can't seem to install Win7 - splash screens but no install menu

[giantbucket]

ok, i'm not a newbie but i'm stumped. i have a machine onto which i'm trying to reinstall Win7Pro just as it was when i first put it together. specs below.

here's what is happening:
1 - i get the BIOS asking me to boot from cd/dvd which is fine so i press enter
2 - then i get a menu that i've never seen before saying "windows setup (EMS enabled)" or "memory diagnostic" so i pick the first one cuz i want to install windows
3 - then i get the "windows is loading files" with the progress bar, which goes slowly but proceeds
4 - then i get the "Starting Windows" splash screen with the 4 color bubbles animation, great
5 - then i get NOTHING. a blank screen with a large white cursor

at 5, i'm supposed to get a blue background with a few mouse-clickable options to install windows or whatnot, but i'm not. i wait and i wait, nothing. i've tried rebooting 3 times, same deal. resetting BIOS to defaults, same deal. the mouse pointer moves, but there's nothing else - white arrow on black screen, forever.

is there something i should know? why does that first screen (step 2) even show up? i'm using the same hardware as before and the same Win7 disc as always.

specs
GA-A75M-UD2H
A6-3650
2x2G RAM (DDR3-1333)
Seagate 7200.10 series hard drive, 250G capacity, previously formatted using a USB-to-SATA adapter
GT640 and 9500GT cards plugged into board, but no monitors connected - running onboard for initial install

the machine was fine 2 months ago, but i decommissioned it and now want to set it up again. is the hard drive somehow mis-formatted? but then again, BIOS recognizes it, so should't windows give me the option to at least format it again?

 

[tman1]

Why are you using the onboard video for the install?

 

[giantbucket]

cuz once it's all finished, i need onboard + 6 other screens for this machine, which is going to be used for trading (again). i will run 4 from one card, 2 from another, and the main control screen from onboard. i've done it before on this machine and on a different one using Win8.1, so i'm really stumped by this whole EMS thing and lack of menu after the splash-screens.

i'm wondering if the hard drive is somehow causing the EMS option to pop up in the first place. it's an old drive that was used for something else, which i then formatted, but maybe some original ID or flag is still on there.

or maybe i'll try a different SATA port?

 

[Shaun o]

There is your problem right there.
You say you used a usb to Sata drive interface.
The drive would of been formatted using the controller chip of the Usb to Sata interface.
What you need to do is connect the drive its self to another pc or machine using windows.

Use disk manager to create partitions and format drives option of windows making sure the drive is connected via one free sata port of the host machine, and the interface mode in the bios of that computer is set to Sata or Ahci mode when doing a format of the drive. Make sure you delete all of the partitions created with the USB to Sata interface you used before. Then format the drive.


If you try to put the drive into a system and connect it to a sata port or device where it was formatted via a usb to sata adapter. the Sata interface cannot read the drive structure or format due to different controller chips used lay a format down on the drive.
The usb controller chip is out of the loop since you connected it straight to Sata. and throwing things off. formatting it on another machine will bring the drive and formatting back to the way it should be under a Sata interface standard.

On the machine you intend to stick the drive into make sure the drive is set to Ahci mode in you bios settings, once formatted via the other host machine.
Making sure that as you have done that your DVD drive is set first in the boot order, followed by the HD intended for windows OS install. Remove any USB storage devices that are connected to your system be it a usb pen drive or another usb external drive.

And windows should install right. Windows install does not see the drive due to the fact you used a usb to sata bridge board with another controller chip on and cannot work out the format layout. Cannot map the drive space or workout it`s storage capacity due to the prior type of format.

 

[giantbucket]

ah, ok. i'll give that a try tomorrow (it's nearly 1am here), and see how it goes. i have a machine at the office that i can use for doing a direct connection, plus a second spare 160G drive to try as well.

 

[tman1]

There is your problem right there.
You say you used a usb to Sata drive interface.
The drive would of been formatted using the controller chip of the Usb to Sata interface.
What you need to do is connect the drive its self to another pc or machine using windows.

Use disk manager to create partitions and format drives option of windows making sure the drive is connected via one free sata port of the host machine, and the interface mode in the bios of that computer is set to Sata or Ahci mode when doing a format of the drive. Make sure you delete all of the partitions created with the USB to Sata interface you used before. Then format the drive.


If you try to put the drive into a system and connect it to a sata port or device where it was formatted via a usb to sata adapter. the Sata interface cannot read the drive structure or format due to different controller chips used lay a format down on the drive.
The usb controller chip is out of the loop since you connected it straight to Sata. and throwing things off. formatting it on another machine will bring the drive and formatting back to the way it should be under a Sata interface standard.

On the machine you intend to stick the drive into make sure the drive is set to Ahci mode in you bios settings, once formatted via the other host machine.
Making sure that as you have done that your DVD drive is set first in the boot order, followed by the HD intended for windows OS install. Remove any USB storage devices that are connected to your system be it a usb pen drive or another usb external drive.

And windows should install right. Windows install does not see the drive due to the fact you used a usb to sata bridge board with another controller chip on and cannot work out the format layout. Cannot map the drive space or workout it`s storage capacity due to the prior type of format.

The usb to Sata drive interface should have no bearing on the setup, it doesn't even get that far.

 

[tman1]

Try disconnecting the hard drive and booting from the Windows disc, that will probably work until you get to the point where you have to select a drive to install to.

Then try the other hard drive you have. Sounds like 250GB drive might be failing - that's the only time I've seen long delays booting from the install media.

 

[Shaun o]

TMan are you aware that when you format a drive it lays down an instruction on what interface was used to format the drive ?
SO if it tells windows install it`s on a usb interface, thats where it looks. But oopsy it`s now on a Sata interface controller.
That leads a conflict when windows trys to install to the drive, picks the wrong or missing controller.
Since drive is none existent to windows install even if the drive is being displayed and picked up by the bios of the motherboard.
Windows install needs to know what interface to use based on the tagged information of the hard drive or boot sector, format of the drive. Set when using a interface type.
That is why if you set a drive, or a set of drives in raid mode. then change the interface mode in the bios to Ahci mode or Sata it becomes a non boot able or readable. I can tell you through prior experience, in some cases it can be the problem. Every interface has it`s own standards. and how it maps and lays down a format or drive structure. when formatted plus the interface used as a tag pointer for windows install on where to find the device on what interface.

 

[tman1]

No, it doesn't. Have you ever used one of these devices? I have, and never have I had any issues installing Windows on such drives afterwards.

But that's besides the point. Are you aware that booting from the Windows 7 disc has nothing to do with what format the hard drive is in? You can boot into it with the drive having GPT instead of MBR, Linux or Windows. The installer doesn't know what's on the drive until you try to install the OS on it. He isn't getting that far.

 

[tman1]

I would just like to add that I have also used sata to usb devices to clone drives - explain to me how those cloned drives worked fine and also were recognized as drive C if it all worked as you misunderstand them to?

 

[giantbucket]

ok, i tried to simply unplug the 250G hard drive (just unplug sata connector) and i very easily DID get the blue splash screen that lets me install Win7. except of course there's no HDD in the list because it was unplugged - but at least i got that far!

next step since i'm at home - a live GParted session to reformat that 250G HDD. i can do that before breakfast.

--- update:
eh, ok, that didn't go anywhere. scanning /dev/sda for way too long and not finding anything. i wonder if the HDD is simply not getting any power from my harness, even though the fans and DVD drive that are on the same harness are getting power just fine. time to try the 160G HDD or grab a voltmeter!