Problem with new Computer & Win 7 Setup
 

Problem on a custom built system where I had already installed Windows 7 (and it seemed to work fine for a few days). I was trying to install a new driver for an hp monitor and somehow it crashed, and I now cannot install (re-install Win 7).

I can boot Win 7 from the install CD (System Builder) but w/o that in drive D:\ the system will not boot. If I DO boot from the install CD, then installation of Win 7 cannot continue - I get an error msg that Windows cannot be installed to that disk. If I try to create a new partition, that fails also.

With Win 7 System Builder CD in drive D:
Goes past BIOS screen…
“Windows is Loading files” – black screen; then “Starting Windows”; then Language & Preferences Screen
if I Select “Install Now” (instead of Repair option)
- “Setup is Starting…” – on Blue screen with plant and white traces graphic; 35 minute wait
- License Acceptance Page
- Type of Installation – Upgrade or Custom (advanced); chose Custom
- Where do you want to install Windows: used to show 1 partition; now shows 2: Disk 0 Partition 1 : System Reserved 100 MB total; & Disk 0 Partition 2 931 GB – busy for 17 minutes
- “Windows cannot be installed to this disk; Disk 0 Partition 2” – Details: Hardware may not support booting to this disk. Check that disk’s controller is enabled in BIOS menu”
- had to Cancel Windows Installation as could not proceed

if I Select Repair Windows – Startup repair could not repair this computer
- cannot test system memory
- can go to Command Prompt – shows a drive “X:\”??; cannot access drive C:\ there

if I Select Repair Your Computer:
shows System Recovery Options, Use recovery tools.. Select an Op Sys (but none is listed)
- I get a chance to load drivers, but have no idea what filenames they might be on the Windows System Builder CD

With Motherboard Drivers CD in drive D:
Just a blank screen if I let it go past the BIOS

if I hit Del to Enter BIOS Setup:
<PgDn> to >SATA Configuration choice shows “SATA 1 Device : Hard Disk” & “SATA 2 Device : ATAPI CDROM”

Boot: identifies HDD first drive as “SATA:3M-WDC WD1002”

if I hit <F6> to Enter Bio-unLOCKing:
brings up Windows Boot Manager screen
says OS is Win 7
F8 to reach Adv. Options – unexpected I/O error & refers to Winload.exe

Turn On and let it run past the BIOS with no CD in D:
Goes past BIOS interrupt screen & then displays a blinking underline cursor in upper LH corner of screen, then screen goes blank

I have switched SATA cables and used a different socket on the motherboard, which did not help:
- With Win 7 System Builder CD in drive D:
same as above, then - Where do you want to install Windows: shows: Disk 0 Partition 1 : System Reserved 100 MB total; & Disk 0 Partition 2 931 GB
- told it to format Partition 2, but that failed
- back to the “Partition menu screen” and told it to Delete Partition 2… “failed to delete the selected partition”

- that's where I'm at now & it is starting to get frustrating...

Does the motherboard vendor have a driver for disk controller? On the "advanced" items menu during the disk prep you can add one via usb drive, floppy, etc. But I doubt that's it.

Likely something happened to the drive and windows attempted to repair it, but failed and left you with a corrupted drive. (I'm guessing this is the case since you mentioned that the controller and partition numbers are wrong)

Also could just be a bad bootloader pointing to the wrong partition. Rather that write that all out, here is someone that did:

Recovering the Vista Bootloader from the DVD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

Geez, webb, all of those answers are on the net. ...so, I'll just let you find the answers. :cool:

Bad memory?

Win 7 has the drivers built in to the OS (or so sez WD (Western Digital, the HDD manf.) on it's FAQ.

"you mentioned that the controller and partition numbers are wrong"
- I did?? I don't know that they are wrong. Did something I posted mean they were wrong?

Memory tests fine.

WD tech support Emailed me and told me to run a diagnostic pgm - the catch 22 is you appernetly have to get Windows booted to run the diagnostic pgm...

Do you have access to another machine where you can hookup the disk?

I took this as the expected partition was 1 and was now showing 2:

Also it's not the drivers for the hard drive, it's the drivers for the controller. That driver would be provided by the mainboard vendor or the chipset manufacturer. For instance, Nvidia in some caes, or LSI logic.

Edit:

And yes, do as Redbeard mentioned and hook that drive up to a host machine and get your data off.

I would wipe the drive using Dariks Nuke and Boot. I never trust a repaired corrupted install. Reinstall and update all drivers - especially the video driver. Bad video drivers cause many issues.

Windows 7 has built in SATA drivers. The MB drivers may be better. It sounds like the Win 7 install needs to needs to be re-done. I would format that drive first, to see if there are some bad sectors.

One the install before fail...

1) Drivers for a monitor? Usually a monitor wouldn't have drivers.
2) The drivers are usually specific to x32 and x64. It is possible you installed the wrong one.

Windows 7 has drivers for hard disk controllers that were available to Microsoft at the time that Windows 7 was compiled, unless he's slipped newer drivers in. And a lot of monitors have drivers, Sony for instance has them for most of their LCD's.

Sounds more like a BIOS setting issue where the OS install package doesnt recognize the boot options. Sometimes in the BIOS settings there's factory default settings that Windows has issues with, they usually need to be very generic. If this is a custom build, I'd bet something's been changed.

Google is your friend in these cases.

- I don't think I have any SATA machines available.

If I can somehow get to a "DOS prompt" on this one, I could try running their diagnostic pgm that way...

well, shouldn't that driver be built into the ROM?

IF not, how can I find it?

I do have an option on the "where do you want to install Windows" screen to Load Drivers. I could put the CD from the Motherboard in and load the controller driver if I knew what its name was.

