Help please. I cannot install Windows =/

[benji182]

Hi guys,

I built my brother a PC and it looks great and the BIOS runs fantastic however I can't install windows


He didn't want a DVD drive as it'll only be used for his Steam/Origin games and so I bought a USB-external DVD drive.

I have put that into a USB 2.0 port but it keeps coming up with the below message:

I have googled and I have tried putting the ISO onto a bootable USB (still doesn't work)

I have tried different USB 2.0 ports (still doesn't work)

I have tried a few youtube work arounds (still doesn't work)


please can someone help me before I throw this PC out the window lol

 

[benji182]

I have tried it from a CD and an ISO download from M$ online

 

[benji182]

I don't mean to sound short with anything but below are what I have:

The windows is not corrupted. I believe you're trying to install windows 7 on the SSD? It's just that the copy of your windows doesn't have the SATA drivers included.

You can go to BIOS and try to find something like SATA mode, maybe it's set on RAID. You should have 3 options there, IDE, AHCI and RAID.

BIOS sees that my SSD is connected to port 1 in AHCI mode. With regards to installing the SATA drivers I don't see how I can (you'll see in my attached picture at bottom of post).

Make sure when you go into the bios that USB boot is 1st device.

Yup,
1st bootable USB (with windows 7 ISO working fine, it loads windows but when it comes to clicking install I get the SATA drivers screen in my OP).

2nd USB CD drive with Windows 7 disc, also working as above but can't find SATA drivers

3rd SSD which I want to install Windows onto but can't

4th empty

Not sure the below is the solution but worth a try

it sounds to me more like the sata drivers are missing. You will need to load them from a cd / usb
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/68505-sata-driver-load-windows-7-vista-setup.html

This guide should help

make sure the hard drive is connected with sata and power cables.. double check...

other than that the problem is the hard drive is not active.
put the drive in a pc or in a usb caddy, goto disk management and format the drive then mark it as active then put HD back in then try install of windows

Power cables are all fine, the SSD is seen by the BIOS but not by windows when the install tries to start.

I have formatted the SSD into NTFS via the command prompt using diskpart following this guys video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo7tyFFjSsA

no USB or CD drive to choose from ^^

When I want to choose where to get the drivers from I can't choose the USB stick (which has windows on) or the CD Drive (which I have put the motherboard driver disc in or windows, i've tried both, it just doesn't see it).

Also makes no difference if i load windows from the USB iso or CD

 

[benji182]

Which motherboard? Try installing Windows 10.

Asus Z170 Pro Gaming Intel Z170


Can you go straight to windows 10 with a windows 7 key? I don't know anything about windows 10

 

[benji182]

Not an area I know much about, but couldn't you put the drivers on the c drive? ie put it in another machine and copy the required drivers over. If not you can try this. I did something similar with my own install disc a while ago its a bit convoluted but it worked for me.

At this stage, maybe you're right lol. I might have to try this and hope for the best. A bit annoying though when all I want to do is install windows

you need to mark the drive as active.
goto start then search for create and format hard disk partitions, find the drive right mouse click then mark partition as active.

At which screen do I do this?

The only time I get to see the hard drive is when it tries to browse for the drivers

 

[benji182]

I tried your idea phenx of plugging the SSD into my PC, copying the drivers onto that and then trying that in the new PC.

I got closer but not quite there yet.

I might try and return windows 7 and just buy windows 10 lol

 

[benji182]

do you have a spare usb stick lying around?

use imgburn and make an iso image of windows and drag it to the usb stick

(might need to make the usb stick bootable aswell if it wont install windows) to do that use

https://rufus.akeo.ie/ then install windows from the usb memory stick (edit see you've tried that already)

also with the usb cd/dvd drive anything in the bios for legacy devices? try enabling/disabling that and see if it installs then

I've done the bootable USB wazza

I have literally tried everything yet windows 7 does not like this Crucial SSD lol

I did see the Legacy devices, it talks about handing off something. Didn't understand it but gave it a shot the other day just to see if it made a difference but nope

 

[benji182]

you have a normal hdd to install to? then clone to the ssd? only way I can think of atm

unplug any un needed usb devices aswell and hdd's just incase its halting the install somewhere

It's a gaming PC for my bro so just the SSD and i have just the USB stick or external DVD drive plugged in and the keyboard and mouse.

It is literally fighting me all the way lol.

 

[benji182]

Hey I had this problem for a clients pc at work. Run command prompt on that page shift and f10 then wipe the disk and it'll allow you to install.

Command prompt - diskpart press enter

List disk press enter - find the disk you need to wipe

Select disk * (* is the disk you wanna wipe so 0,1,2 etc)

Then type clean and press enter.

Now install


http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/005929en?language=en_US -how to clean disk (ignore all up to when you see cmd)


http://windowsitpro.com/windows/open-command-prompt-window-while-installing-windows - opening cmd via install disk

I tried that before I even posted in here. Unfortunately it didn't work

 

[benji182]

I fixed it guys !!

By buying Windows 10.

I tried everything all of you suggested (including making sure it the USB stick was in a USB2.0 port

No avail and couldn't install it via another PC. That was the only opion I didn't get around to doing as I just didn't have the time to faff around so sent Windows 7 back. Bought Windows 10. Loaded up fine.


Note: the SATA drivers in the asus motherboard cd didn't work, nor did the ones on their website.
I kept swinging and it kept ducking and diving lol.

Done now. Thanks for all the help and ideas though guys =)