[gruff]

My friend asked me to move his motherboard/procesor to a new case.

The move went good and I installed Windows 7 Professional from the DVD he had given me. After the install, the system wouldn't boot ... it came up with a "Setup was unable to create a new system partition" error. So... I tried another hard drive... now this hard drive had previously worked with no problem in an external hard drive caddy... however, after trying another Windows 7 install, the hard drive failed with the same "Setup was unable to create a new system partition" error.

Afterwards, the hard drives (yes, both of them) can be seen in BIOS startup, but cannot be accessed thereafter! Nor, can they be accessed via my external drive caddy!

So, to recap: I have 2 hard drives that can be 'seen' by BIOS, but cannot be accessed for the Windows 7 installl nor via an external caddy.

Please, help.

Regards, geoffas.

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1 Do you have an external drive connected whilst you are trying to install 7.
If so the installation may place the 100Mb system partition on the external drive.

2. Is the windows 7 dvd the full install disc or an upgrade disc.

3. How is the drive on which you are trying to install it partitioned
If it is format it create one primary partition and start again

[Macboatmaster]

1 Do you have an external drive connected whilst you are trying to install 7.
If so the installation may place the 100Mb system partition on the external drive.

2. Is the windows 7 dvd the full install disc or an upgrade disc.

3. How is the drive on which you are trying to install it partitioned
If it is format it create one primary partition and start again

[happyrock]

just to add to what mac said...always use the full format option...
the installs I've seen that fail or otherwise go sideways were after using the quick option to
format the drive...
tip of the day
one other thing to remember is if installing windows 7 on a new SSD drive...just leave the drive exactly like it came out of the box...just make sure the drive is seen in the bios and AHCI is enabled that way windows 7 will get the starting offset correct...
if you don't, the starting offset may be wrong and both performance and longevity will suffer

[gruff]

First of all, thank you both for replying to my query.

I have been struggling with this issue for over a week now and so I can't remember if there was ever an external drive plugged in during some of the install attemtps.

Yesterday, I decided to try a 'low-level format' to revive his Maxtor 320 Gb IDE drive. The prgram has now been running for 26 hours(!) and the progress bar has just now reached the right-hand edge of the screen, so hopefully, it will complete soon (maybe). When it has finished I'll get back to you and, perhaps, we can start afresh together?

In the meantime, pls allow me to answer your questions...

The dvd is a full install version.

After the low-level format, I presume that the drive won't have any partiitions at all?


BTW, before going for the low-level format route, I downloaded Seagate 'Seatools' and did a 'long test' on the drive and it passed with no errors, nor were any S.M.A.R.T. errors found.

Bye for now,
geoffas

Update: after 26 and a half hours the low-level format finished... within 2 minutes of me posting the above. Typical!

Anyway, the completed dialog box does indeed say that the I will now have to create parittions and format.


I'll go ahead and reboot and see what now shows in BIOS (select boot device option)...

Edited by Macboatmaster, 21 June 2012 - 04:41 PM.

[Macboatmaster]

We will wait to hear from you

[gruff]

OK. Here's the situation... I connected both hard drives on the one IDE cable and they are both visibile in BIOS 'select boot device' dialog. Also the DVD drive is visible.

Should I try to install again from the DVD? Or is there anything else that you would like me to do first?

TIA,
geoffas.

Edited by gruff, 21 June 2012 - 04:54 PM.

[Macboatmaster]

Ensure the drive on which 7 is to be installed is master.
Personally I always jumper them master slave, rather than using cable select.

Although it will work in either position, it is recommended that the master drive is attached to the connector at the very end of the IDE ribbon cable. Then, a jumper on the back of the drive next to the IDE connector must be set in the correct position to identify the drive as the master drive. The slave drive must have either the master jumper removed or a special slave jumper set, depending on the drive. Also, the slave drive is attached to the connector near the middle of the IDE ribbon cable. Each drive's controller board looks at the jumper setting to determine whether it is a slave or a master. This tells them how to perform. Every drive is capable of being either slave or master when you receive it from the manufacturer. If only one drive is installed, it should always be the master drive.

