Windows 7 install doesn't recognise my hard drive

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  1. Posts : 11
    Windows 7 64bit
       #1

    Windows 7 install doesn't recognise my hard drive


    Hi,

    I'm building a second pc for my son and installing W7, i get to the point where it asks where to install and no hard drives are listed. I've looked through Google and there's loads of instances of this but i can't find anything that's helped.

    The system is:

    Gigabyte GA MA-770-UD3 rev 1.0
    WD Caviar blue 500gb
    Cooler Master 500w PSU
    ATI 4870
    2GB DDR2 Ram
    Athlon 6000

    I suspect I need a driver for the SATA Controller but looking on the Gigabyte site and selecting my mobo and revision i'm not sure which file i need. I've downloaded the Chipset Driver, extracted to the desktop on my main PC and copied to a USB stick but when going to 'load drivers' when installing W7 it says there are no compatible files. I've gone through the Chipset Driver file and it have installed some files but nothing that has helped.

    I've also changed the AHCI setting to enabled in the BIOS and downloaded the AHCI preinstall driver but that didn't make the hard drive visible. I've since reverted to the default settings of Native IDE in the BIOS. The BIOS recognises the hard drive but W7 installer doesn't. I emailed Gigabyte a few days ago but they've not come back to me yet, i'm starting to wonder if they ever will to be honest.

    The hard drive was new and sealed, i thought the issue might have been that it needed to be formatted so i connected it to my main PC with the same cables i've been using and it was recognised straight away and was formatted so i think the cables and Hard Drive are ok. I've tried another new SATA cable and no difference.

    I don't know what else to try, any ideas?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #2

    You can download Sata controller F6 driver for Gigabyte GA MA-770-UD3 rev 1.0 from here:
    GA-MA770-UD3 (rev. 1.0) - GIGABYTE - Suporte - Placa Mãe - Driver

    Windows 7 install doesn't recognise my hard drive-capture.png
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 9,606
    Win7 Enterprise, Win7 x86 (Ult 7600), Win7 x64 Ult 7600, TechNet RTM on AMD x64 (2.8Ghz)
       #3

    Welcome DaveG

    Did you connect the HD to Sata port zero(0) or sata port 1 on the motherboard ?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 11
    Windows 7 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Hi,

    Thanks but that's the driver i installed previously. I'm using W7 64bit though but i thought i'd try again and still no hard drive listed.

    Just to make sure i'm not doing anything stupid.

    The screen comes up saying 'where do you want to install windows'. No options are listed and at the bottom of the screen it says 'No drives were found. Click Load Driver to provide mass storage driver for installation'.

    Pressing F6 or clicking the load driver option does the same thing but i've clicked both at different times.

    I browse and point to Multiboot(E:) and click ok.

    A message comes up saying 'No signed drivers were found. Make sure that the installation media contains the correct drivers and click ok'.

    If I select the Multiboot(E:) and select the ahci bootdisc file it doesn't do anything. If i deselect the option to hide files that aren't compatible it brings up the drivers and seems to load or did the first time i selected it but still no drives listed. I've hit refresh at that point but still nothing.

    I'm stumped?? Is that the right way to go about it?

    Docbrown. According to my mobo manual It's Sata port 0 that the hd is connected to. If i go to standard cmos features in my bios the hard drive is listed on ide channel 2 master. I don't know if that's correct? And thanks for the welcome by the way:). Also I don't know if this will make any difference but my dvd drive is an external usb drive.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #5

    Try cleaning HD command prompt.

    1) Boot DVD, & Press Shift+F10 (for command prompt)
    2) Boot DVD, & Command Prompt at Startup
    (for command prompt)

    Type in command line
    DISKPART
    DISKPART
    LIST DISK
    SELECT DISK # (win HD)
    CLEAN ALL
    CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
    SELECT PARTITION 1
    ACTIVE
    FORMAT fs=NTFS
    ASSIGN
    EXIT
    EXIT

    SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 9,606
    Win7 Enterprise, Win7 x86 (Ult 7600), Win7 x64 Ult 7600, TechNet RTM on AMD x64 (2.8Ghz)
       #6

    New years weekend I did a Newer Gigabyte MB with 2 SATA HD's. No drivers needed.

    https://www.sevenforums.com/overclock...ml#post1157908

    When doing the win7 installation, I chose be connected to the Internet to get updates. win7 will find 98% of needed drivers if you do this I had it connected with a Cat5 ethernet cable to the ethernet port on the MB. I did have the bios set to Native IDE, as that is the way it was configured right out of the box.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 11
    Windows 7 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thanks Doc brown but connecting to the internet hasn't changed anything, i thought that seemed so obvious though but nothing

    Theog, i'm just going through your suggestion. Can i just check that the clean all part should take some time, it makes sense if it should, it's been running for about 20 mins now with the cursor flashing and i can't type anything. The hard drive is 500gb and disk 0 is listed as 465gb and online so that must be the one?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 9,606
    Win7 Enterprise, Win7 x86 (Ult 7600), Win7 x64 Ult 7600, TechNet RTM on AMD x64 (2.8Ghz)
       #8

    465gb available is about correct for a WD 500gb HD. Was this a brand new Gigabyte MB?

    Windows 7 install doesn't recognise my hard drive-wd_500gb_blue_hd_snip.jpg

    Yes, it will take a while to do the Clean.

    Since you said the HD & cables worked on another computer, possibly the the SATA port is bad on the MB How about the next available Sata port ?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 2,963
    Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit
       #9

    To answer your question about the clean all command, it will take quite some time. A 500gb HDD should take about two hours. I know it seems like a long time, but to increase your chances of getting everything to work, just let it finish and follow the other instructions theog provided.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #10

    Now you have set the HD up, should show in setup.

    Best to make sure new HD are set up, first.
      My Computer


 
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