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Bad pool header on new Corsair SSD


cameronjpu

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This is a drive that I installed for a client. I did a drive clone using acronis truimage and then ran Windows. After about 10 minutes, consistently, I get a blue screen bad pool header on the new drive. I have ICH9. I have changed the drive type in the BIOS to AHCI from the Intel Rapid Restore Tech option that it was at before. I downloaded and ran the Corsair firmware updater, and it told me that the firmware on offer was not for my drive. I don't know how to tell what version of the Force drive I have - the model number is F120GB2, so I assumed it was Force2. It reported to the updater that it was firmware 2.0 already.

 

Can anyone help me get this problem fixed?

 

Thanks!

Edited by cameronjpu
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You can try a new BIOS for the motherboard, a different port, different SATA cable, newer IRST. The model that you have is a Corsair Force ( with the 1st generation SandForce controller ). In order to receive better help please fill in your system details.
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You can try a new BIOS for the motherboard, a different port, different SATA cable, newer IRST. The model that you have is a Corsair Force ( with the 1st generation SandForce controller ). In order to receive better help please fill in your system details.

 

It's a laptop, so most of those ideas are not possible. What's an IRST? Is this a common problem, and does it make more sense to buy a different product? How likely is Corsair to exchange? The BIOS is up to date already.

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IRST = Intel Rapid Storage Technology .. basically Intel's drivers for it's SATA chipset(s). Try installing the latest version which is 10.6.[xxxx]. I did use a F120 on a ICH9 motherboard ( albeit desktop and not notebook ) and I didn't encounter any problems. I don't think that getting another SandForce driven drive from a different manufacturer would really help you here. If you don't have the latest IRST, pleasy try that first. If that doesn't help, please try reinstalling the OS from scratch and see if you still have problems.
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IRST = Intel Rapid Storage Technology .. basically Intel's drivers for it's SATA chipset(s). Try installing the latest version which is 10.6.[xxxx]. I did use a F120 on a ICH9 motherboard ( albeit desktop and not notebook ) and I didn't encounter any problems. I don't think that getting another SandForce driven drive from a different manufacturer would really help you here. If you don't have the latest IRST, pleasy try that first. If that doesn't help, please try reinstalling the OS from scratch and see if you still have problems.

 

So you're saying you think that if one drive doesn't work, the problem would not be the drive, but the combination of technologies that are incompatible? Reinstalling the OS from scratch is not an option, on a computer that in used for business every day. Too much work to be worth it.

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From what I know the "core" FW for all the SF drives is the same. Based on the contracts they have, some manufacturers might get some features or limitations ( which is why some SF drives were / are limited to 10k IOPS for example ). Many manufacturers seem to have their own HW design for the drives, but as far as I know they all had similar stability problems which were fixed with FW updates. Considering this, I think it's pretty unlikely ( but not impossible ) to solve your issue by getting a SF drive from another manufacturer. If a newer IRST doesn't help you, try disabling power management features from your BIOS and / or Windows and see if that help you ( after doing the changes please run WEI - windows experience index). If nothing works, you can try a RMA ( the link is on the left ).
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Your problem is not with the SSD itself. It is the fact that you cloned the OS from a spinner, that contained drivers for a HDD interface incompatable with the SSD you replaced the old HDD with. I know you said reinstallation of the OS is not possible, but you may not have a choice.

 

You should at least attempt a "Repair" install of the OS. Your problem "Bad Pool Header" is caused by a bad (the one for your old drive) HDD/interface driver/registry entry installed in Windows. This error is usually caused when an IDE HDD by is cloned to a SATA drive, but it can also happen when moving from a spinner to an SSD. More than likely windows was installed in IDE mode. There is also a registry tweek that can be tried in lieu of a complete reinstall.

Edited by xandypx
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Your problem is not with the SSD itself. It is the fact that you cloned the OS from a spinner, that contained drivers for a HDD interface incompatable with the SSD you replaced the old HDD with. I know you said reinstallation of the OS is not possible, but you may not have a choice.

 

You should at least attempt a "Repair" install of the OS. Your problem "Bad Pool Header" is caused by a bad (the one for your old drive) HDD/interface driver/registry entry installed in Windows. This error is usually caused when an IDE HDD by is cloned to a SATA drive, but it can also happen when moving from a spinner to an SSD. More than likely windows was installed in IDE mode. There is also a registry tweek that can be tried in lieu of a complete reinstall.

 

I didn't clone it from a HDD, it was cloned from a smaller SSD.

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OK I got the drive and the computer back and looked back through all the suggestions above. I did update the driver to current 2011 version - it was stuck back in 2008. I was really hopeful about that one. Nope, same error 15 minutes after reboot.

 

Then I did a full repair install of Windows XP. No dice. Same error.

 

I'm stuck, any more suggestions? The drive is beyond warranty so it would only be exchangeable by Corsair, not Newegg, and not returnable for a refund. Argh!

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My bad because I missed this somewhere above. What version of XP do you have installed? I mean which Service Pack. A bad Pool header error (0x19) can be caused by any version of XP below SP2 just by the fact that your Mobo contains SATA ports. The original XP had no SATA support at all.

 

The disk you attempted to do the repair with is at best SP1, and therefore cannot repair the XP installation. I have to assume that the actual XP install is SP2 or SP3.

 

Have you ever slipstreamed a windows OS disk? This means making an install disk to the SP that is installed on the laptop. That is the only way that a repair install will work.

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