# Major help needed - Just built first comp - Can't install an OS! - HD not recognized



## realitybias (Oct 26, 2010)

Alright guys, I just built my first computer. I troubleshot my way all the way until I finally got the motherboard to shoot off the loading screen. That was a major success for me. I'm on my third day now and working on getting the operating system installed. I have a 1 TB hard drive plugged in to the motherboard with a SATA cable. It looks like the hard drive is recognized in my motherboard BIOS. 

So yesterday, I slipped in the windows 7 disk. It said windows 7 was configuring or setting up or something with a black screen... then switched to the blue screen. It gave me two options: Repair and Custom (advanced). Because the drive does not currently have a windows OS on it, I chose custom. After choosing custom, it simply cannot find the drive. There are no partitions. It does let me search for drivers, but I cannot find any drivers on the windows CD, and C:/ appears as one of the folders I can try to search for drivers in. When I select C though, it says that I must format the drive before it can be used. When I select yes, it says there's a problem formating the drive. 

What do? I'm building this for my GF, I want to be the hero of the day for her


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## JMPC (Jan 15, 2011)

Which motherboard do you have? Which SATA port are you connecting to on the motherboard?

What are the SATA modes set to in the BIOS?

If you do need drivers there should be a CD included with the motherboard which would have the drivers you need.


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## realitybias (Oct 26, 2010)

This is where the process goes wrong:










It looks just like this, but the screen is blank with no drives.

Here is my motherboard:

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-870A-UD3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard-_-

The CD that came with it, I've tried putting in at this point in the process to search for drivers. I can't find any in the CD, although there are sections with drivers. There is a folder with something like "bootdr" which I assume are boot drivers. There is a place where you can check to "show only drivers compatable with your hardware." Anytime this is checked, none of the drivers show up. When this is unchecked, RAID drivers show up.

Its plugged into the first SATA port, (port 0, I believe it's called).


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## realitybias (Oct 26, 2010)

I'm using default options in my BIOS. I explored it a little bit and noticed the hard drive being recognized by the BIOS, and its in the primary slot.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Set SATA to IDE-Compatibility Mode or similar in the Bios.


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## Tim Enchanter (Feb 7, 2011)

I could be extremely all wet here, but my first thought is that the hard disk is not yet partitioned?

You guys that know more about how things work today, and have installed Windows 7 on a new drive (I haven't yet), could that be it?

(I'm learning while I'm reading.)

Tim


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## rgsalinger (May 18, 2009)

At some point during the boot, you’ll be given the option to “Press any key to boot from CD/DVD,” or something along those lines—do so. (If you don’t get this option, go into the BIOS and move the DVD drive ahead of the hard drive in the boot order). Windows will load files from the disk for a moment, then the installer will launch. Since you don't seem to be getting this I think you need to change the priority in your bios to boot from CD/DVD first and see if that helps.


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## realitybias (Oct 26, 2010)

I have changed my boot priority to get it from the CD/DVD. I wouldn't be able to reach the screen shot listed above otherwise. Its when I am actually setting up windows and it comes time to choose a HDD to install windows on... nothing exists. Its not even there.


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## realitybias (Oct 26, 2010)

But the motherboard itself recognizes it in the BIOS (I see the name of the HDD a few places in the bios).


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## jwp1223 (Jan 18, 2010)

Do what Tyree said to do, I actually had to set it up in BIOS SATA to ide-compatability mode myself. 

That should work for you.


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## realitybias (Oct 26, 2010)

Will do this tonight and report back as to how it works!


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## realitybias (Oct 26, 2010)

I cannot find anything whatsoever in the BIOS menu that does this. The SATA is already set to IDE mode.


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## realitybias (Oct 26, 2010)

Alright guys, I tried messing with the BIOS settings for 6 hours. Nothing worked, and I was about to give up. I tried switching it to every SATA port possible, then searched for hours on google...

AND FOUND A SOLUTION THAT WORKED!

So for anyone in the future that experiences this:

"At windows installation screen "Where do you want to install windows ?"
Tap <SHIFT> <F10> for Command Prompt RE
Type:
diskpart <enter>
select disk 0 <enter> (You literally have to type "select disk 0")
clean all <enter> (this may take awhile...)
select disk 0 <enter>
create partition primary <enter>
exit <enter>
exit <enter>
Close install window and Reboot to start over"

Read more: [SOLVED] Can't install os on new HDD - Tech Support Forum http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...stall-os-on-new-hdd-535183.html#ixzz1FjbkS3Bv


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## Tim Enchanter (Feb 7, 2011)

realitybias said:


> Alright guys, I tried messing with the BIOS settings for 6 hours. Nothing worked, and I was about to give up. I tried switching it to every SATA port possible, then searched for hours on google...
> 
> AND FOUND A SOLUTION THAT WORKED!
> 
> ...



Um, did I say, "I could be extremely all wet here, but my first thought is that the hard disk is not yet partitioned?"

/me breaks arm patting himself on back. :smile:


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## realitybias (Oct 26, 2010)

This guy had almost my same motherboard too, lol.


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