Installing Windows 7 on an SSD

From that guide, maybe I should follow 186875 guide for UEFI devices.

Are you booting the installer as an EFI device or installing to Legacy BIOS? What are the exact settings choices for CSM? Is there a setting for UEFI or Legacy boot first?

This is ASUS UEFI BIOS Utility.
Under boot, I have a CSM subsection with these choices

Launch CSM (* Enabled, Auto, Disabled)
Boot Device Control (*UEFI and Legacy OPROM, Legacy OPROM only, UEFI only)
Boot from Network Devices (*Legacy OPROM first, UEFI Driver first, ignore)
Boot from storage devices (*Legacy OPROM first, UEFI Driver first, ignore, Both-Legacy OPROM first, Both-UEFI First)
Boot from PCI-E (*Legacy OPROM first, UEFI driver first)

Thanks for helping.

At Step 7 for Clean Install Windows 7

Second SS is UEFI BIOS main screen (EZ Mode)

Thanks for the idea. Ubuntu installed from a Live USB with no problem, and Gparted formatted the SSD without a hiccup. Trying to install, again, on the SSD produced the same error shown previously - even with HDD physically disconnected. So this confirms the problem is a Windows conflict.

But I'm giving up, I'll just use the HDD as a boot device. I now have a Ubuntu install on the SSD, and can use the SSD for whatever else needs fast loading. Thank you all for the help.

You can try an EFI install by booting the installer as an EFI device, delete all partitions again during install, create and format new.

Your BIOS settings appear to allow either EFI or Legacy installs.