Installing to SSD, no partition detected

Hi,

I am building a desktop for the first time. I am trying to install Windows 7 onto my SSD (Kingston SSDNow V+200) via USB.
I extracted the Win 7 iso onto the USB stick, selected that as Boot Option 1 and SSD and option 2. Ive read other forums and selected ACHI mode, formatted SSD as NTFS created partitions (even via command line) etc but am still getting the error message "Setup was unable to create a new partition or detect one....... please see setup log files"

Where can I access the log files? Is there any way to actually install it via command line?
Any help would be great!

J'ai beg!

Thanks

James

Hi there

Let's go back to the beginning again

1) On the USB stick do the following -- use the DISKPART utility. get the disk number of the USB stick via DISKPART LISTDISK command - let's assume it is Disk 1. Run from the CMD line in ADMINISTRATOR MODE.

select disk 1
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=NTFS QUICK
assign
exit


Now the computer will assign a letter to the USB sick -- assume it's G.

we need to make this USB bootable so insert your Windows install disk into the dvd drive -- assume it's letter F

run these commands.

cd f:\boot
f:
bootsect.exe /nt60 g: where G is the usb stick

this will create the boot sector on the USB stick

Now copy the entire contents of the windows install disk to the USB stick.

After this is done set the bios to boot from the USB drive -- you probably will need to have the USB stick inserted into a usb slot when the machine is powered on so the BIOS can detect it.

As for the SSD - if it's totally unformatted windows might not detect it - so try and format it first - an easy way is to attach the SDD via a SATA-->USB adapter and format it from the OLD windows system -- otherwise create a bootable copy of partition wizard and boot it and format the SSD.

Cheers
jimbo

Hi Jimbo,

thanks for the quick reply. I have done most of that, I can get as far as the setup of Windows, the window where it says "Where do you want to install windows", it shows my SSD as "Disk 0 Partition 1" and I have formatted it as NTFS
But when I press next it says "Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information".


Do I need to create a boot sector on the SSD, like the USB stick and use
cd f:\boot
f:
bootsect.exe /nt60 g:

How does this work with SATA ports?

James

yep, made it active

I have noticed that if I start with my SSD completely wiped/no partitions, and I click on Advanced Options --> New and allocate all the space to a partition and click apply. It only turns the name into "Disk 0 Partition 1" and does not create another smaller partition for system files which I have seen happening in videos, can this help explain why?

As that mobo has a UEFI BIOS, the flash stick must be specially formatted for UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows.

Then take these special steps to install to UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums.

More information about UEFI BIOS vs. Legacy BIOS - YouTube.

If you have persisting problems you can also Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7

Hi there
I'm stuck now -- can't think what's wrong -- so I'd think about attacking this another way.

1) remove the SSD -- simply disconnect it.

2) partition the older / original HDD into say 2 partitions -- 60GB or so for W7 and leave the rest as "D" or whatever.

3) Install W7 conventionally on a standard HDD on the C partition.

If W7 won't install on the standard HDD then you've got a problem with MOBO connections / power supply etc.
If W7 DOES install reconnect the SSD -- W7 should see it -- then format it and then disconnect it again.

Now if W7 installs OK download something like Free Macrium and proceed as follows.

1) backup the "C" partition to the "D" partition (and also backup the small system partition). You do this by BOOTING the free Macrium software.

2) Re-connect the SSD

3) Restore the backed up "C" partition and the hidden system partition to the SSD.

4) Change the boot order in the BIOS to select the SSD before the HDD.

5) If it boots reformat / repartition the old HDD.

Note - a basic W7 system should easily install even on a small 60 GB SSD --although larger capacity ones are really cheap now too. Also for partitioning the drives you can download a bootable version of partition wizard if you don't have an available working system to do this.

If you have a working system on the HDD you don't need to re-install the W7 system -- just DYNAMICALLY repartition the HDD with the bootable Partition wizard and then proceed as from step 1 in the second section (after backing up the Windows and small system partitions).

Cheers
jimbo