Brand new build. Windows 7 install hangs on drivers?

iamc3k · 18 May 2014

Folks,

I've built a lot of computers. Really. Now, I'm stumped.

My buddy bought some components and I helped him put them together. Everything is brand new.

Mobo: asus H87-Plus
CPU: intel i5
Ram: 2x 4gb Gskill DDR 1600mhz
Harddrive: Samsung Evo 840
DVD: Asus of some variety

The bios works. Everything spins up, the mouse/keyboard work, etc.

Installing the Windows 7 install dvd and rebooting starts the install process. However, it stops with an error message which is something along the lines of "Windows couldn't find the driver. If you have an install CD it's okay to remove the windows installation disk to find the driver."

I =wish= I knew which driver it was missing!!!

I put the mobo disk in, browsed, and found dozens upon dozens of drivers. I have no idea if the missing driver is among them.

I do -not- have his machine hooked up to the internet: would that help?

Thank you,
Ken

ignatzatsonic · 18 May 2014

Is the Windows installation disk an ordinary retail purchased item from a standard store like Newegg, Best Buy, Amazon?

Or something else? Is it burned? Burned from a Digital River ISO?

iamc3k · 18 May 2014

It was a brand new disk, purchased from Best Buy, Amazon, or Newegg. I was there when he opened the envelope, broke the Windows 7 seal, and put the disk in the drive.

It's as legit as could be...

All new parts, all new OS disk. I've never seen an install hang due to a driver issue. Maybe I've been lucky...

(I thought about trying to install the mobo disk BEFORE the W7 install, but I didn't think that would work... File allocation, etc.)

If I had an inkling of what was needed, I could possibly direct the W7 install to the correct mobo disk directory during the driver browse pause.

Ken

ignatzatsonic · 18 May 2014

I'd certainly hook it up to the net, Windows may find something you need and immediately install it. I'm not sure from your description how far you are getting into the install.

iamc3k · 18 May 2014

That was my thought, as well. I've told him to hook it up and try to install W7...

I'll see what he says.

ignatzatsonic · 18 May 2014

I'd at least try to get the NIC Ethernet driver in hand before the install attempt, probably from the Asus web site for that board. Usually it's not needed to establish a net connection because the Windows disk will supply the driver, but I've heard of cases where Windows doesn't supply it and if you can't get a net connection going, you are on shaky ground.

gregrocker · 18 May 2014

Make sure the SATA controller is set to AHCI in BIOS setup.

Does the board have a UEFI BIOS, and if so are you booting DVD as a UEFI device? Check your BIOS settings for any which pertain to UEFI, CSM, Legacy BIOS on any of the tabs. Let us know the settings choices.

I personally would skip UEFI and choose CSM or Legacy BIOS setting to avoid headaches and no real benefits.

The error almost always is a bad installer which is strange if its new. But just to be sure write the ISO for your licensed version to flash stick with the Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool .

Other steps for Overcoming Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums

In the rarest case where it actually needs the SATA driver it will be under SATA, storage or AHCI on the mobo disk.

iamc3k · 19 May 2014

Thanks!

Yes, it's got a UEFI bios. (Asus H87-Plus, Bios 0806).
The one hard drive (Samsung 840 Evo, 256 Gb), is set as AHCI.

The mobo setup disk has tons of utilities, as well as drivers on it. It would be helpful if they had named the directories something which was descriptive.

I dug into the disk, during one of the "need a driver" install holdups, (again, the w7 install allows the w7 drive to be removed and a different one put in to browse for the driver). I found a SLEW of Sata and AHCI drivers. I had to choose which one to use. I started at the top of the list and worked down. The install stopped recognizing the DVD drive after 3 or 4 iterations.

I restarted the w7 install, got to the same point, and started picking drivers from the mobo disk from the point the install locked up. Again, after 3 or 4 iterations (browse to a directory, pick a folder) click "Next" (for the install driver w7 install window), and it would stop recognizing the DVD drive.

I did this 2 more times, total of four attempts, each time I was limited to browsing about 3 or 4 times, then the DVD drive would no longer be recognized by the w7 install program. That limits my ability to browse the mobo disk.

Upon restart, and a fresh attempt to install, the DVD drive was recognized. Every time.

NIC driver: I'll download that to a thumb drive, just in case.

Sata ports (Jmicron vs. Marvell vs. Intel): the board has 6 ports, split 2 and 4. There is no description, anywhere in the manual, about the types of sata controllers. Just in case, I'm having my buddy swap the hard drive connector to the other cluster.

I saw that Installation Problems Tutorial earlier. I did not think it applied to this particular situation, but then, I'm the guy who can't get windows to install!

I'll give it a shot, as well.

Thanks,
Ken

Edited to add: no verbiage, anywhere, about the Sata ports, but the Asus webpage for that mobo has downloadable drivers. Yep, the Sata downloads include Marvell and Intel.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that just swapping the SSD Sata plug will work. (Both it and the DVD are plugged into the 2 ports offset by themselves, 1 and 2. I'm going to try them by the cluster of 4, ports 3 through 6.)

======
Further edit: Despite having Marvell Sata controller drivers, the board shows that all 6 sata ports are run by the intel chipset.

I think I'll try to change the DVD drive hookup. It may set as AHCI...

gregrocker · 19 May 2014

I asked if you were booting the installer as a UEFI device. If no UEFI choices appear in Boot Menu it means it has already been set to CSM or Legacy Mode. Check those settings now to report back what other choices are available.

I also explained that in thousands of these cases we've dealt with here, exactly one has ever actually needed the driver. This always means a bad installer. So I suggested you try another.

Please try each step given and report back so we know you are following them. Then there may be more indicated. This is how we work here, what makes this the top tech forums ever.

iamc3k · 20 May 2014

One at a time:

gregrocker said:

I asked if you were booting the installer as a UEFI device. If no UEFI choices appear in Boot Menu it means it has already been set to CSM or Legacy Mode. Check those settings now to report back what other choices are available.

I don't recall if you asked about booting the installer as a UEFI device. I have NO friggin' idea what you mean by that. The mobo has a UEFI bios. Upon initial turn on, the UEFI bios appears. My buddy opened the dvd drive, put the windows disk into it, closed the drive, then rebooted the machine, using the DVD as the initial boot device. Windows 7 installer began upon reboot.

gregrocker said:

I also explained that in thousands of these cases we've dealt with here, exactly one has ever actually needed the driver. This always means a bad installer. So I suggested you try another.

I don't recall you stating that. I have several W7 disks that worked. I guess you're saying I should let my buddy use one of the those and just type in his unique key.

gregrocker said:

Please try each step given and report back so we know you are following them. Then there may be more indicated. This is how we work here, what makes this the top tech forums ever.

I'll try. But, as stated by me, this is not my machine. At the present moment, I am 500 miles away from it and will not be able to be near it until the weekend. It goes from me, to you, to me, to him...

I do appreciate the help.

I'll make the next step and have him try a known good disk. (Or, at least, it was good when I used it on a new build about 5 months ago.)

Ken