Can't install windows on new hard drive

F

Freeley

Well-known member
Hi all I thought I was going to be able to do this myself without begging for help but it's not as easy as I was hoping!
I've removed the 2 x 1tb WD hard drives from my old PCS desktop and have successfully installed them in my new one.
I've bought a brand new WD Blue 1tb hd to put in my old PC in order that I might try to sell it as a running system.
Obviously being a new hd I needed to install windows on it - I was going to use my original windows 7 disc that came with my pc when I bought it but I'm having no joy.
Firstly boot agent is not seeing the drive, I get a message saying "media test failure, check cable". The windows dvd then kicks in and I attempt to install windows 7 but then I get the message "required cd/dvd drive device driver is missing" and it's waiting for me to browse to somewhere to look for it.
Power and sata cables are firmly pressed in (I've removed and reinserted a couple of times to make sure), and can hear the new HD running so I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do?
Can anyone offer any helpful tips or walk me through what I should be doing please?
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Freeley said:
Hi all I thought I was going to be able to do this myself without begging for help but it's not as easy as I was hoping!
I've removed the 2 x 1tb WD hard drives from my old PCS desktop and have successfully installed them in my new one.
I've bought a brand new WD Blue 1tb hd to put in my old PC in order that I might try to sell it as a running system.
Obviously being a new hd I needed to install windows on it - I was going to use my original windows 7 disc that came with my pc when I bought it but I'm having no joy.
Firstly boot agent is not seeing the drive, I get a message saying "media test failure, check cable". The windows dvd then kicks in and I attempt to install windows 7 but then I get the message "required cd/dvd drive device driver is missing" and it's waiting for me to browse to somewhere to look for it.
Power and sata cables are firmly pressed in (I've removed and reinserted a couple of times to make sure), and can hear the new HD running so I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do?
Can anyone offer any helpful tips or walk me through what I should be doing please?
Click to expand...

I'm guessing that's an old Windows 7 disc without service packs? It sounds like it's a version pre sata drivers embedded in the Install.

I would suggest not using that disc and create a new bootable usb key from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

That should include SATA drivers and SP3.

Alternatively you can install the SATA drivers for the current install: https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/68505-sata-driver-load-windows-7-vista-setup.html

But then there would be hours and hours of updates to install once the OS was on. Personally I wouldn't do it this way.
 
F

Freeley

Well-known member
I've already tried changing the boot order to the new WD drive (it is showing on the set up screen) but it doesn't seem to make any difference.
It's my original Windows 7 installation disk, can't imagine why it wouldn't be working as it's been fine in the past.
My feeling is that i need to sort the hd issue first, is there anything else I should be doing to get that recognised during the booting process?

EDIT: Written before I saw SpyderTracks reply!
 
Last edited:
F

Freeley

Well-known member
SpyderTracks said:
I'm guessing that's an old Windows 7 disc without service packs? It sounds like it's a version pre sata drivers embedded in the Install.

I would suggest not using that disc and create a new bootable usb key from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

That should include SATA drivers and SP3.

Alternatively you can install the SATA drivers for the current install: https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/68505-sata-driver-load-windows-7-vista-setup.html

But then there would be hours and hours of updates to install once the OS was on. Personally I wouldn't do it this way.
Click to expand...

Yes it is an old windows 7 disk, the PC was built in January 2011.
I'll have a look at doing as you suggest with the windows 7 download thanks.
 
E

eed

New member
I think the problem revolves around the p reasons
- By cable problem
- A copy of Windows problem out
- Order take-off device system must be of the DVD
 
F

Freeley

Well-known member
So I burnt the newer version of Windows 7 onto a dvd and attempted to install from that but get the same "no device drivers were found" message that I got from my original OEM disk.
Any more ideas?
 
F

Freeley

Well-known member
Would it help if I put the drive into my new pc to format it then returned it to my old one? According to the WD website new internal drives need to be formatted to be seen by the OS.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Freeley said:
Would it help if I put the drive into my new pc to format it then returned it to my old one? According to the WD website new internal drives need to be formatted to be seen by the OS.
Click to expand...

When you specify the drive to install to you should specify to format it before selecting it as the install drive in the windows installation
 
Oussebon

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
According to the WD website new internal drives need to be formatted to be seen by the OS.
Click to expand...
They're probably saying that in the context of you adding that as an HDD into an existing working system.

When you go through the windows install process (assuming it was working) you'd have the option to format the drive before installing Windows as Spyder says.

Have you tried making a bootable USB pen with the Win7 iso?
 
F

Freeley

Well-known member
Oussebon said:
They're probably saying that in the context of you adding that as an HDD into an existing working system.

When you go through the windows install process (assuming it was working) you'd have the option to format the drive before installing Windows as Spyder says.

Have you tried making a bootable USB pen with the Win7 iso?
Click to expand...
No I haven't. Is a USB memory stick the same thing? I might have one somewhere.
 
F

Freeley

Well-known member
Yes it's showing in bios, i'm currently trying to make a bootable windows 7 usb stick but disk part is failing on the "format fs=NTFS" bit
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Freeley said:
Yes it's showing in bios, i'm currently trying to make a bootable windows 7 usb stick but disk part is failing on the "format fs=NTFS" bit
Click to expand...

This is on the same PC? How are you running diskpart (is it from the installation media)?

The diskpart commands you should be using are:

DISKPART> list disk (and be CERTAIN to identify the USB stick)

DISKPART> Sel disk n (where n is the USB stick disk number)

DISKPART> clean (this erases everything, including partition information)

DISKPART> create part primary (this will create a primary partition the size of the whole USB stick)

DISKPART> format fs=ntfs quick (to format the drive)
 
F

Freeley

Well-known member
Ah ok I think it's the ntfs bit it doesn't like as it wouldn't do it when I tried to format as ntfs in windows.
Will try again later with the quick option.
Is it any more likely that Windows will install this way rather than the dvd though?
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Freeley said:
Ah ok I think it's the ntfs bit it doesn't like as it wouldn't do it when I tried to format as ntfs in windows.
Will try again later with the quick option.
Is it any more likely that Windows will install this way rather than the dvd though?
Click to expand...

Which is why I'm suspecting that 'new' drive.

The quick option just creates the partition table, it doesn't test the drive. Note that format can take a long time on big drives if you don't specify quick.

The reason for running diskpart is to ensure that there is nothing on that drive that can interfere with the installation.
 
F

Freeley

Well-known member
No luck with that, when attempting to format with diskpart I get the message "diskpart has encountered an error : the parameter is incorrect. See system event log for more info"
This happens if i do the quick format as you suggest or the slow speed format (except it runs all the way through for about 20 minutes then gives the same message).
Not sure what to do now?
 
F

Freeley

Well-known member
ubuysa said:
This is on the same PC? How are you running diskpart (is it from the installation media)?

The diskpart commands you should be using are:

DISKPART> list disk (and be CERTAIN to identify the USB stick)

DISKPART> Sel disk n (where n is the USB stick disk number)

DISKPART> clean (this erases everything, including partition information)

DISKPART> create part primary (this will create a primary partition the size of the whole USB stick)

DISKPART> format fs=ntfs quick (to format the drive)
Click to expand...

Sorry i only just noticed the first part of your post - i'm running diskpart on my new PC, i'm trying to make the bootable usb flash drive on that so that i can try to boot my old PC from it.
I can't do anything with my old PC at the moment.
 
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