Trouble installing Windows 7

[Rakehellion]

I'm installing Win 7 from a USB stick on an ASUS P9X79 motherboard. When the machine boots up, it doesn't see any of my connected drives. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Bubbaleone]

Whether by DVD or USB you have to press F12 (your pc may use a different key) when you start the computer, and open the boot menu. Then you select the USB stick in either UEFI or AHCI mode depending on whether you're going to use GPT or MBR.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Are the drives listed in BIOS?

Is the USB stick booting, but you don't see any drives to install windows onto?

 

[denis280]

Just like both comment above.did you set the boot option in bios

 

[ch33zw1z]

Whether by DVD or USB you have to press F12 (your pc may use a different key) when you start the computer, and open the boot menu. Then you select the USB stick in either UEFI or AHCI mode depending on whether you're going to use GPT or MBR.

I'm only quoting to just clear this up a bit. F12 is the alternate boot key stroke. If you've set your boot options in BIOS to be DVD and/or USB, then F12 is not necessary.

F12 is nice because it allows access to a boot selection list, without having to modify the BIOS setup.

 

[Bubbaleone]

I'm only quoting to just clear this up a bit. F12 is the alternate boot key stroke. If you've set your boot options in BIOS to be DVD and/or USB, then F12 is not necessary.

F12 is nice because it allows access to a boot selection list, without having to modify the BIOS setup.

Practical experience says you're incorrect. Many current mobos don't even have a legacy BIOS. BIOS was the device level setup utility prior to the UEFI setup utility. The Basic Input/Output System is an entirely different sytem from the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface setup utility.

If the typical user is installing an operating system on a mobo utilizing a UEFI setup utility, that does not include a legacy BIOS option, the only way the way the typical user can ensure that they are installing the operating system in either UEFI/GPT or AHCI/MBR is via the boot menu.

 

[Rakehellion]

Whether by DVD or USB you have to press F12 (your pc may use a different key) when you start the computer, and open the boot menu. Then you select the USB stick in either UEFI or AHCI mode depending on whether you're going to use GPT or MBR.

I'm in AHCI and I don't get an option for UEFI with the USB stick.

Practical experience says you're incorrect. Many current mobos don't even have a legacy BIOS. BIOS was the device level setup utility prior to the UEFI setup utility. The Basic Input/Output System is an entirely different sytem from the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface setup utility.

If the typical user is installing an operating system on a mobo utilizing a UEFI setup utility, that does not include a legacy BIOS option, the only way the way the typical user can ensure that they are installing the operating system in either UEFI/GPT or AHCI/MBR is via the boot menu.

So I do want UEFI or I don't?

 

[Bubbaleone]

If you don't have HDDs that are greater than 2.2 TB in capacity; AHCI will be fine. I'm surprised that the boot menu doesn't display both USB/UEFI mode and USB/AHCI mode.

I haven't downloaded and read through the manual, but I highly suggest that you thorougly read your manual again. If I was you; I'd go into UEFI and reset to default configuration if you're unsure, prior to attempting to install from the USB stick.

Given the wildly varying quality of USB flash drives (IMHO), I've always used the ISO burned to DVD to install without problems.

 

[Rakehellion]

I don't have an optical drive and I don't want one. I'm able to boot to the installer from USB, but it won't recognize any of my connected drives whether USB or SATA.

 

[Bubbaleone]

OK..If the mobo isn't recognizing any drive type; then you have a problem with how you've attempted to connect all the components; mobo, SSDs, HDDs, peripherals, and the entire wiring harness.

This is a top-of-the-line ASUS mobo and I again urge you to re-read your user manual from beginning to end. I'm not trying to break bad on you; but from your responses to the replies you've received to your OP you're lacking in some technical experience. Be patient and retrace your steps.


.

 

[Xtrem]

If you are not using an SSD, do you HEAR the mechanical hard drive spin up?

 

[ch33zw1z]

Practical experience says you're incorrect. Many current mobos don't even have a legacy BIOS. BIOS was the device level setup utility prior to the UEFI setup utility. The Basic Input/Output System is an entirely different sytem from the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface setup utility.

If the typical user is installing an operating system on a mobo utilizing a UEFI setup utility, that does not include a legacy BIOS option, the only way the way the typical user can ensure that they are installing the operating system in either UEFI/GPT or AHCI/MBR is via the boot menu.

UEFI systems still have a setup menu. I will give you this, I have not messed with UEFI on a home mobo level. My only practical experience with UEFI is at a server level for roughly 3 years. So, maybe there is a difference. In these situation, I am not incorrect, there's still a boot list to config as you want.

 

[Rakehellion]

OK..If the mobo isn't recognizing any drive type; then you have a problem with how you've attempted to connect all the components; mobo, SSDs, HDDs, peripherals, and the entire wiring harness.

This is a top-of-the-line ASUS mobo and I again urge you to re-read your user manual from beginning to end. I'm not trying to break bad on you; but from your responses to the replies you've received to your OP you're lacking in some technical experience. Be patient and retrace your steps.


.

Obviously it's connected since I am able to boot, but the installer doesn't see any other drives.

If you are not using an SSD, do you HEAR the mechanical hard drive spin up?

It's the same case with SATA or USB. They're definitely connected, I see them in the boot screen.

 

[jaedaliu]

so you see them in the boot screen?

you see them when you enter BIOS or whatever it's called now with all the correct information?

But, when windows installer finishes booting up and you're looking for a HD to install Win7 to, you don't see them?

 

[denis280]

did you try with another usb port??

 

[Bubbaleone]

Obviously it's connected since I am able to boot, but the installer doesn't see any other drives.
It's the same case with SATA or USB. They're definitely connected, I see them in the boot screen.

Then either the method you used to create bootable USB Windows installation media was a failure or you need to add the storage driver prior to installation. Given your description of events thus far; your USB is the problem because the native Windows 7 storage drivers should work just fine according to the P9X79 user manual.

EDIT: If the bootable USB installation media was properly created it will appear in the UEFI boot menu with both boot options: UEFI/GPT or AHCI/MBR.


.

 

[Bubbaleone]

UEFI systems still have a setup menu. I will give you this, I have not messed with UEFI on a home mobo level. My only practical experience with UEFI is at a server level for roughly 3 years. So, maybe there is a difference. In these situation, I am not incorrect, there's still a boot list to config as you want.

Thanks man, I sincerely appreciate your response. The point I did a bad job of was that enthusiast mobo manufacturers release their hardware without informing the "typical user' that BIOS and UEFI are two different animals. The vast majority of people purchasing current hardware so they can have a killer setup have never read, let alone understood, an Intel white paper.



.

 

[sm625]

Windows 7 setup should not need any special drivers to find a SATA drive. Make sure you unplug any card readers before attempting installation.

 

[Rakehellion]

I figured it out. I had to boot without the UEFI setting.