crash followed by the computer powering off sounds more like a failing or inadequate power supply than an SSD problem. Stop repeatedly testing the new drives if possible, and check the PSU model, age, wattage, cables, and connections. Testing with a known-good PSU would be a useful next step.
Check the firmware boot menu to see whether the SSD is detected there. Also verify that the boot mode and storage-controller settings are correct, then save the defaults and restart. If those settings do not persist after shutdown, the motherboard battery may need replacing. It’s also worth checking whether particular motherboard slots use different controller settings.
If the SSD is only being used as a secondary drive, the problem could still originate with the drive containing Windows or with Windows itself. Once the power supply has been ruled out, check whether the SSD appears in the firmware boot menu and consider reinstalling Windows if the system files are corrupted.
I’ve already tried reinstalling Windows, so I’m leaning toward the PSU or another hardware fault now.
That makes sense. I’m worried the PSU may have damaged more than the original drive, so I’ll check or replace it before testing the new SSDs further.