Maximus IV gene-z can't install windows 7

[Retired]

Have a 2500k, gtx 580, samsung hd502hj sata, 4x4gb ddr3 (f3-10666cl9d-8gbrl), hp dvd drive sata, and a corsair hx750w psu.

The cpu, motherboard and memory are new. The rest came from my other build. I initially just put it together and tried to run it but it wouldn't boot so I decided to do a clean install. So I went into settings and have done everything from trying 1, 2 and 4 sticks. I have noticed sometimes the hard drive doesn't show up if it is in AHCI mode. I have also tried IDE mode. Now I can get into windows setup sometimes but it takes forever to load up and when I start to try and do new install on the "where do you want to install windows?" page, sometimes it will start and the hard drive will disappear and it will say no hard drive can be found and sometimes i get "Failed to create a new partition on the selected unused space. [Error: 0x8007045d]"

I just don't know what to do. Ran memory test and it works and I am assuming the CPU is fine since everything seems ok in the bios. And the hard drive didn't move from it's place in the case and was working fine yesterday morning. So I think it is either the motherboard or my copy of windows 7, it is a copy I won from a contest and the first time I have used it so it may be bad. I have access to getting a copy from msdnaa so I may try that option. Also I have updated the BIOS and I am trying to install x64 version. Both dvd drive and hd are connected to sata2 ports

Sorry if this is long winded but I have spent all of last night and today trying to get this to work.

edit:
Also forgot in the "where do you want to install windows?" it says 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.
Is there is something I am missing in the bios to enable this. maybe this is the source of the problem.

[Raja]

Use one of the grey SATA ports, and in the UEFI SATA configuration section set "Hot Plug" to enabled on the port the drive is connected to.

-Raja

[Retired]

Raja@ASUS wrote:
Use one of the grey SATA ports, and in the UEFI SATA configuration section set "Hot Plug" to enabled on the port the drive is connected to.

-Raja

Thanks for the response. In the SATA configuration I have tried setting SATA mode to IDE mode and AHCI mode and enabling and disabling the hot plugs. And no combinations have worked. I have also tried the msdnaa copy of windows 7 and it didn't work either. I burned it to a dvd but I am gonna try putting it on a USB flash drive. Unfortunately the laptop I am using to put it on the flash drive is super old and slow at transferring.

Something I noticed too is in the boot option section I have three boot options. My hard drive and then two dvd drives even though I only have one. One says "UEFI: SATA: HP DVD Writer 1070d" and the other just doesn't have the UEFI part in front. Don't know if it matters which one I boot from but I have tried both.

[Retired]

So I unplugged the dvd drive and tried installing windows 7 from the usb thinking maybe the dvd drive might be causing a problem but it still didn't work. takes about 10 minutes from post screen to install screen. When I finally get to install I am still getting the following error:

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.

Still not sure if I am missing a setting in the BIOS somewhere.

[troub]

Raja@ASUS wrote:
Use one of the grey SATA ports, and in the UEFI SATA configuration section set "Hot Plug" to enabled on the port the drive is connected to.

-Raja

Raja, you are correct to mention that on the older Z68 boards we were able to configure the additional Sata3 ports. But how is it that ASUS has taken out the ability to configure the Sata3 ports (except Intel) on the Z77 boards? I have the next generation Maximus Gene and now have LESS options than then IV Gene. How is that ever OK?

Why am I even posting... it is useless. ASUS doesn't listen, nor does anyone even know what is going on. These issues have already been raised when the first Z77 boards from ASUS came out and they have not done a thing about it.

[Raja]

Few things for you to try:

1) Pull two sticks of DRAM. Set the DRAM voltage manually to the specified value.


2) This is only if that HDD was ever part of a RAID array; you may need to try a low level format of the drive.


-Raja

[Retired]

Appreciate your help Raja. Just tried doing two sticks and manually setting the the DRAM and still didn't work. The HDD was never part of a RAID array, has been my OS and programs drive for about a year. Trying to download a copy of ubuntu and see if I can get it to install. This is weird because I have tried a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate from Microsoft and Windows 7 Professional from MSDNAA on dvd and on USB and none of them can get me past the "where do you want to install windows?" page. Plus it still takes forever for it to even get to their. Last time I remember doing a windows 7 clean install it only took ~20 minutes.

edit:

guess I just can't figure out if it is my copies of windows, the HDD or the motherboard.

[Spathi]

As a test and a possible assist, try...

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootit-bare-metal.htm

Try run this from the DVD and select "maintenance". You can also install it as well for a trial, it is worth getting though.
First things first though, select "maintenance" and delete all the partitions. Then install it and create a second partition or use maintenance to create a partition.

The bonus is if you pre-partition the drive you won't have windows 7 then create multiple partitions.

support is here
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/support-bootit-bare-metal.htm

[Spathi]

As a test and a possible assist, try...

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootit-bare-metal.htm

Try run this from the DVD and select "maintenance". You can also install it as well for a trial, it is worth getting though.
First things first though, select "maintenance" and delete all the partitions. Then install it and create a second partition or use maintenance to create a partition.

The bonus is if you pre-partition the drive you won't have windows 7 then create multiple partitions.

support is here
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/support-bootit-bare-metal.htm

p.s. if you want a good drive setup, get a small cheap SSD that supports trim + native command queuing for windows and Momentus XT for storage. Backup the Momentus XT as lots of complaints about stability, but I have two from the last few months and they seem rock solid to me. (One in PS3, one in PC). If you only want one drive I would get the Momentus XT, as it could be reused well in other devices later.

and maybe only connect one drive when installing windows 7... although I think I had both connected and it was OK.

oh and if you find the problem is in the optical drive, a good brand for Blu-Ray I find is Pioneer, personal preference I suppose. I think Pioneer 206 is latest. For optical drives ASUS re-brand whatever is best, sometimes (often?) that is Pioneer, so a new ASUS is also a safe choice.

[Retired]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the feedback. Googled "HD502HJ firmware" for my hard drive and this came up http://www.samsung.com/global/business/hdd/faqView.do?b2b_bbs_msg_id=308
So I tried flashing it and I don't know if something went bad but in ubuntu it shows 0.0kb and I can't format it or install ubuntu or win 7 on it. But it is at least showing up. Also tried hooking it up to my old motherboard and still couldn't get it to install.

Anyways, I have decided to order a SSD. I was on the fence about getting one but I need a new hard drive while I send my other back into samsung for warranty.