Windows 7 install from x32 to x64 error! Nightmare!

[v3gas4ce]

Hi,
New to this forum, but read a lot of information off here, but none has helped me as yet. Probably due to the almost infinte variables between computer parts and software.

My problem is the "no cd/dvd Drive Device driver" on a clean install of windows 7 ulitimate x64.

So I'll give you all a little information on what I'm hoping to achieve and as much info as is possible.
My aim is to install x64 version of windows 7 on my new 500gb sata hdd so I don't have to delete 1000's of pictures or gb's of music from my "old hdd" and make the most of my 16gb RAM with a system that will use it.

I am currently running Windows 7 ultimate x86, all genuine and legit, no problems what so ever, apart from I have 16GBs of RAM which only 3gb is usable because it's a x86 system.
I decided to upgrade (not from inside x86, via clean install) to the x64 version of windows 7 ultimate.
I checked that my computer was compatible with the methods shown (performance and tools info) And it checked out that I was able to run a x64 os on my machine.

I downloaded the .iso and the Windows7 usb/dvd download tool to make a proper bootable disk in windows (on a x32 machine, no idea if this means a thing)
I first tried to install from a normally burnt dvd at various speeds (from x16-x2 and made sure they were finalised)
I have also downloaded the .iso file from Digital River + torrent (just to check)
I have around 7 disks that don't boot, and one which does aswell as the standard x32 retail one which works perfectly.
---------boot disks that don't work were normally burn dvds (all speeds I tried). The one that did boot was made in the windows program for making a dvd install disk.
So I'm quite sure it's not the disk at fault.

It does makes me wonder if it is even possible to upgrade to a x64 system from a x32 setup?

I have downloaded the newest (what I can tell) Drivers from amd for the sata Raid controller (ahcix64s.sys+11-2_win7_32-64_raid.exe)
from here Download driver to use Hard Disk Sentinel

WHAT HAPPENS:
----------------
Go into bios change boot sequence to dvd-rom (insert win7x64 install disk)
press any key to boot from cd or dvd...
loading files
language selection and region
"click" install
setup starting
Problem "cd/dvd drive device drivers missing. If you have them on cd/dvd/usb ....etc.."
No matter which drivers I point at the system somes back with "no new devices found"

I have followed a lot of advice on here and booted from the dvd to the set up (changed bios sata mode to AHCI, RAID, IDE modes and tried with them all with no luck. I always end up after the language selection on "collecting information" trying to point the system at a driver

I do not own a flash drive (4gb) to put the install on, and have no other idea on what I may need to do.
So some people with any knowledge of this that could possibly give me some ways to progress would be awesome.
Thank you all very much for reading and thank you in advance if you try to help me solve this problem.

my computer specs are:
CPU: amd athlon II x3 460)
Ram: 16gb (4x4gb) corsair xms3 1033 quad channel
dvd drive: tsstcorp cd/dvdw ts-h552l
hdd's: seagate 320gb (unused in install)
seagate 500gb st50423as (formatted and fresh for install)
GPU: nvidia geforce gt9600
psu: 600w
Os: Windows 7 ulitmate x32.
(any other information can be given on request)

-v3

 

[theog]

You need to do a clean install, As the new MOBO's now have a uEFI BIOS.
How to install Windows 64 bit on a uEFI BIOS:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-7-a.html


For more info on uEFI:
Windows and GPT FAQ
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
UEFI and Windows

 

[gregrocker]

Unplug all other HD's and peripherals, Boot into BIOS setup to see if there is an EFI Boot Disk in BIOS Boot order. If so remove it, set DVD drive first to boot. If EFI BIOS also set to Legacy BIOS.

Then boot into installer DVD or flash stick, at first screen Press Shift + F10 to open a Command Box, type:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SEL DIS 0 (after confirming Windows 7 target HD #)
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=102400
FORMAT FS=NTFS LABEL="WINDOWS 7"
ACTIVE
EXIT

Next click Install Now to Clean Install Windows 7 to partition you created. If it fails then report back at which step and the verbatim error message.

In addition read over these steps to understand the tools and methods which work best to get and maintain a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. The steps are the same for retail.

If these steps fail and you continue getting the same error, it is a problem with the installer. Burn to DVD using ImgBurn at 4x speed, or write to flash stick using Universal USB Installer with Win7 in dropdown menu.

 

[v3gas4ce]

Thanks, but no...

Theog, I have tried your method to no avail.
MY mobo asrock 970 extreme4 has EUFI set up and boot options. I spent about an hour getting all the settings right to get the "EUFI - tsstcorp cd/dvdw" to boot with the win7x64 disk in it in EUFI mode.
I pressed F11 to custom boot the cd/dvd drive in EUFI

It was only the last time that I tried that I knew it was in EUFI mode 100% because the screen was smaller and I still ran into the same problems.
When I returned to the EUFI setup on restart, I found the non-EUFI "sata tsstcorp" in boot option 1, replacing what was EUFI.

