installing windows 7 on samsung XP941 SSD

[RWKW]

Trying to install windows 7 on samsung XP941 SS from both USB and OEM CD, but in both cases get the typically error messsge.

The MOBO is an ASUS Z97M Plus with Intel I7 -- no other storage drives.

 

[RealBeast]

You need to update the ASUS bios to the latest to allow use of the drive, as there are apparently no F6 drivers for the drive, but ASUS is supporting it for the Z97 according to THIS.

 

[RWKW]

Thanks for your valuable time and the help. The article is informative so I will visit ASUS site for the update.

 

[RealBeast]

Happy to help, just shout out if you run into any other issues with it.

 

[The Original Ralph]

i just finished installing my xp941 for the second time as a boot drive with win 7 x64 on that very board- it's not fun

here's a link to an instruction set using the latest BIOS (2701) https://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx?id=20130111005429811&board_id=1&model=P8Z77-V+LX&page=1&SLanguage=en-us and a link to a thread that fed into the above thread https://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx?id=20150408005817455&board_id=1&model=Z97M-PLUS&page=1&SLanguage=en-us


that link is to the latest instruction set - the combo of bios settings has evolved as bios updates have released

couple of tips, 1) make sure no other drives are connected to the computer
2) use RUFUS to copy your windows 7 disk to create a bootable ISO image on a USB drive, formatted to FAT32
3) get a copy of the intel F6 AHCI/Raid driver and install it when you're installing windows - ie just before you start the install, after the language selection, there'll be an option to "load drivers" - hit that and load that Intel F6 driver first

The instructions on the web are all over the map - and while the above worked for me the first time, by accident, it wouldn't a second time - ended up using a "fred flintstone" backdoor method that got it installed

if the above link'd instructions don't work, post back in this thread, and i'll post my last instruction set


something else you might want to consider - installing that xp941 in the M.2 socket: 1) it kills sata ports 5 & 6 - asus euphemistically sez the "m.2 socket shares bandwidth with sat 5 & 6" - what they don't say and should is that when the M.2 socket is occupied, sata 5 & 6 are dis-abled, so you're gaining one drive port and loosing two.
2nd item - that socket is only two lanes PCIe

I ended up taking my M.2 xp941 out and ordered in an Addonic PCIe M.2 adaptor expansion card off amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KDM75XK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

two benefits, mounted in the last or 4th PCIe slot, you've got 4 lanes PCIe, and 2nd you gain back those two sata ports

in the M.2 socket, my xp941 gave me 770 MB/s read, and 560 MB/s write. In the Addonics card in the 4th PCIe slot, i'm seeing 1203 MB/s read, 835 MB/s write. Big difference

boot times from the time i hit the power on button, 12-13 seconds, 5 seconds after the POST screen disappears