Many drives feature an option called Cable Select (CS). With the correct type of IDE ribbon cable, these drives can be auto configured as master or slave. CS works like this: A jumper on each drive is set to the CS option. The cable itself is just like a normal IDE cable except for one difference -- Pin 28 only connects to the master drive connector. When your computer is powered up, the IDE interface sends a signal along the wire for Pin 28. Only the drive attached to the master connector receives the signal. That drive then configures itself as the master drive. Since the other drive received no signal, it defaults to slave mode.


Make the master the boot drive. as the second boot priority Optical drive first and then install

You will aprreciate that I do not know how experienced you are. Some older drives had a difficult to follow jumper block schematic on the drive case.
As you said one was a Maxtor this may help
http://eshop.macsale...gs/Maxtor72.pdf

[gruff]

I consider myself very experienced with PCs (been building PC systems since 2000) - that's why I spent a week trying to figure this out! :-P lol
Seriously, we should be able to go at a good pace once Windows installer gets going again...

I removed the 2nd hard drive (it's an old 40GB one of mine) for now.
I set the jumper on his 320GB drive to Master and attached it to the black plug on the very end of the IDE cable. During POST it is listed as 'Pri Master'.
I made this the 2nd boot device in BIOS setup, with the dvd drive being the first.
I removed any attached external hard drives or USB flash drives.

Windows 7 startup went through the usual 'set country preferences' and 'accept license agreement' screens and arrived at the 'Where do you want install Windows?" screen. Here the hard drive was listed as: Disk 0 Unallocated space 298.1GB Free space 298.1GB. However at the bottom of the screen it showed, "Windows cannot install to this disk (Show details)". I clicked on 'show details' and a dialog popped up showing, "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu."

I tried a different IDE cable. Same result.

Some more info...

The 320GB hard drive was in the PC he brought to me and had been running Windows 7 without problems (apparently, for a couple of years). The only reason I am attempting to re-install is because he felt the system was running slow and that a format & re-install would improve things.

The mobo is an Asrock ALiveNF6G-VSTA. AmiBIOS P1.60.
The processor is AMD Athlon Dual core 4400+
There is 3GB of system memory.

It's now turned 1:30 am here in England, so I need to go to bed. I'll catch up with the thread tomorrow and hope that you have some ideas about where we can go next.

Thanks for your help,
geoffas.

Edit: I just noticed (duh!) that you're in Wales. In that case, good night.

Edited by gruff, 21 June 2012 - 06:50 PM.

[Macboatmaster]

It is either that, with respect to your stated experience you are not folowing this procedure

To install Windows 7 on a computer without an operating system To do this, you'll need to start, or boot, your computer using the Windows 7 installation disc or USB flash drive.

• Turn on your computer, insert the Windows 7 installation disc or USB flash drive, and then shut down your computer.
• Restart your computer.
• Press any key when prompted, and then follow the instructions that appear.
• On the Install Windows page, enter your language and other preferences, and then click Next .
  
  If the Install Windows page doesn't appear, and you're not asked to press any key, you might need to change some system settings.
• On the Please read the license terms page, if you accept the license terms, click I accept the license terms , and then click Next .
• On the Which type of installation do you want? page, click Custom .
• On the Where do you want to install Windows ? page, choose the partition that you want to install Windows 7 on, or click Unallocated Space if no partitions are listed, and then click Next .
  
  If a dialog box appears saying that Windows might create additional partitions for system files, or that the partition you chose might contain recovery files or other types of files from your computer manufacturer, click OK .
• Follow the instructions to finish installing Windows 7 , which include naming your computer and setting up an initial user account.

