Solved Unable to get fresh install of Windows 7 on SSD

[johnearle99]

I have only used ports 1-4 and have tried all of them but have not tried the separate ports 5 and 6.

I will hook up the SSD into one of those and try that when I get home tonight.

Would there be any benefit to me installing windows on the SSD on another PC (my wifes) then taking it out and putting it into my setup?

Also if there is an issue with the SATA controller and I get around it by using one of these methods, how much headache could that cause in the future?

Thanks for all the help, these forums are truly invaluable!

 

[Saltgrass]

If you SATA controllers aren't working, your system won't work. I don't think it is a good idea for either system to be moving stuff back and forth.

Edit: I was going to bring this up earlier, but your motherboard manual does not mention this as a problem. But if you were to have your DVD drive connected to ports 5-6, you might move it down to 1-4 to test. If you had a bootable flash drive, you could even disconnect the DVD completely to remove it from the list of possible trouble points.

 

[johnearle99]

If you SATA controllers aren't working, your system won't work. I don't think it is a good idea for either system to be moving stuff back and forth.

Edit: I was going to bring this up earlier, but your motherboard manual does not mention this as a problem. But if you were to have your DVD drive connected to ports 5-6, you might move it down to 1-4 to test. If you had a bootable flash drive, you could even disconnect the DVD completely to remove it from the list of possible trouble points.

I have been using ports 1-4 for these exercises sometimes without the dvd and using a thumb drive.

I just spoke to an Asus support person and they told me to verify that I can install windows to the SSD by using another computer to ensure that the drive is working. I told them that i was able to format the drive in windows and read/write to it but they told me that I need to be able to install windows to ensure that the SSD is not the problem.

If I can get windows to install on the SSD on my wifes pc then he said it is most likely a defect in the board.

He still could not explain to me why when I use my old hard drive I get a Disk Read Error when I try to boot into windows (which to me shows an issue with the board).

I suppose when I get home tonight I have a couple more things I can try before swapping boards, the cpu/mobo/ssd setup i am using is pretty common and I don't see alot of glaring reports of issues so I would assume this would work quick and easy, alas that has not happened haha.

 

[johnearle99]

Update on this issue tonight.

So I grabbed a windows 7 home retail disc from a friend just to try it out tonight to see the results.

I wiped my old 1tb Sansung HD and attempted to do an install with my burnt W7 disc mentioned previously, I received the same "windows cannot create a partition error"

I rebooted with the Windows 7 retail disc and attempted the same install on my 1tb Samsung and got past copying files and it started expanding files. However at ~ 23% and 15 minutes worth it failed with an error

Windows cannot access the installation sources. Verify that the installation sources are accessible, and restart the installation."



I used the same Windows disc on the SSD and it also got passed Copying files and started expanding but this time I received the error

"Windows cannot [COLOR=blue !important][FONT=inherit !important][COLOR=blue !important][FONT=inherit !important]install[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] required files. Make sure all files required for installation are available and restart in the installation. Error code: 0x8007045D"


This is the same error I received when I previously got to this step using the burnt media.


I am going to just go with the fact that this is a SATA controller issue and install the new mobo i have to replace it and see what happens.

Will respond back with findings.

 

[johnearle99]

Just installed a new mobo and I am still having the same results.

I am now at a loss. The only component I have left to get rid of is my video card and this mobo doesnt have on board video.

Frustration is incredible right now.

 

[johnearle99]

Hooked up my old hard drive, reset bios settings.

When I got into windows setup, I deleted the existing partition and click the New button and it created a system partition and a normal partition, I chose the normal partition and hit next.

Windows successfully installed on my old hard drive.

Now i just need to get it to work on the SSD. But this is progress!

 

[gregrocker]

Unplug HD, make sure SSD registers in BIOS setup, while there set SATA controller to AHCI.

Boot installer, select Custom install, use Drive Options to delete all partitions and create new, install.

 

[johnearle99]

Unplug HD, make sure SSD registers in BIOS setup, while there set SATA controller to AHCI.

Boot installer, select Custom install, use Drive Options to delete all partitions and create new, install.

I reburnt my media using imgburn at 4X with verify. Follow the directions given and windows gets to expanding files and then gives me:

Windows cannot install required files. Make sure all files required for installation are available and restart in the installation. Error code: 0x8007045D"

 

[johnearle99]

When I try to format the SSD when logged into Windows under my old HD it is giving me an error when trying to format the disk.

This is an interesting development.

 

[gregrocker]

That error code is a Disk-read failure.

Try a new ISO burned to DVD or written to stick using the tool in Step 1 and 2 of Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

If DVD fails, try flash stick method. If that fails unplug the DVD drive and try flash stick again.


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164

 

[johnearle99]

That error code is a Disk-read failure.

Try a new ISO burned to DVD or written to stick using the tool in Step 1 and 2 of Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

If DVD fails, try flash stick method. If that fails unplug the DVD drive and try flash stick again.

I just installed w7 using a disc on my normal HD so i think this is related to the SSD not allowing the install to write to it.

I can't format the hard drive when I log into windows it gives me a format error, but I know I formatted it yesterday on my wifes PC successfully.

This is really wierd, maybe I am missing some driver on this fresh w7 install related to HDs?

 

[gregrocker]

Try wiping with DIskpart Clean Command, then create, format and mark Active from Step 2.2 in SSD - HDD Optimize for Windows Reinstallation.

Unplug all other HD's and peripherals first.

The problems you report with EFI BOot disk showing up irregularly in BIOS is unresolved. Try resetting the BIOS to defaults, remove EFI Boot disk for BIOS boot order, set SSD first to boot, trigger DVD or flash stick (use both methods) from the BIOS Boot Menu key at boot.

Next test your RAM - Test with Memtest86+ for 5-6 passes.

IF AHCI mode repeatedly fails, try IDE mode.

Do you have a flash stick to try that method next?

 

[johnearle99]

I had to download the Asus ACHI drivers in my old HDs version of windows in order to format the SSD in windows. Once I was able to format the drive I disconnect my other HD and booted up the windows installer.

At this point I had to load the ACHI drivers again before choosing the partition I just formatted in the previous windows session.

Windows is now successfully installing on my SSD.

Thanks to all who helped me with this ordeal!

 

[gregrocker]

Good work, John!

We will have to remember that not all AHCI drivers are in installer as previous assumed.

Was there an error message that pointed to this? I don't recall it.

Did you ever get a chance to try IDE mode as suggested earlier? This sometimes is even recommended by the manufacturer, although we normally advise trying AHCI first for it's more modern features.

 

[johnearle99]

There was no error message related to a driver I kept receive windows cannot create a partition and when I got passed this I ran into installation cannot isntall files. Both of these I now believe are related to the ACHI driver not being run previous to running the installer, that should really be mentioned in the book somewhere.

I tried loading the drive in IDE and this was not successful for my particular setup.

This was the most frustration Ive run into dealing with computers in a long time (I'm a MS Dynamics Consultant) but I learned a whole lot about SSDs and Windows 7 installs that I now can be the person my friends turn to in a crunch.

Thanks again for all the help this board was invaluable.

 

[gregrocker]

I cannot think of another case so far where an AHCI driver was not in the Win7 installer, or it didn't alternately install in IDE mode. But we're getting farther out from SP1 now.

Please consider sticking around to help others as many of the techniques and methods developed here since before Win7 release must be reworked with EFI BIOS.

Your description of how unstable the EFI Boot disks' appearance during various install scenarios is still a concern.