Cannot Install Windows 7 Ultimate x64 - Laptop

I wanted Windows 8.1 in the machine. The reason I mentioned 7, 8.1, and 10 was to troubleshoot it. After digging around for the correct settings, all of which I had tried in both CMS and UEFI modes, I wasn't the only person to have the same issue with that particular modem of laptop. After calling Asus Support and quickly verifying the settings once again both ways and trying the install on the phone with a rep. I was put on a brief hold and issued a reference number for the case because I declined to RMA a brand new laptop (I actually bought 3) and decided to return them for something else.

Although I am not 100% sure what the issue is, Asus specifically referenced a defective hard drive. Outside of the BIOS and booting into the preinstalled Windows 10 on it. There is no other way to access the hard drive. Even under the diskpart, list disk command, the drive does not show up at all. Regardless of which RST drivers I used during the Windows installation, Intel and Asus, the drive would never show up to install to. I was tempted to pull the drive out and see if it showed up on my desktop for a Windows install but that seems a bit ridiculous to do considering Asus wanted me to ship the whole laptop back to them in California, hence why I decided to take the 3 of them and return them. No, I haven't bothered to open the other two because this particular model seems to suffer from quite a few issues, including thermal throttling, along with the issue I experienced, as well as many others.

To address the people who champion 10. I personally don't like it and think Windows 8, not 8.1, was Microsoft's best implementation of Windows to date. Before someone says it. No, I have never used a touch screen with my PC and don't plan on it either.

Have a read of this
Error code 0x80070570 when installing Windows 7 for the first time. - Microsoft Community

Roy

torchwood said:

Have a read of this
Error code 0x80070570 when installing Windows 7 for the first time. - Microsoft Community

Roy

CMS on modern Asus laptops is booting legacy, ATA or PATA instead of Raid and AHCI. I still couldn't get any version of Windows, disc or USB stick, to detect that there was a hard drive to install to. I did not run MemTest to test the memory but there are no $ folders on C, at least in the root. chkdsk obviously won't work in the Recovery Console if diskpart can't see the hard drive. You can't check something that doesn't appear to be there. Definitely a good read though.

If you can't see any disk during win 7 installation you have to provide the SATA drivers.
Create a Windows 7 USB flash installation with new drives for new MB's - Windows 7 Help Forums

I did have drivers for the hard drive when it wasn't showing up. I loaded them and even tried them all when the one for it didn't get the drive to appear. I tried different versions of the driver from Asus and Intel with the same result. No hard drive showed up to install Windows to.

Hi JCSWW,

I had something sinilar on my Asus x55a, legacy Bios only.
It came pre-loaded 8 took it up to 10.
BUT
my Mr's lappy broke so in the interim, i clean booted to 7 after changing Bios settings.
I just cant remember what i changed??
The fun came getting back to 10
NO HDD detected, all it did was boot to BIOS, same as you?

it was all to do with CSM, and yes AHCI and IDE settings.
found some info on the notebook review site.

Roy

torchwood said:

Hi JCSWW,

I had something sinilar on my Asus x55a, legacy Bios only.
It came pre-loaded 8 took it up to 10.
BUT
my Mr's lappy broke so in the interim, i clean booted to 7 after changing Bios settings.
I just cant remember what i changed??
The fun came getting back to 10
NO HDD detected, all it did was boot to BIOS, same as you?

it was all to do with CSM, and yes AHCI and IDE settings.
found some info on the notebook review site.

Roy

I hadn't looked at reviews of the laptop because it originally wasn't what I was going to buy. I did spend a half hour on the phone with Asus though, going through both legacy and AHCI booting into the Windows installer with no such luck. One would think their own support would know all of the correct settings to change to put the BIOS into IDE and the hard drive still didn't show up. It should need a driver for IDE/Legacy but even after loading the driver they told me to download from their own site and still no hard drive to install to.

I was looking forward to Windows 10 until Microsoft decided to take away the UI selection during hte setup. Taking away user choice for their bastardized kitbash and purposely hiding things is frustrating. There was no need to move the Control Panel to Start/All Programs/Windows System/.

Windows 7 isn't that bad and still leagues better than 10 in my opinion. It is the tried and tested look of Windows that so many of us are used to. Windows 8, not the 8.1 update, I think would have been received better if Microsoft has put in the effort to explain their innovation of the GUI to users in a way that helps them get used to the interface, which was a drastic change for its time.