OR I know you say you have removed the external drives and I think that you now have ONLY the one drive installed internally.
If I am incorrect remove the other drive from the IDE cable.

OR on some motherboard the boot priority is hard drive, but there is then a sub menu to select which hard drive, this is common on motherboards that have both SATA and IDE connections.

I would check that in the BIOS

Alternatively, although I cannot see why, if you have the jumper correct, I did send you the jumper configuration for the Maxtor drives, set the jumper cable select.
On a cable select IDE cable the position of the drive determines the master or slave as you know, when the drive is jumpered cable select

and in BIOS check if that drive is set to auto detect and if it is, after trying the cable select, if that does not work, set the hard drive up in BIOS according to the spec of the drive

[gruff]

I am doing this again, now, and listing everything step-by-step. (I forgot to mention that I selected 'custom install' last night. Sorry, I was tired).

I have removed all drives from the computer except the 320GB Maxtor Diamondmax 21 hard drive and the Samsung DVD R/W.

Upon start up, POST shows the Maxtor drive as 'Pri Master' and detects the dvd drive.

There is a Windows 7 install dvd in the dvd drive.

With no input required from me, the dvd booted up and ariived at the 'set country preferences' screen.
I selected 'English UK' and pressed <enter> twice to arrive at...

The 'Install Now' button screen. I clicked on the button and arrived at the 'Please read the license terms' screen.
I select 'I accept...' and press <enter>. The next screen is...

'Which type of installation do you want?'.
I click on 'Custom (advanced)'. The next screen is...

'Where do you want install Windows?".
Here the hard drive was listed as: Disk 0 Unallocated space 298.1GB Free space 298.1GB.

I clicked on the 'Unallocated Space' line that is highlighted and then clicked Next.

A message appears at the bottom of the screen, "Setup was unable to create a new system partition or
locate an existing system partition. See the setp log files for more information."

So, I'm now stuck again.

Thanks for your time and input,
geoffas.

[Macboatmaster]

Are you absolutely certain and do not be annoyed at me asking that this is NOT an upgrade DVD

To install Windows 7 on a computer without an operating system
On the Where do you want to install Windows? page, choose the partition that you want to install Windows 7 on, or click Unallocated Space if no partitions are listed, and then click Next.

If a dialog box appears saying that Windows might create additional partitions for system files, or that the partition you chose might contain recovery files or other types of files from your computer manufacturer, click OK.

• Follow the instructions to finish installing Windows 7, which include naming your computer and setting up an initial user account.

Are you absolutely certain this is not an upgrade disc, sorry to ask again but I cannot see why we have this error occurring
after selecting the unallocated space

Have you done as I suggested and set the drive cable select
I know I suggested jumpering it master, but try it CS

Also try this please if that fails try this please
http://www.sevenforu...-7-install.html

[gruff]

I have moved the jumper on the Maxtor 320GB hard drive to CS and connected the drive to the far-end connector (black) of the IDE cable.

During POST the drive is shown as 'Auto Select Pri Master' and the dvd drive is also found.

I waited... and the system booted from the Windows 7 dvd drive without any input from me.

After 'install now', 'select country', 'aceept license' it arrived at the Upgrade or Custom screen... again.

It shows the drive as unallocated and says "Windows cannot install to this disk (Show details)", again.
The 'details' are the same as I posted above/earlier.

Clicking on the advanced option and trying various partitioning possibilities (e.g. only allocating 200GB, leaving 120GB free) do not work.

Any ideas? Please.

[gruff]

Cross-post. I'll now follow the sevenforums link and instructions. BB soon...

[gruff]

The 'Get important updates for installation' screen does not appear, ever.

After the 'install now', 'select country' and 'accept license' all that is offered are the 'Update' or 'Custom' buttons.

(Pulling my hair out).

Any other suggestions? Please.

[Macboatmaster]

Try this see if it opens a cmd prompt
At the first setup screen (Language, Keyboard, etc.) press SHIFT+F10