"No Drive Found" During Windows 7 Installation

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GreyStorm404

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Feb 13, 2014
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Hey everyone,

So recently the hard drive on my HP G72 Laptop got fried like a corndog, and I read that the only thing I could really do was get a new hard drive. So I bought a brand new Seagate SATA HDD with 320GB storage. Well it arrived today, and I immediately switched it for the old, fried HDD. I also bought a brand new Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit installation disc (that was the same exact version of Windows the laptop previously used). However, when asked, "Where do you want to install Windows?", no drives show up, and I get the message, "No Drive Found for Installation". I've yet to find a solution online that works for me. Any help is greatly appreciated.

P.S. Is it possible that the HDD connectors in the motherboard are bad? I sure hope not 🙁
 
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I don't see anything about ACHI communication in the BIOS. But, when in the BIOS, when I try to run a primry hard disk self test it pops up with a message saying, "Hard Drive Not Exist". This is the same exact problem that led me to believe the old hard drive was toast. I've installed Windows on custom built computers with clean hard drives, so I don't know why tis would be any different.
 
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There are a set of chipset drivers that are needed. a winb7 install disk is getting old, is definitely older than your laptop so will not have the right drivers for the newer hw on your laptop. Goto HP's site and follow the 'clean install' instructions for the laptop (they often have them) or just download the chipset drivers and install them at the spot in the windows install when it asks for raid drivers.

Aside for $10 or $20 you can get an install / recovery disk for the HP that will have all the drivers correctly installed. Just ask HP support.
 
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So if I get these recovery discs, could they be used even though I can't install Windows?
 
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Hello... Well... it's possible that the MB/HD connection/communications has gone bad... Can you test the Orig HD in another computer?
1) If your MB/BIO's will not BOOT up and id your HD Name/Brand etc... Then Windows will never install on it... The HD info needs to be read by the BIO's and "Save & Exit". Navigate your BIO's for the HD 'Read' option.
2) As a simple test if the ACHI Driver is needed... Change the BIO's HD to 'IDE' mode, "Save & Exit", and then try a WIN7 install.
 
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Yes, these recovery disks are designed to re-image the PC to exactly the state it was in when you bought it. They expect a bare hard drive like the one you have and will have all the required drivers pre-installed. They will even pull your old windows 7 serial number out of the bios and use it. The way you use them is put the recovery DVD in your optical drive then power up the laptop. The laptop boots off the recovery disk, asks you for permission then spends 30 minutes installing windows and the HP bloatware on the laptop. Once that is complete you'll spend another hour with windows update getting all your Window Updates installed. After that you are good to go. I've done this with many HP pcs over the years.
 
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Aside: one other thing you should do. Get into the BIOS. Look at devices in the boot menu. The bios should see your new "Seagate SATA HDD with 320GB storage". If it doesn't then the problem is not windows, it how the disk was physically installed or the disk is bad.
 
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another aside, When Windows says it can't find any drives, Is there a Load Driver link in the bottom-left corner? If so that is where you would install the correct driver from the HP site for your laptop so that window can use your disk. On the factory recovery disk the drivers are already loaded.
 
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@Ironsounds

The only other computer with me atm is a Surface Pro, so no, I can't test it anywhere else. When I boot into the BIOS menu, I don't see any of the options you've listed. I have five categories: Main, Security, Diagnostics, System Configuration, and Exit. I'll list out everything in the BIOS to make it easier for everyone to help.

Main gives me info about the laptop, but nothing about the HDD, it's not mentioned at all.

Security just gives me the option to clear the Administrative and Power-On passwords.

Diagnostics gives me the options to perform a Primary Hard Disk Test and a Memory Test. When I select the Primary Hard Disk Test, I get the message, "Hard Disk Not Exist." When I select the Memory Test, the test proceeds, followed by the message, "Memory Test Passed." I'm not sure what this means.

System Configuration gives me three options to enable/disable (Language, Fan Always On and Action Keys Mode). Then there is a fourth option titled "Boot Options". Under Boot Options, I have four options that are modifiable, (POST Hotkey Delay (sec), CD-Rom Boot, Floppy Boot and Internal Network Adapter Boot. Then there is a fifth option titled, "Boot Order". I'm sure that's self-explanatory. My boot order is set in the following order, from top to bottom: Notebook Hard Drive, Internal CD/DVD Rom Drive, USB Diskette on Key/USB Hard Drive, USB CD/DVD Rom Drive, USB Floppy and Network Adapter.

Finally, under Exit, I have three options: Exit Saving Changes, Exit Discarding Changes, and Load Setup Defaults. I have tried all three of these options three different times, but they never fixed the problem.
 
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Yes, there is a Load Driver Link that is clickable. So I would just need the chipset drivers for this?

UPDATE: I tried to follow your directions, but when I do, I get the following messge, "No signed device drivers were found. Make sure that the installation media contains the correct drivers, and then click OK."

So, if the drivers from the website don't work, does that mean the drivers on the recovery disks won't work either?
 
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Hello... it's not the Chipset driver you need... that gets installed AFTER Windows get installed. Intel Matrix Storage Technology Driver under Drivers-Storage ( read description ) ACHI pre-install driver.

Thanks for the time you took with your BIO's options... They appear to be quite limited in Access/features and properly solving the problem of getting the BIO's to ID/Read your New or OLD HD... this could still be a * BIOS/MB or Security issue with your Laptop. This might be one of those times you need to Call a HP phone robot/person.

* there are sometimes Hidden/Secret BIO's screens than can be invoked.

1) Is the unit under warranty? Determine is there is a Local HP service contact... They sometimes can send someone to your home.
2) Did you read your Manual/PDF on "Hardrive replacement" or " resetting BIO's" or " updating BIO's"?
 
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No problem with the bios, so do you think recovery disks could save it at this point?
 
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Hello... Read above... Worse... B ( You should contact HP about this... Most BIOs have a HD auto detect and yours has stopped working for reasons that recovery Disks or software CAN'T fix at this point... and having a HP BIO's makes it easier for them to fix than us. B )
 
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I actually got the laptop second-hand, which is why I was aprehensive about calling HP for support, but it sounds like that's all I can really do at this point. Might have to look into getting a new laptop
 
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