Trouble installing windows

[excaliburr]

I don't even know. I've become exhausted trying to figure this out, so now I'm looking to the forums for help. We (roommates and I) were putting this computer together a couple of weeks ago, were getting to the windows install (but never actually installed windows), when the motherboard stopped working. So we got a replacement, the new one posts fine. We put the computer back together, boot windows from the dvd and were going through the setup. We get to custom install and windows asks us where we want to install. First off, it lists disk 0 twice. There is only one HDD, it lists the same HDD twice on this page. For both of these options. It says something like "windows unable to install on disk 0" I forget exactly, but it was something like that. All of the menu tools it normally displays like format, and partition are all unselectable. It gives that error message and I have no tools in this menu available to allow me to continue. We figure it's something with the HD so we take it to another computer, delete all the partitions and reformat it to NTFS. We then take the HD back to the new computer and try again. This time we cant even get as far as we did the first time.

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[Paul NZ]

What version of windows ware you trying to install? Does the BIOS recognise the hdd?

 

[excaliburr]

Windows 7. and yes the bios recognizes the hdd, and windows recognized it for that matter, just couldn't install to it

 

[excaliburr]

update: for good measure, in the command prompt on my computer, I cleaned the disk, reinitialized and formatted the HDD, then put it back in the computer were trying to build. However, after I did this, our new computer doesn't send any video signal. and the USB ports don't seem to be functional (a light up keyboard no longer lights up). we can't even see the motherboard screen or access the bios

 

[Paul NZ]

Whats the brand/model of the hdd?? Some of them have firmware probs

And is it Windows 7 32 or 64 bit? And does it support UEFI? The computer youre trying to install it on

Remove the battery on it for 30 secs then put it back in

 

[excaliburr]

windows 7 64 bit, 1 TB seagate barracude, msi h81m-e33 (dont hate on the choice, we got it mostly out of desparation), yes it supports uefi

 

[Paul NZ]

k So is it working again after removing the battery? Since its UEFI if you can get back into it. Enable AHCI, UEFI

What model is the seagate theres lots of them

 

[excaliburr]

I assumed you meant the cmos battery? we removed and reinstalled it, still nothing. We recently procured a new problem however. We get no video signal. I believe this to be unrelated, but can't rule that out completely. Everything turns on still. fans spin up, lights turn on, hdd spins up, dvd drive spins. just no video output. we removed the gpu (760) and tried the mobos vga output but no signal still.

 

[excaliburr]

HDD model number is ST1000DM003. will try enabling when we get our video signal back.

 

[Paul NZ]

I would take it out of the case if its in one and test it. Just to see if nothing is shorting. And what CPU is in it?

 

[excaliburr]

Will take it out of it's case. I'll have to get back with updates and the processor tomorrow. I believe its an i3 4330. Don't know for sure though. It's a 4th gen i3 but the exact model number is only known to one of my roommates who fell asleep. I appreciate your help. I'll be back on the forum tomorrow. If no one else chimes in, whether we get this solved or not I'll Pick one of your posts as the solution for the help you've been offering.

 

[Paul NZ]

I]http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1752487/install-windows-setup-detect-hard-drive.html]I have a feeling the prob is that hdd.[/url] Or we're doing it wrong.

And theres a lot of hits in Google with people trying to install anything on this hdd

I would also see if the firmware update can find it

Download the ISO for the firmware update if this boots again burn it to cd then boot from it with just the dvd / hdd connected

 

[excaliburr]

we ended up just splitting out parts to other builds (my roommates and I have 5 desktops, a home server, a htpc media server, and a graveyard of computer parts/junk. we had a mac mini laying around that took this computer's niche. Thanks for the advice though, Paul NZ. I think what happened was that the old motherboard installed the boot manager and the drive. Then to delete it I cleaned the disk but reinitialized and reformatted the disk. Apparently we were supposed to leave it unallocated for windows to setup. Oh well the computer was mostly built from spare parts, and became again, spare parts. So no loss here, but learned something new.