You said you have an EFI BIOS. Did you remove EFI BOot Disk from BIOS boot order and set DVD or HD first to boot?
Then did you look for a setting for "Legacy BIOS" or similar to avoid EFI install?
Finally, is the SSD formatted MBR and not GPT? To make sure, run the CLean Command again followed by the command "Convert MBR"
If install fails try again creating, formatting and marking Active partition from Step 2.2 in SSD - HDD Optimize for Windows Reinstallation
Your system specs say you have Windows 7 Pro x64.....anything to add?
An SSD, when connected correctly to a compatible system will be recognized in the bios and install without problems.
So, what is not right with compatible or recognized? Does the bios show it as a 128 GB drive (or something close)?
Have your checked for bios updates?
Sorry if I repeat prior suggestions, but I don't feel like reading 30 responses.
The EFI boot disk does not show up everytime I go into BIOS. This I thought was wierd.
When I use my Vista install disc in the DVD drive, I do not see the UEFI icon in the boot setup
When I use the thumbdrive with W7 media in Bios the thumbdrive shows up as UEFI in the boot priority
When I use the Windows 7 burnt disc in the dvd drive it shows a UEFI version of the isntall disk but I have that last in boot priority.
I cannot find a Legacy BIOS or similar setting in the Asus M5A97 BIOS or booklet.
The disk is formatted as MBR I have run the convert is diskpart to ensure this.
I cannot do any of the steps listed in the diskpart walkthroughs.
Sometimes I will receive an error at the clean stage (I/O device error)
I always receive an error at the format stage (Invalid Parameter error)
OK let's go to fundamentals since we're still learning about EFI here, too.
Post back or google the exact verbatim error message you get when you attempt to format using the booted Win7 installer. This will take you to recent posts from others dealing with the same issue, often showing their resolution.
If you'll post it back as well as Google we have some excellent Google Fu here to cut to the best results.
When you run the Diskpart command, and list disk the sel disk 0 (or whatever) the detail disk, what type of info about the disk are you showing?
I have attached a snipping tool picture of my SSD in a UEFI install, of course. But your situation is not related to UEFI.
I get 2 different errors depending on which install media I use
When using the Windows 7 burnt disc or Thumbdrive (with the disc info on it) install-
In Diskpart when i attempt to format fs=nfts label="Windows 7" as per the tutorials I have found on here I see a 0 percent complete message and then receive the error (usually after some time)
Diskpart encountered an error. Parameters are invalid
Most of the googling I do on this topic seems to point to a bad hard drive.
However, I can format the hard drive on my wifes PC and write to it without issue.
When using the retail Vista Disc I get this error when trying to format:
Virtual Disk Service Error: The file system is incompatible
Also after I attempt to format and it fails, the disk no longer shows up in list disk.
If I make any changes to the disk via the windows install window (delete a partition) and then go into Diskpart to do a clean I get a
Diskpart has encountered an error: the request could not be performed because of a I/O device error
once this error occurs the disk does not show up in the list.
When I hook up my old hard drive a 1tb Samsung that has windows on it and try to boot from the drive I get the error (9 times out of 10):
Disk read error press cntrl + alt +del to reset
One time out of the 10 attempts, I believe it was attempt ~6 I got the windows 7 loading graphic then a quick blue screen flash and the PC reset.
With all these symptoms I am leaning towards a bad SATA controller on the mobo but I don't want to open up a new one I just got from a nearby store and put it in just to have the same issue pop up. But I think I may risk it tonight and do just that. Ideas on these symptoms?
Your SATA ports 1-4 bottom (or left) of the board and 5-6 (mddle) appear to have some differences and may even have a separate controller. I am not that familiar with AMD products, but the controller can be set differently for each group, to a certain extent.
Have you tried changing from one section to another?
Edit: If you were thinking about using the other motherboard, any chance you could start with a normal HHD that had been cleaned (or new), and use it for testing? But I would not attach the SSD until I had verified the SATA controllers are working. Also, of course, you know not to move the connectors with power on the system.
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