OCZ vertex SSD not displaying during windows 7 installation

0

I disconnected my other drives, and when I bootup using the windows 7 DVD and after I select the language keyboard settings, there is a list of drives that I would choose to install windows 7 on.

The list is empty, and it says for me to load the driver.

WHy isn't my SSD visible? I set the bios ACHI setting already (this drive works as it was running before, but I am re-installing my o/s and I have disconnected my other drives).

Running intel i7 chip, on a gigabyte ga-ex58-ud4p motherboard.

I have tried sata slots 0, 1 and 4 and 5 and it doesn't show up in the list of drives during installation of windows 7 (the list is empty).

I do see OSZ during bootup so it is being recognized.

Is there a driver I can load, not sure what they want?

user27449

Posted 2013-06-22T18:57:44.207

Reputation: 5 104

What motherboard? If its Intel-based, are you sure you are plugging the SSD into the SATA ports provided by the Intel Chipset? Likewise, if its AMD-based, are you sure you are plugging the SSD into the SATA ports provided by the AMD Chipset? Your motherboard manual should outline this for you. – Rain – 2013-06-22T21:26:36.493

@Rain I am using a Gigabyte ga-ex58-ud4p motherboard, connecting it via the sata connections. I have tried slot 0, 1, 4, 5 and it doesnt' work. During bootup I do see OCZ listed so it is picking the drive up, but it doesn't show up in the list of drives during installation. – user27449 – 2013-06-27T19:08:54.707

Answers

1

Win7 supports most chipsets both not all.
Seems Win7 doesn't support your SATA chipset out of the box.

You will have to supply the mother board drivers (or separate SATA drivers if the SATA is on another chipset).

This usually happens when you try to re-install a machine that was originally factory pre-installed to get a clean Windows without all the pre-installed cruft.
The factory install had the extra driver, that's why it originally did work.

Please note: In some rare cases you get this message even though there is no extra driver needed at all. And no matter which drivers you load it still keeps asking for a driver.
But as far as I know that only happens if you are installing from a USB stick. And it will work fine on the same hardware when installing from DVD.
(Usually on laptops with a buggy "boot from USB" implementation in the Bios.)

Tonny

Posted 2013-06-22T18:57:44.207

Reputation: 19 919

Actually I bought this ssd aftermarket, it didn't come pre-installed (anyway I built this myself so it was all custom components) Again this worked until I decided to re-install the o/s because I the system was crashing), but it wasn't the primary drive I guess. – user27449 – 2013-06-23T00:44:21.207

Strange. In that case you should have run into the same issue when doing the initial install of Win7 on the original HD. Since you didn't something else is going on. Is the motherbaord on the latest bios revision ? (That is sometimes needed to get SSD's working.) Another thing you must check is if the SSD is installed on SATA port 0. In some cases Windows doesn't like it if the install-disk is not the 1st drive in the system. Moving the DVD-drive to another SATA port might also help. – Tonny – 2013-06-23T09:24:37.160

I tried sata port 0, 1 and 4/5 and it didn't work. – user27449 – 2013-06-27T19:11:03.673

i swapped the dvd and ssd sata port and that didn't work either. – user27449 – 2013-06-27T19:11:29.837

Go to the Gigabyte web-site. Driver downloads for your motherboard and Win7. You need should need the first AHCI driver listed. Unpack it on another machine (the exe file is a self-extracting zip file) and copy the entire extracted content to a USB stick. Feed that to the Win7 installer when it wants the driver. – Tonny – 2013-06-27T19:21:38.900

If that doesn't work try the other drivers in the AHCI/SATA section. It is safe to try them all. One of them should do the trick. – Tonny – 2013-06-27T19:22:56.297

I see ok, but just to mention, I did set it to AHCI in my bios already. – user27449 – 2013-06-27T20:04:26.993

its a .exe, do I have to run it on a another computer, or just put that on a usb stick? the computer I downloaded it on is a mac. – user27449 – 2013-06-27T20:07:23.087

@user27449 Because it is on AHCI (which is highly recommended for SSD's) you need the driver. You must unpack it first. If you only got a mac available you can just double-click it and your Mac will recognize it is actually a zip file and unpack it. (Just tried it on my own Mac.) – Tonny – 2013-06-27T22:13:36.537

When I double click on it I get 'you cant open the application 'motherboard_dirver_intel_sataraid_bootd_isk_irst_64.exe' because microsfot windows applications are not support by os x. – user27449 – 2013-07-03T21:58:22.413

I downloaded this one ntel SATA Preinstall driver (For AHCI / RAID Mode) Note: Press F6 during Windows setup to read from floppy. for windws 7, 64 bit;10.6.0.1002; .39MP – user27449 – 2013-07-03T22:30:08.480

@user27449 That one should be OK too. – Tonny – 2013-07-04T09:00:24.830

yes but the point is on my Mac it didn't extract it, it said you can't run it b/c it is a MS windows application not supported by osx. – user27449 – 2013-07-04T12:25:09.447

@user27449 I may have installed something in the past on my Mac that took care of the extracting. It seems it is an app called "The UnArchiver". I had totally forgotten I installed it a long time ago. – Tonny – 2013-07-04T18:21:35.020

Ok it seems my SSD drive is probably not working, even after installing the driver it doesn't show up. – user27449 – 2013-07-06T19:51:00.277

1@user27449 That would be a shame... To be certain it is really the SSD itself: Download the PartedMagic live-cd ISO and burn it. (You can do this from your Mac if needed) Boot the PC from the CD and see if it can see the SSD. There are all sort of partition tools (and SMART data readers) on that live-CD. – Tonny – 2013-07-06T22:51:38.270

Asked: 2013-06-22T18:57:44.207

Viewed: 2 915 times

Active: 2014-03-25T20:49:17.783