wavou :
I've done some heavy reading on the many threads on the web. Here is my situation..
Just picked up a new rig
MB: ASUS P6X58D-E
CPU: i7 950
MEM: Corsair 6gb kit (3x2gb)
SSD: G.SKILL FM-25S2S-120GBP2
couple video cards, another secondary drive(not connected)
Well I've been trying to install windows 7 64, and every time it gets to the point where I can select the partition to format or install on it fails with error 0x80070057. I've also tried installing Windows xp (didnt have an installer or license for Vista, like a previous solution) and XP was not able to format the drive either.
Can anyone point me in the right direction as to how to format the drive so I can install windows 7 (via USB preferably).
Or could someone help with the my existing win 7 media to resolve the issue.
Thanks for your time
So far I have about 3 days’ worth of energy into trying to get Windows 7 on an ASUS Crosshair V Formula Z motherboard. The motherboard runs EUFI above BIOS. What I have found so far is that a new drive when put into the computer will get a GPT table. Windows 7 will general the additional volumes but when it goes to format the main volume, the system comes up with a 0x80070057 error, UNABLE TO FORMAT THE VOLUME. I have spent a large amount of time exploring why this happens. Windows 7, Windows 8, Linux Mint 15 and Windows XP all have the same problem. Why. There is a tool that came with the Windows 7 3 Pak. I had been curious about what it is and how it works but until now I never explored what it was meant to do.
The disk form Microsoft is basically a DOS disk that will execute the DISKPART commands on a drive. I found a knowledge base article that details how to use the DISKPART commands. This would lead you to believe that the drive can have the volumes and partitions deleted, which it does but mentions that the type of drive can be changed also. I have found this not to be the case, but I could be using the wrong commands to execute this change. When you are finished using DISKPART the drive has 100% unallocated space but there is still a GPT shell. I have not been able to remove this GPT table structure using the DISKPART commands.
Ok, I went looking for a utility that would remove the GPT structure on an unallocated drive. I found a program called “D-PARTED”. This utility uses Linux to basically clean the drive based on commands. This too appeared to work but after trying to load Windows 7 on a non-EFI system, the disk would fail saying it encountered a GPT structure and the software would stop or just hang. This is a pretty slick program and it is free. Installs were attempted on a non-UEFI system, using Ubantu, Windows 7 and XP, all with the same results, system hangs. This program does work and removes the GPT structure eventhough the disc is 100% unallocated and a BASIC structure. I later formatted the drive as a MSDOS image and low and behold, Ubuntu now loads.
I went off looking again for a program to handle completely scrubbing a drive and removing the GPT. I found a program called EASEUS. It is a $40 program but seems to be the best at scrubbing a drive. I am waiting for a license key to complete the scrubbing, but it does appear to work.
While doing all this I found an update from Microsoft that says it will remove this problem. Like many of the idiots on the internet discussing this problem, it is assumed that Windows is already on the computer. A new load assumes a blank drive, hence we have the classic ‘CHICKEN AND EGG” scenario.
There appears to be something funny going on with the ASUS Crosshair V Formula Z. When the newly formatted drive that now loads Ubuntu was put back into the ASUS chasis, I again was at square one. There appears to be a setting that is not correct on this motherboard which messes up the drive and then gives the error “Unable to format this drive. 0x80070057. I am now looking at what setting or settings are incorrect and messing up the drive.