There is no data on the HDD - see OP. No way to test drive out of the computer - see above post.

The BIOS setting are all in their default state - I did that several times.

The drive will not format nor can the partition be deleted.

did I miss any questions above?
I have not slipped newer drivers in, but perhaps somehow a program did that.
re 32 vs 64bit drivers, I have not seen anything on any screen about that as a choice - I am just following the install directions... making the choices outlined above - and I have made every choice you can on the whole install decision tree.

Now, one question: should the machine be able to do something with the motherboard CD in drive D: first? i.e. before I put the Windows System Builder CD in?

IS there anything I can do by interrupting the BIOS via the Del key?

The motherboard CD contains the drivers for the various components on the board, audio, video, etc. It may be bootable, and may have some sort of diag program or installation helper application however that's normally reserved for the larger manufactures.

Windows in this case cannot correctly access the hard drive in it's current state. The BIOS on the machine is likely correct since windows knows about the drive and it's geometry. The BIOS settings that may be suspect would be the boot order. The HDD needs to be in the boot order somewhere.

Recover the data on the drive using an external enclosure or another host computer, and then re-install as suggested above. That would be the path of least resistance right now.

If the drive is physically bad then windows will probably not install even on a cleaned drive. If the problem is software then a clean install will correct that.

With Motherboard Drivers CD in drive D:
Just a blank screen if I let it go past the BIOS

- this happens over & over again

It will NOT Boot off of the motherboard CD.

The HDD has always been needs to be in the boot order of the BIOS. I've tried changing it from first to having the CD-ROM drive first, no change in results.

I went back to the OP and used bold and underline to ID better the various decision trees or choices I've been working thru for the last few days...

Randy, I'm going to PM you a link to a magic ISO. Download it and burn the ISO to a cd. Are you familiar with ISO images?

Once the cd is created, throw it into the problem optical drive and boot to it. It has a number of tools for getting yourself into trouble. :) I have to boot it on a local pc to refresh my memory on the menu choices, but it will take a bit to get the image from my server anyway.

We'll kill the partitions and you should be able to reformat with ease at that point.

Dave

thanks much!

no, not familiar, but am about to Goggle that term...

ok now I know a little about those...

any special steps to write the image to a CD?

can I just use software that would typically be included when I bought a Dell 8300 about 7 or 8 years ago - Roxio CD Creator is one of them....

There are a bunch of free burners out there, if you don't have Roxio or Nero...

Here's one I found.. Looks like it may be user friendly
The Official ImgBurn Website

thx - it is about halfway downloaded

do I unzip it to the HDD on my working computer (Win XP) first ?l

Yes, unzip to a directory....

got it - am downloading the ImgBurn pgm now - Roxio did not work

it's burning now

BTW - I found a patch subdir on my HDD and it seemed like I needed to patch your ISO image to use English?

No... Just need to burn the ISO. Patch stuff can be ignored.

IMgBrn is having problems on the verify

guess I'll continue on Wed.

thx again

Go crazy and turn the verify off.

it found 2000 errors in sector so & so

I'll boot off of that CD tomorrow...

Hmm. Never seen that before. The image is good. If it works, boot to the CD, it will give an option to boot the utilities (I'm leaving the name out purposely) or boot to the HD. Boot the utilities. Option 1 should be partition tools. There are a number of HD partitioning tools there. I booted a slightly later version, but I think they are the same. First choice should work....

I can PM my number and you can call tomorrow if you'd like..

Dave

sure - let me know the best time to call you also

I am booting that 1st selection off the menu tree you outlined right now - but it seems to be taking a long time to load a driver...

Something's not right. It should not take very long. I'd almost suggest booting the cd in a working pc, go through the same initial steps and see if it loads faster. Just don't do anything once it's loaded on the good pc or you may have other problems. :D

Is the SATA interface setup as SATA or ATI in the BIOS for the DVD drive? If you're not going to run any ATI equipment, set the BIOS setting to SATA only.

ok, I'll set SATA Combined Mode to Disabled instead of the default. I can't see how that will make a difference...

still waiting to see if it can install -- it says "Setup is starting"

is it even normal for the thing to take 1+ hours to install Windows? or has it been 2 hours...

I got nowhere with WD tech support for the HDD. BTW, their Email support cannot communicate with their telephone support!

- gave up at 8:30; may try to burn another of the magic ISO discs tomorrosw

Not for a fast system

WD told me to re-seat the RAM modules - seems odd since they passed several memory tests, but I'll do that when I get home (at downtown office now) and then try again.

I'll give it more than the 4 hours last night, James...

I'll also try another, slower speed burn to make the Magic ISO CD.

After those attempts, I guess my question would be whether I should return the drive to WD under warranty or to newegg for an exchange.

I reloaded Win 7 on a fresh disk on this machine in about 30 minutes. It certainly sounds like the disc is hosed.

You might want to consider getting a cheap harddisk for data and a 64GB SSD drive for startup. I'm doing this right now and it works great.

yes, that thought occurred to me...

ok, got it booted and used the 1st tool - it says it fixes the error in the partition it found., then it went to a screen with menus that says in yellow box "Partition table error #105 found"

the only menu choice that looks like it will do anything is an operation to format the partition; type is set to NTFS & "selected partition is identified as (BAD) - you cannot change that last item.

there is also a big red X that will delete the partiton - I figure what the hell, why not...

when you try to Apply those operations, it can't do it...

Advanced has an option (only one not grayed out I think) to set that partition to Active. it seemed to do that but put up an info box that says Setting partition active: (BADMBR, primary volume, etc."

MBR makes me think it stands for Master Boot Record, so... that doesn't sound good; nor does the continual attempt by this program to use the term BAD.

it wants to reboot, so...