Windows 7 Installation being really difficult to work with.

[Paint-It-Blak]

I just built a brand new PC, and would like to cleanly install Windows 7 Home Edition 64-bit onto a 1 TB WD Blue HDD hooked up to an Asus Z-97E motherboard. I have lurked these forums and tried everything I could find here.

I am getting two errors when I try to install the OS, the first one is that the hardware can't support it, I've tried booting in AHCI mode, IDE mode, and I keep getting that message. Even with the partitions the message would still be there. So I tried again, and attempted to load some SATA drivers I got from Asus' website via USB that I hoped would remedy the error, but it did not.

So I tried again with the USB unplugged, and this time not only do I have that hardware message but now I keep getting a pop-up error that says partitions cannot be created. I cannot format the disk since the option is greyed out. I tried doing it via DiskPart in the command prompt but I kept getting I/O errors. So I tried booting it in Legacy mode, but I kept getting the same error. I tried to reset the CMOS by removing the battery, but I still get the same result.

I even tried booting via USB, I am just hoping there is something else I can try before having to go buy another HDD.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Sounds like you may be running into the advanced format issue. Does your installation media include Service Pack 1? It will state so right on the disk label. SP1 is required for advanced format support (4KB sectors). Your drive is an advanced format model.

 

[Paint-It-Blak]

Sounds like you may be running into the advanced format issue. Does your installation media include Service Pack 1? It will state so right on the disk label. SP1 is required for advanced format support (4KB sectors). Your drive is an advanced format model.

Yes, the CD and the TOS in the installation say this is SP1, I'm not too familiar with advanced format models however, what would I have to do to make it follow through?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

This is all Microsoft has on the issue: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2466753

 

[Lickmykeyboard]

Not trying to butt in or anything but are you just having problems formatting the hard drive? if you are download Gparted and let it format your drive to MBR and NTFS, this should work in most cases had to do this on my own system. If that doesn't work try switching mbr to GPT, I've noticed some boards are weird about it.

 

[Paint-It-Blak]

This is all Microsoft has on the issue: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2466753

I'm having difficulty finding the %systemroot% folder, as well as the Panther folder, I tried typing in the file name for setuperr.log, and it didn't find anything. Should I just go ahead and go with the driver solution?

Edit: I found a setuperr, but it is a blank .txt file

Not trying to butt in or anything but are you just having problems formatting the hard drive? if you are download Gparted and let it format your drive to MBR and NTFS, this should work in most cases had to do this on my own system. If that doesn't work try switching mbr to GPT, I've noticed some boards are weird about it.

Not so much the formatting part, I'm trying to get rid of these errors that prevent Windows from installing. Mostly making sure it partitions and also getting rid of the hardware support message.

 

[Lickmykeyboard]

I would try gparted quick it runs off a usb or disc and when I had install issues like yours it worked great.

 

[Paint-It-Blak]

I would try gparted quick it runs off a usb or disc and when I had install issues like yours it worked great.

I will try this after I get off work, though I've never tried it, how does it work? And by that I mean will it work the same way as an OS boot?

 

[Lickmykeyboard]

It lets you run live off a usb or dvd. you boot into your system just using the drive it doesn't write to the disk. Then you go the the partition manager program that it has built in, then it will override whatever errors windows is giving you and will let you set up the disk however you would like. I had to set may to GPT and NTFS. GPT is meant for larger discs but that wasn't the case with my motherboard I guess. Worked fine after that though.

 

[Paint-It-Blak]

It lets you run live off a usb or dvd. you boot into your system just using the drive it doesn't write to the disk. Then you go the the partition manager program that it has built in, then it will override whatever errors windows is giving you and will let you set up the disk however you would like. I had to set may to GPT and NTFS. GPT is meant for larger discs but that wasn't the case with my motherboard I guess. Worked fine after that though.

So I am running GParted, and whenever I try to create a new GPT partition , I keep getting an input/output error, how do I get rid of it?

 

[Lickmykeyboard]

Did you try just doing mbr or same thing?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

....I keep getting an input/output error, how do I get rid of it?

Ok, let's eliminate the obvious. Use a new SATA cable, not one that came with the motherboard, and make sure that it's tight. And while you're at it, plug into a different SATA port on the motherboard.