I looked into the win7x64 install disk to see if I could find the .efi files I read it could need and they aren't on the install disk. I have the cdboot.efi and the cdboot_nopromt.efi files on the installation disk but they aren't seen When I get to the device driver stage.

I'm now going to try out gregrocker's suggestion before setting fire to my computer and giving this x64 up as a bad job

 

[v3gas4ce]

I have just tried gregrockers method but also get to the same point.
I unplugged everything. Basically just a mouse, keyboard, dvd drive and the hdd i was trying to install on. It managed to partition the hard drive before clicking install now but almost instantly it came back to the

"A required cd/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, cd, DVD, or USB flash drive, please insert it now."

Only thing I've not tried is imgburn @ 4x speed.
Will try now.
Thanks for your help so far. It is appreciated.

 

[gregrocker]

The error almost always is a bad installer. But it could also be a bad DVD drive, so if latest official ISO burned using Imgburn x 4x speed fails repeatedly then write to flash stick and unplug the DVD drive to try booting it.

 

[v3gas4ce]

Tried the imgburn @4.0x it all burnt and verified smoothly, had no other programs running in the background, didn't even move the mouse! (can get a screenshot of the imgburn "last burn" if it will help?)

placed the newly burnt iso into the dvd drive and re-booted....the boot from dvd was a lot faster than usual, but still ended up with the exact same problem!

I have seen a few threads on here with more suggestions that I may try until I get the usb Flash drive
(refund from MS or a discount off the price of the os because you need a flash drive to run an install DVD?).

One which is inserting the mobo install disk when I get to the "driver error" and checking for the x64 drivers on there?

and the other one is another download of a .iso and burn using imgburn @ 4.0x
(But I don't know if I'll ever need 9 broken Windows 7 x64 ultimate install DVD's)

One last question. If the installer is bad, would I need to re-download a new .iso to put on the flash drive, because to me that makes no sense. If the installer is bad, it would be for on the flash drive, the only difference being that I won't have the dvd drive for this error to pop up... is the flash drive a kind of "ignore and skip to the next issue"?
What happens when I plug the dvd drive back in?
will it be undetected because it wasn't there during the install? or will it be like plug and play where it will auto install the driver when I turn on the computer for the first time?

 

[gregrocker]

Where did you get Win7 ISO? How is it being activated?

Download the latest to burn DVD or write to stick. Otherwise you have no way to know it's intact besides checking HASH against Technet or MSDN. Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life

 

[v3gas4ce]

I have downloaded a few versions of the .iso from various places.
The one that "seems" to be finishing and all the correct files is the one off the Dell community website with a link to the digital river download.
Dell Community

I have the x17-59465.iso off there (described as Win 7 ultimate x64)
I also have the retail copy which I bought when I upgraded a few of my computer parts from scan.co.uk
(described as Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 32 Bit, SP1 Operating System, Single, - OEM)
that is installed fine now.
I did think at one point that it would be free for me to upgrade from 32bit to 64bit. but If it isn't I will purchase a key after the install has run properly.

 

[theog]

The keys work in both 32bit & 64bit.

 

[natakuc4]

I have downloaded a few versions of the .iso from various places.
The one that "seems" to be finishing and all the correct files is the one off the Dell community website with a link to the digital river download.
Dell Community

I have the x17-59465.iso off there (described as Win 7 ultimate x64)
I also have the retail copy which I bought when I upgraded a few of my computer parts from scan.co.uk
(described as Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 32 Bit, SP1 Operating System, Single, - OEM)
that is installed fine now.
I did think at one point that it would be free for me to upgrade from 32bit to 64bit. but If it isn't I will purchase a key after the install has run properly.

Try also using the Microsoft .iso to USB/DVD tool also. This often works better then the likes of imgburn (although imgburn is a great program) for burning the WIndows 7 .iso. The download to this tool is mentioned in my wiki that you referred to above.

 

[gregrocker]

Download another ISO from the link provided and burn to DVD or write to stick with Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool.

If the DVD fails, then try the flash stick method. If that fails unplug the DVD drive to start again.

Reset BIOS to defautls: Clear CMOS - 3 Ways to Clear the CMOS - Reset BIOS.

Set SATA controller to AHCI to try install, unplug all other hD's and peripherals.

 

[v3gas4ce]

right, I'm getting quite annoyed with this install thing.
I have borrowed an 8gb flash drive off a friend to transfer the files to.

