Windows 7: sata disk disappear while formatting

Hello everyone
I'm trying to install Windows 7 home premium 64 for about 5 hours...
The farthest i went once was at the % screen. It stucked at 0% ...

I'm trying to install this on a newly purchased computer with a Western digital 640Go caviar SE.

So my problem comes at the disk list screen, when i have to format my HDD.

I get several error messages [0x80300001;0x80300024;0x80300025;0x80300007; and some other i cant remember], sometimes the disk disapear (and sometimes it does in bios too), and there's no way to continue the install...

I tried many different solutions i found on the net:
Changed my sata cable
Changed my HDD power cable
jumpered pin 1&2 (first time i did this, it passed to the percent page, but stucked at 0%)
switched IDE & AHCI in bios
install mobo drivers
...

I cant format it with the prompt, it say there's no drive...
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I can't test anything on other computers, it is too old to be compatible.


I'm going crazy !
Thanks in advance for any help you can bring me.

Welcome to the Seven Forums! TheOneWinged

First you will want to change the bios setting back to the Native ide setting. That only causes problems for any Windows installation without a set of AHCI drivers added for that type of custom install. You can see a guide for that. AHCI : Enable in Windows 7 / Vista

Next to get through pointing to the guide available here at SF it also depends on what type of 7 installation media you are using there. For a full version disk, Clean Install Windows 7

For an upgrade disk to see a clean install, Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Having a Gigabyte board here and running WD drives the first thing found was the need for the Native ide setting for both Sata II and Sata III installs. 7 should generally go right on without a hitch. The clean install also runs far better with the ide mode set from the start.

The one thing you may end up needing since the errors seem to point out the need for the Sata?Raid driver disk is downloading them to make a driver disk using a cd-rw while both Vista and 7 rarely need that for the newer boards. Yet this seems to work in some cases for both Vista and 7. Note the thread seen at SF's sister site. Vista Installation error 0x80300001 - Operating Systems

Try opening a command prompt by pressing Shift F10 key at first screen after booting DVD, then wipe the HD of all code: SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

If the HD is only intermittently being recognized in BIOS then the problem could be a bad cable, port or HD. Test by swapping cable, then booting HD maker's diag/repair CD to do full scan: Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.

Next run from booted Windows 7 DVD command line Disk Check

TheOneWinged,


Let's backtrack.

What I would like you to do is:

Boot from your Win 7 DVD.

At the very first screen use SHIFT F10 key combo to get to a command prompt.

Now you will wipe the entire disk clean. This is to put your disk back to a "virgin" condition.

Now you can continue and let Windows format.

Another thing you will want to try since this is a brand system with a new drive in it would be the WD LifeGuard diagnostics utility to see if you ended up with a bad drive. WD Support > Downloads > SATA & SAS > WD RE2

Memtest is another idea for stress testing the memory as well since any bad ram can result in installation problems. Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

Some more informations :
I have an official windows 7 home premium OEM DvD (it wasn't burned by me)
and my disk is empty, not formated. it is 6hours old (or a bit more), its first ignition was the first time i tried to install seven.

Ok, so i tested all what you said:

@Night Hawk:

I changed the bios back to default settings (wich include native ide). Yet, i don't really care about AHCI, i just want to install seven, so i'll see later for it.

So i followed the clean install tutorial, and i unplugged one memory stick (I have now oly 2Gb, as recommended), and at step 7 (that must be a joke... ) i didn't seen my HDD...

So i tried to install raid drivers (even if i don't have 2 disk to put them in raid), seven doesn't let me do.. then the mainboard drivers... and it's the same problem...


@gregrocker & karlsnooks:
i already switched the sata cable, port and power cable with no effects... also reversed sata cable (we never know... )

when i type list disk in the prompt, he say there's no fixed disk to be shawn

ok, so at this step i tried a list volume, ant it said me that i have only a dvdrom...

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I'll try to find a way to make my disk appear again, and then to do this again...

But, do you know how i can test my disk ? knowing that i don't have any other sata equiped computer ?

What about the other steps I listed?

Powser up your computer.
Hit F2 (or whatever you computer uses to get into the bios)
Does the bios show your hard drive?

Sorry, i'm a bit tired, i forgot some things...

I can't run a chkdisk, because there's no letter for my disk, and i tried the WD tool, but i'm not sure i did it the right way... it said me that it don't have the right system to run the image...

And now, it don't want to appear anymore... so i'm trying to switch again sata ports, but the best i get is some noise...
a kind of regular "Tac.... Tac ... Tac ..." (around 1 sec interval)




And i've done the windows memory test, and it say there is no problem... but at this point, i realy think my DD is defective...


i'll keep trying make him appear... If he does in the past, why is he still hidding ?

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edit :

I also noticed that sometimes my dvdrom appears in BIOS as "Optiarc DVD RW AD-52..." and some other times as "Nonearc DVD RW AD-52..." is there any link ?

You want the DOS download of Data Lifeguard, however I use a better version which works on all models: http://support.gateway.com/support/d...2&uid=27543171 The installer extracts to c:cabs where you can click on the ISO to burn to CD with Windows Img Burner.

If you are able to salvage your HD with the surface test, then next burn to CD free Partition Wizard bootable CD which will check the file system for you. Free Download Magic Partition Manager Software – Partition Wizard Online Create a Primary NTFS partition, mark it Active to try installing to.

You say this is a new computer. Have you called tech support yet to get help since it should still be under warranty. You may need to RMA the HD. They should help you test it, too.