Windows 7: New System not Detecting HDD to Install Windows 7

System:

• i5 3750k
• Asrock z77 extreme4
• 8 gigs ddr3 ripjaw gskill
• nvidia gtx 260
• Antec 650w
• Windows 7 64 bit
• Hard drives attempting to use for new install: Western Digital X2, Seagate

Problem I am having is hard drives I plug into the Asrock z77 are not showing up in Windows 7 install. When I first unpackaged the computer, I attempted to use an old Western Digital hard drive from my previous Q9550/EVGA 780i system. I was unaware that hard drives from another chip set install probably wont boot into windows. So I foolishly I attempted to boot into windows right after I assembled the new i5 computer with a old hard drive from a Q9550 system. Not sure if this might be part of the problem, but I figured I would mention it.

The hard drive showed up in BIOS but did not show up "Where do you want to install windows". Neither did my other hard drives ( another Western Digital & Seagate). However, if I take any of these hard drives and put them back into my old Q9550/EVGA 780i and put in the Windows 7 install CD, they will show up in the box of drives available. In other words, all hard drives are showing up to install windows 7 on in my old q9550/evga 780i system, but none of the drives are showing up in my new Asrockz77.

Hard drive showing up in Asrock Z77 bios:

When I try to install windows 7 to a hard drive it does not show up


Here is the SAME hard drive put back into my old q9550/evga 780i system. It shows up.




All hard drives show up in the q9550/evga 780i, none of them show up in the Asrock z77

Attempted:

• Changing sata cables in case ones I were using were faulty.
• Trying different sata ports
• Upgraded to latest Board BIOS
• One stick of RAM at a time
• Diskpart: tried disk part command, then disk list and it displays "no fixed disk to show"
• Different storage modes: AHCI

I am insuring that only a single HDD and CD are plugged into the sata ports at a time. They are both plugged into Intel sata controller ports, not the Asmedia ones as confirmed by this screen shot and video. ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Review [HD] - YouTube




Never encountered an issue like this before and its really pulling my hair out.Thanks in advance

Also important UPDATE: I read trying different storage modes might fix the problem. And it worked, sort of. For whatever reason the drives will not display with AHCI storage mode; however, they WILL display when I switch to IDE storage mode.

The problem I have now with IDE storage mode, is everything is going at an incredibly slow speed. It literally took 30 minutes at the "setting up files" blue screen that comes after the windows logo when the win 7 install CD boots.

Perhaps my drives are not AHCI compatible? They are older Sata2 drives.

here is one of the drives I am using:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Did you do a BIOS RESET for the new motherboard?
If not, give that a try.

That just clearing CMOS right? Or a bios option?

Yes, enter your BIOS.
I expect there is an option to do a reset and it will be displayed.

I would do a hard reset by powering everything down, disconnecting power cable, and removing the CMOS battery for a minute or so.
There should also be a jumper to do this.
Instructions for this should be in your Motherboard manual.

As your already assembled, try the easy way first by looking in BIOS for the reset option...

Reset bios, still having same issue.

Do you have an EFI BIOS? If so remove EFI Boot disk from BIOS boot order and look for a Legacy BIOS setting to enable. Or you can install to UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums

If not I'd contact your system builder to ask why no HD's are being detected.

Have you slaved one to wipe it with Diskpart Clean Command first? Try it wiped first, then try it formatted and marked Active using Step 2.2 in SSD - HDD Optimize for Windows Reinstallation.

Where did you get Windows 7? Did you burn the DVD or write it it flash stick yourself, and how?

It is a UEFI bios.

I contacted Asrock, and ultimatly he thought it may be the windows 7 ISO burned to a CD I am running. It is a free and legal version provided by digital river. But I am somewhat skeptical thats the problem as it uses the same hashes as the retail version supposedly Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life

Pretty significant update as well, I went to my local frys and purchased an asus p8z77 and still encountered the same issue.

As far as my drives. I always format them inside the windows 7 installation menu themselves. When the drives are listed I just right click and format. Unless I add a new hard drive after the fact I format it within the OS. It is worth mentioning disk part and disk list in the windows 7 install lists no fixed drives available.

Seems we can rule out motherboard being the issue safely. I am going to head to frys to buy a retail system builder copy of win 7 and a new hard drive.

Unfortunately only hard drives available for me to test at frys at this time is a western digital caviar green wd5000csrtl 500gb sata 3, Thats all they have in stock believe it or not. Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Green WD5000CSRTL 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive

Let me stress though, both the asus p8z77 and asrock extreme 4 BOTH detect the hard drive in IDE storage mode. But it goes astronomically slow, literally 30 minutes to get past the windows 7 splash screen. The drives don't show up in AHCI mode, but do in IDE.

thanks for helping everyone

If it's an EFI BIOs then you need to take the steps given in your Manual to disable EFI BIOS or else follow the extra steps I gave you to install to an EFI BIOS which also require wiping the HD so it will format GPT.

You can cross-check the installer by writing a new ISO to flash stick from Step 1 and 2 in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7