Help please. I cannot install Windows =/

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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:

image.jpg



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
 
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.
 
Not sure the below is the solution but worth a try
When Windows is asking for driver, just click Cancel. You will be brought back to the welcome screen. At the welcome screen, remove your USB drive, insert it back to DIFFERENT USB PORT. Click Install Now again. The installation process will be like usual.

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
 
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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
 
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


image.jpg

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
 
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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.
 
you need to mark the drive as active.
connect the ssd to another pc with that has windows then,
goto start, then search for create and format hard disk partitions, find the drive right mouse click then mark partition as "active".
 
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 :P


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
 
if you can get to diskpart on your brother pc then try this.

diskpart (press enter)
list disk (press enter)
select disk [number of the disk the partition is on]. (press enter)
list partition (press enter)
select partition (press enter)
active (press enter)

reboot
 
I could not install windows 7 from a Kingston USB stick, tried unsuccessfully 5 times.
I moved the iso on to a integral USB stick and it worked first time.

What brand is your USB stick?

Here's my thread from a while ago...Click me!
 
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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.

image.jpg



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