Cannot reinstall Windows 7 64bit after formatting infected SATA hdd

Hi all, thanks in advance.

I am repairing a laptop that was infected with a virus by reinstalling Windows 7 64bit after formatting.

Laptop specs, lacking because i didn't write it down before reinstalling:
hp dm4
465gb sata drive (the only hd on laptop)
4gb ram
intel dual core processor

history:
previously installed with Windows 7 enterprise 64 bit, infected with virus with pop up ads and occasionally fail to boot.

What I did:
Don't have windows 7 bootable DVD, so I created a bootable USB with windows 7 enterprise 64 bit from Microsoft as a trial for IT developers. Booted to installation screen, detected 3 partitions on the SATA hd, and I tried to reformat all partitions into one. So I deleted the partitions into one unallocated space, and create a new partition with only 8mb unallocated space on the whole drive.

"Windows cannot be installed to this disk..." error shows up, and I restarted to BIOS diagnostics, which cannot recognize hd, so I booted to windows 7 setup from the USB again, opened command prompt (shift + F10), and did the following (X is the boot drive from usb):

X:\sources\diskpart

DISKPART>LIST DISK \\disk 0 shows up as the empty hd

DISKPART>SELECT DISK 0

DISKPART>CLEAN ALL \\succeeded

DISKPART>EXIT

X:\sources\exit

Then I restarted to Windows 7 setup, and since I completely cleaned it, now it doesn't have any partition, so I created new partition again with 8 mg unallocated space left.

Open command prompt again

X:\sources\diskpart

DISKPART>SELECT DISK 0

DISKPART>LIST PARTITION \\partition 1 created with correct size showed up

DISKPART>SELECT PARTITION 1

DISKPART>ACTIVE

DISKPART>FORMAT FS=NTFS \\succeeded

DISKPART>EXIT

X:\sources\exit

Hoping this would settle the matter, I unplugged everything from the laptop, including the battery, and pressed and held power button to reset BIOS, fire up the sucker, and went to BIOS diagnostics and performed a quick hard drive test, which shows to be healthy.

Booted up to Windows 7 setup again, open command prompt to check partition status

DISKPART>LIST VOLUME \\shows volume 1 is C: with the healthy NTFS 465gb partition

DISKPART>SELECT VOLUME 1

DISKPART>DETAILS \\shows that it's writtable, installable, and healthy (no to all parameters that would prevent windows installation)

exited command prompt, went back to windows setup interface, it still wouldn't install windows 7 onto that partition, which is recognized with labelled name at this point.

Since this laptop was purchased in 2010, and it's a HP BIOS, there should be no need to turn on AHCI (and I can't anyway, BIOS doesn't have any option besides boot order and diagnostics), I don't think it's good idea to install XP first as a stepping stone, because of the SATA compatibility issue, so right now I have no idea how to install Windows 7 on a clean laptop

Any help is appreciated!!!

Thanks,
Swordson

Why are you not Clean Reinstalling - Factory OEM Windows 7 with the licensed Win7 Home Premium 64 bit which came preinstalled on the that model? Anything less is a waste of a $100+ license you own for life of the machine.

What is the verbatim error message or fail point and when does it occur? Clean Install Windows 7

Exactly how did you write the ISO to flash stick? Try Universal USB Installer with Win7 in dropdown.

Is there a newer BIOS update?

Look in BIOS update to see if there is an EFI Boot disk in BIOS boot order. If so if you don't remove it then it requires special steps to install.

gregrocker said:

Why are you not Clean Reinstalling - Factory OEM Windows 7 with the licensed Win7 Home Premium 64 bit which came preinstalled on the that model? Anything less is a waste of a $100+ license you own for life of the machine.

What is the verbatim error message or fail point and when does it occur? Clean Install Windows 7

Exactly how did you write the ISO to flash stick? Try Universal USB Installer with Win7 in dropdown.

Is there a newer BIOS update?

Look in BIOS update to see if there is an EFI Boot disk in BIOS boot order. If so if you don't remove it then it requires special steps to install.

I already have the license key from an educational institute, and this laptop was originally installed with Windows 7 Enterprise to comply with the educational institution's software, so none of the factory stuff remained.

The bootable USB is created with Microsoft Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool, using the official windows 7 enterprise .iso file from Microsoft Technet

The error is the same throughout the whole process at the format screen "Where do you want to install Windows?" of the setup:

"Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu."

The only thing that's the same from factory setting is the BIOS, which is f.08 for HP dm4, and it doesn't have a UEFI option, just the following:

1. internal hd
2. usb drives
3. internal dvd drive
4. usb optical drive
5. virtual drive

There is newer bios version, but I don't know how to flash the laptop without a platform installed.


Thanks for the reply

p.s. I highly doubt making another bootable USB (don't have any dvd-r available yet, don't know if that will make a difference) with Windows 7 premium OEM will bypass that error, but I can try if there are not simpler solutions.

If I just fire up the laptop without the bootable USB, it says bootmgr is missing, which is interesting, as it should say no bootable device is detected, because the hdd should still be empty.

Maguscreed said:

You really need to do this.
Something is screwy and this is the only way to be sure of removing it.
SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

The only other thing I could think of that would be messing with things would be if linux had ever been installed that seems unlikely though.

I will look into that, never installed linux on it tho, thanks

UPDATE:
Actually I already did that, except my partition was 465gb, I guess i can repeat the process and scale it down to 100gb, and the thread you suggested stated there are problems with installing windows on large hard drive.

Maguscreed said:

So basically everything sees the drive but the windows installation?
Are you 100% sure your usb is set up properly.

BIOS sees the drive (hard disk quick test), Diskpart sees the drive (diskpart> details), windows sees the drive too (at least the name i assigned showed up properly on the "where do you want to install windows" screen), but it just refuses to install

And I think the usb is set up properly, i mean the USB/DVD download tool is fairly simple, I will try it again with windows 7 home premium iso, maybe it's something with enterprise.

I am really out of ideas at this point, please stay with me

Layback Bear said:

I have no answers but do have a idea.
You posted.
I already have the license key from an educational institute, and this laptop was originally installed with Windows 7 Enterprise to comply with the educational institution's software, so none of the factory stuff remained.
-----------------
Have you contacted the Educational Institutes IT Department to find out if others are having this problem and the possible solution.?

No I have not, and maybe this piece of information would provide some brainspark. The previous installation of Windows 7 Enterprise was actually installed in UEFI mode (3 partitions), which is not an option in the BIOS.