Lost HDD during install

username7 · 8 May 2010 at 14:46

Just build system and installed windows 7. All went fine.

Then tried to set up dual boot with XP and could not get XP to see the partition I had created, so abandoned.

However, then the PC would not boot into 7. Tried installing XP, but then abandanoned that too, as it will not see the drive at the right size - only sees 131000. OK, thought fine, back to the drawing board and went to re-install 7, but when it got to the set-up stage it could not see my HDD and asked for a device driver.

It's a 500 gb Samsung F3. I can't seem to find a device driver, and really I can't understand why it cannot see the HDD anymore - all looks completely fine in the BIOS, but 7 will not see it during install. Have checked connections and all is fine.

Any help greatly appreciated!

username7 · 8 May 2010 at 15:00

To add to this, I can see another SATA drive during install, it is just this drive that is no longer visible.

Antar Bolaeisk · 8 May 2010 at 15:02

Maybe try to repair the installation with the tools on the Win7 install disk. Boot using the disc as if you were installing the OS but select tools in the bottom left hand corner and see if anything in there will fix the problem.

If that fails then get your hands on a Linux Live CD such as Mint or Ubuntu, boot using that and format the offending drive then start again.

Also, if you are considering Dual booting you may want to install XP first and then Win7 as doing it the other way around can cause issues (though it's generally easily fixed).

username7 · 8 May 2010 at 15:17

Thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately, Windows 7 will just not see the drive at all.

username7 · 8 May 2010 at 15:36

Although if I call up the command line during windows 7 set-up, and then run diskpart, and type "list volume", then is shows volume 0 = the dvd, and volume 1 = NTFS 465 GB Healthy - so it does see my drive here.

:confused:

anything I don't mind · 8 May 2010 at 15:56

try set the drive to ide mode in bios.

username7 · 8 May 2010 at 20:03

This is what worked.

I started formatting the drive from the command line. Although it was progrssing slowly, the HDD light was not active and I figured it was doing nothing so I aborted.

Looking at the drive, it still appeared but no longer had an associated file system (whereas before it stated NTFS).

Rebooted from the Win 7 disc and hey presto - the HDD was back in the list for the install.

All installed now and working fine. Strange.

Destination · 8 May 2010 at 21:30

So it couldn't see it as you aborted in the middle of a format?

username7 · 8 May 2010 at 22:34

Hikari Kisugi said:
So it couldn't see it as you aborted in the middle of a format?

It only started to see it again after i aborted.

SiriusB · 8 May 2010 at 22:47

As a wild and uneducated guess I would say something was corrupted in the partition table causing the Windows installer not to see the drive. During the format, said partition table got nuked completely before he aborted. With the PT gone, Windows sees at as an unformatted drive ready to rock and roll.