First attempt:-
Copied all the instructions from: How To: Install Windows 7 from a USB Key! - Page 2 | Maximum PC
"To the LETTER"
plug in the usb drive after the reboot and go into bios to change the booting sequence to "usb #1"
right away, different looking installer. (this must be good/right)
all the way through the install to "Completing install"
Computer reboots....
Boots again off the usb drive and starts the install from scratch.
Thought, "Well I can format and try again I suppose"

Second attempt:
started the install again and unplugged the usb drive and re-inserted it when it I knew the computer would restart.
Get all the way to the end of the install "preparing your desktop"
all loads fine.
so I check what version is running in System information..... 32bit
probably the torrent .iso

re-download the X17-59465.iso and extract it once again to the usb flash drive following the instructions from the link shown earlier.
Get up to the "Bootsect.exe /nt60 G: (G: is my usb drive)
Error____________________________________________________________________________
C:\Users\Liam\Desktop\windows 7\boot>bootsect.exe /nt60 G:
This version of C:\Users\Liam\Desktop\windows 7\boot\bootsect.exe is not compati
ble with the version of Windows you're running. Check your computer's system inf
ormation to see whether you need a x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version of the p
rogram, and then contact the software publisher.


WTF!
so I can't install x64 at all?
With an install dvd, via upgrade in windows 7 or through a usb flash drive I would think atleast one way would work.

Any ideas? and no, I have no other x64 computer of mine or a friends that I can use to get the flash drive to boot to bootsect.exe /nt60

 

[AddRAM]

I don`t understand the problem, you download the iso of the version you want, from the link provided, nowhere else. Burn it to dvd using Imgburn at 4x speed. I prefer PowerIso. Drop the dvd in the tray, restart the pc. The install will start on it`s own or will ask you to press any key to boot from dvd.

Use the proper Fkey to choose your boot source. DVD, Hard drive etc.

It sounds like your trying to install it from within windows. When you 1st boot the pc you only have to choose the flash stick 1 time. ( the 1st time ) that`s it.

Greg`s Tut is flawless.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html

 

[v3gas4ce]

I have tried the imgburn at X4.0 several times now and it just doesn't work.
I get to the "install now" and it asks for cd/dvd drive device drivers.
No matter what settings I try in bios, Eufi, single hdd, both hdd's, no peripherals or from whatever .iso I try. I have 4 seperate (the same X17-59465.iso) downloads which have all been burned to a dvd with:

- Windows USB/DVD download tool.
- Imgburn @x4.0 (have the last burn log if you would like proof)
- Default windows dvd burn (various speeds 16x - 2x)

The dvd method simply will not work for me. Always the same outcome of "a cd/dvd drive device driver is missing".

I am currently updating the x17-59465.iso to the 8gb usb flash stick using windows usb/dvd download tool which I used to make the first bootable install dvd.

Windows usb/dvd download tool:
Files copied sucessfully. However, we were unable to run bootsect to make the usb bootable.
Online help fom within the program states:
because bootsect is for the x64 on a x32 machine etc..

It sounds like your trying to install it from within windows.

Seriously, how?
I'm not that retarded.
Even I know you can't clean install a x64 OS on a new hdd while in x32 OS.
FYI. I am not inside the x32 os to try to install this. It's all from bios (or Eufi) mostly with my hdd I have the x32 installed on unplugged from the mobo so it can't possibly boot upto any version of windows.

 

[gregrocker]

Why would you complain to us that some tutorial to write the flash stick which we've never heard about didnn't work, when we had just got finished writing out specific steps to solve your problem?

This is the second time you've done this, ignored specific steps we have given you to pull some unknown tutorial out of your, er, file and complain that it didn't work.

If you want our help, go back to the top of the thread and work through every step we've given you from these forums which sets the standards for all others. Once you demonstrate you've done this and not further insulted us, we will if necessary continue with the troubleshooting steps. We have a 100% install rate with cooperation.

 

[v3gas4ce]

Ok.
I am sorry if I have insulted your intelligence, but I am just getting annoyed with this whole shenanigan!
I have tried for 4 days (almost solidly) to install this OS.
I have tried all the steps you have suggested, and some that I have found on other threads on this site and a couple from other websites in the quest to get it over and done with.

I will list the steps you have suggested and the problems I encountered so you know that I have (even if I forgot to mention) tried the steps.

Post #2
UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7
Following this tutorial as close as possible
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-7-a.html

To which I only get past the "install now" before the a cd/dvd drive device is missing problem happens.
Not even up to step 2 in the tutorial.

