SSD: Windows 7 Installation Fail

alexiolim · 16 Jul 2011

Install my Intel X25-M 160GB SSD on DELL N4110. So far bios detect it.

Run diagnostic and no problem detect either.

I'm doing fresh Windows 7 installation on the SSD, but face this problem even before it run the win7 DVD installation.
Unknown boot record. Cannot find GRLDR. Try (hd0,1): invalid or null.

Try use windows vista, it can go deeper in the installation before face this problem shown below.
STOP: 0x0000007B

Have set to AHCI mode.
Anyone solution that I can try?

Bare Foot Kid · 16 Jul 2011

Hello alexiolim, welcome to Seven Forums!

Unless this is a laptop / netbook.

Leaving the SSD as the only SSD / HDD connected to the motherboard and set as the second boot device after the CD/DVD drive see if you can boot to diskpart and do a complete wipe secure erase (clean all) to the entire SSD and use diskpart to create a partition to do the install to and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

DISKPART : At PC Startup

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Additional Secure Erase / Wipe Information

alexiolim · 16 Jul 2011

Bare Foot Kid said:

Hello alexiolim, welcome to Seven Forums!

Unless this is a laptop / netbook.

Leaving the SSD as the only SSD / HDD connected to the motherboard and set as the second boot device after the CD/DVD drive see if you can boot to diskpart and do a complete wipe secure erase (clean all) to the entire SSD and use diskpart to create a partition to do the install to and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

DISKPART : At PC Startup

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Additional Secure Erase / Wipe Information

It's a laptop.
That's mean I have to disassemble my laptop to take out the SSD.

Can I still do secure erase for my SSD drive if I make it like portable hard disk (connect usb externally to laptop)?

Bare Foot Kid · 16 Jul 2011

Do not take the lappy apart, you can still do the wipe, just be sure you are doing the correct SSD as a wipe completely over-writes any and all data on any SSD/HDD it's pointed at.

Being the only one connected just makes it easy to not over-write the wrong drive.

alexiolim · 16 Jul 2011

Thanks Bare Foot.. I'll go read through the secure erase post.

*Hopefully can do secure erase with my lappy without having Windows install (since my ssd fail to install)

Bare Foot Kid · 16 Jul 2011

Be sure to post back here with an update.

theog · 16 Jul 2011

Will the SSD show in diskpart?

Can you post your specs.
Filling out System Specs
Dont Know What Hardware You Have..??
VistaForums SysInfo Tool - Vista Forums

**cluberti** · 16 Jul 2011

It's complaining it can't find the GRUB for DOS bootloader, so something else was installed on this disk (likely some variant of Linux) otherwise that shouldn't happen. The OP will need to wipe the disk before using it at this point if they don't want to keep the Linux partition/install.

kegobeer · 16 Jul 2011

Probably easiest if the OP downloads a livecd and uses that partition manager to completely wipe the drive. That should hopefully allow Windows to install correctly.

alexiolim · 16 Jul 2011

Hi, thank you all for the reply and suggestion.
I'd it boot it from USB (after format to FAT32 & copy the windows 7 installation into it). Then use DISKPART to clean all > create NTFS File System.

However, I stuck during the "Where do you want to install Windows?" I get "Setup was unable to create a new system partition". I select, try-&-error 'Delete', 'Format', 'New', etc on the shown windows but the error still occur. I go to DISKPART again and do another clean all, but this time I leave it RAW and go back to the setup windows, the result still same.

Any suggestion?

SPEC: DELL Laptop N4110
Intel Core i5-2410M
4GB DDR3 1333Mhz
Intel HD Graphics 3000
Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/n+ , Bluetooth 3.0+HS , Ethernet LAN
More info in this link
Dell Inspiron 14R N4110 14" Notebook (Intel® Core