Windows 7 install doesn't recognise my hard drive

You dont' need Vista on the HD except to try as a platform for clean install or even in-place Upgrade as a last resort if install will not budge.

Just leave the Product Key box blank during install and use the quick registry workaround given here to activate when installed to cleaned HD: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

4gb is fine for writing install ISO to stick. I gave you the writing method which always works for me - the MS tool can be picky and others hit-n-miss:
Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create
How to: install Windows (any version from XP to Win7) from a USB/flash drive | Tips 'n Tricks | dotTech

Hi,

I'm at work but i've got a couple of minutes so I thought i'd add a quick update of where i got to last night.

Kind of good and bad news but hopefully just a blip.

Once i completed the steps Theog listed i went into the BIOS and for some reason in the Hard Disk Boot Priority menu my usb stick was listed first and the hard drive second, i changed the order and saved it. In W7 when the option to choose where to install came up the hard drive was listed and no message to say i couldn't install to it. Hooray!!

I started the install and it went through the steps of expanding and updating and what not. It took a while and said it may restart several times and near the end it did restart. The thing is when the computer rebooted it started the whole process again. It was late and i didn't want to sit through it all again so i cancelled the install.

My question is when the computer restarted should i have gone into the BIOS and set the hard drive as the First Boot Device? Or is it right that W7 goes through the install again and expanding/updating. I don't remember it doind that on my main PC.

You may have your CD/DVD as first boot.
Check when you get home.

Normally when this happens it is because at reboot we mistakenly choose "Press any key to boot DVD" instead of letting the HD start on its own to continue install.

If you did not receive the prompt and it started install over then set HD as first boot device in BIOS, and commence install using one-time BIOS Boot Menu key. If you can't find that key, then either remove the DVD from drive or unplug external DVD drive during the restart.

The dvd drive is listed as the first boot device and hard drive as second. I guess it needs to be to install W7? I am doing this from memory though so you're right, i'll double check when i get home.

My BIOS also also has an option saying Hard Disk Boot Priority and when pressing enter it brings up a list which was is where my USB stick was selected as the first option and enabled me to install to the hard drive.

DocBrown, It installed from the disk and it seemed to be working. I thought i'd try it before exploring the USB Flash stick option. The stick was only still in the computer from when i had tried to install the SATA driver.

Thanks gregrocker, i did hit any key come to think of it and i'll leave it alone tonight.

Cheers

Well, great news.

I turned on the PC and Windows 7 must have loaded fine last night as it's now set up and installing updates.

Just wanted to say thank you very much to everyone who gave me advise yesterday. I can't believe it was so difficult, at one time i thought it wasn't ever going to work.

You guys really know your stuff!

Thanks again,

Dave