Post #3
Unplug peripherals and have just dvd/new hdd on. Check the efi which there were none (after I disabled them)
also got into legacy bios.
Set the dvd drive to boot priority 1
I opened the shift+f10 before "install now" and completed all of the steps that you listed.
I managed to create a new partition on my hdd and proceeded to "install now" which brought me immediately back to a cd/dvd drive decive driver is missing problem.
The install failed before I even got to select a drive to install on or click "I agree to terms and conditions"
So I couldn't follow the clean install tutorial, you kindly gave me. But I read through it for reference as I did with the clean install factory oem.

I was still getting the error so I tried the burn @x4.0 in imgburn (and also re-downloaded the .iso file to double check)

Post #6
Could be a bad dvd drive. I tired a second dvd drive which came up with the same error. Could the dvd drive write dvd's but not be able to install of it?
Download latest offical .iso and burn using imgburn at x4.0 I did that after I finished work, from link in the next post you posted.
Didn't have the flash drive so I couldn't try that then.

post #8
The windows .iso file was from the dell community website which lists all the .iso files.
I planned to update my current activation if possible, or purchase a new key after install.
I have no idea how to check hash against those websites, but I did re-download the x17-59465.iso from the link you provided and again burned to disk using imgburn @x4.0.

Post #11
I have tried the windows usb/dvd download tool to burn the image and that was unsucessful. SAme place, same failiure.
I have just tried also putting it on a usb drive (which I only got hold of today) through windows usb/dvd download tool, which gave me the error I stated above:
Files copied sucessfully. However, we were unable to run bootsect to make the usb bootable.
I checked the microsoft online help and found out that you can't use windows usb/dvd download tool to make a bootable disk for x64 if you are using a x32 system.
I tried to find my own work around for this,(placing the bootsect file from the x32 disk into the windows directory for usb/dvd download tool from their website) which was also unsusessful.

post #12
yes, I did download another .iso and wrote it to dvd with windows usb/dvd download tool. The dvd failed and I had just tried the usb drive option you suggested which didn't work.
I then unplugged the old hdd, the dvd drive and any peripherals (using the bootsect from the x32 disk in the directory for windows usb/dvd download tool)
which also failed. Still giving me the same error of "a cd/dvd drive device driver is missing"
I tried to boot using achi mode without the other drives and peripherals but it just created a loop trying to boot from the usb drive but failing and restating.
the only thing I didn't try was to clear the CMOS I know my computer has a switch on the mobo to do this, should I do that or do it from inside the bios?

I have tried almost every single option you have given me and I am grateful for the help and support you are offering me. I understand you know a lot more than me and I make sure to follow all the suggestions that you give me, aswell as reading thoroughly and properly your tutorial guides, before looking for my own solution aswell.
But this has gone on long enough and I am agitated by it. Please understand that I may not appreciate comments like "I think you're trying to install from within windows".

If there is anything you would like me to double check, or a new suggestion, please let me know and I will tell you exactly, how that (and only that) went.
Thank you.

 

[gregrocker]

You've already been told that you don't need to buy a new key. Each Win7 license can change bit-version whenever you please.

Try writing the ISO to flash stick using Universal USB Installer with Win7 in dropdown menu. It always works.

Then wipe the HD again and try install.

I'm not clear if you have an EFI BIOS. Did you confirm this? If so then to install normally to an MBR disk you must have EFI Boot disk removed from BIOS boot order, Legacy BIOS enabled, and run the Convert MBR command after Clean command to be sure the HD isn't staying GPT. I'd reset BIOS to defaults first.

As I've been traveling today, I will take more time tomorrow to read back over the thread and come up with new suggestions. Hopefully others will also lend a hand. Meanwhile do these and test your hardware from Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7

 

[natakuc4]

I wrote the guide on the Dell Community forums. The Microsoft .iso to USB/DVD tool works on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 regardless if the OS you are on is 32 bit (not tried it on 8 yet) and the OS you are making the bootable USB stick is 64 bit. I have successful used it to burn DVDs and make bootable USBS for Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 32 and 64 bit including the .iso you are using.

As I said I wrote the guide and the issue you have is fairly common; 9.9 times out of 10 the no CD/DVD driver error is due to bad media. It could be your DVD burner isn't that great (especially if its a laptop one) or it could be the DVDs you are using are of low quality or a combination of the above. I suggest trying to burn one on a desktop if you have one to hand or can borrow a families/friends.

However USB flash drives are preferable and quite cheap and generally faster to install Windows 7 from. I suggest you get one of these for less than £5 Sandisk 8GB Cruzer USB Flash Drive - Retail Pack: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories. After installation of Windows 7 you can of course format the device and use it for other things.

 

[theog]

If you go the USB flash drive way, uses a USB 2.0 port, as there are NO Drivers for USB 3.0 in the Windows 7 ISO.





http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html?ltr=U