SSD won't show up in windows installer (Still not solved)

[inuyasha555]

I'm so annoyed right now I've tried countless times from my desktop and booting from the disk, MY DRIVE WON'T SHOW UP.

The only drive I have attached is my SSD and I've tried AHCI and IDE (or whatever they're called)

The drive is formatted and it has a letter assigned and everything, it just doesn't show up. I'm in desperate need of help

 

[smorizio]

I'm so annoyed right now I've tried countless times from my desktop and booting from the disk, MY DRIVE WON'T SHOW UP.

The only drive I have attached is my SSD and I've tried AHCI and IDE (or whatever they're called)

The drive is formatted and it has a letter assigned and everything, it just doesn't show up. I'm in desperate need of help

check that the drive ssd has the newest firmware on it. also check that the drive power and data cables are plugged in. a lot of times new builders plug there ssd into the 3 party ssd ports. most of these ports are turned off. if you have to try plugging the ssd into one of the standard blue sata ports.

 

[inuyasha555]

check that the drive ssd has the newest firmware on it. also check that the drive power and data cables are plugged in. a lot of times new builders plug there ssd into the 3 party ssd ports. most of these ports are turned off. if you have to try plugging the ssd into one of the standard blue sata ports.

I installed the newest firmware before hand.

I'm using my laptop, it only has 2 SATA ports. It shows up on my desktop from My Computer and I can copy and delete files from it. It just doesn't show up in the Windows installer.

 

[The_OGS]

Hi,
You should always use AHCI with SSDs.
Plus, you need a conventional harddisk too!
This is why it's easy to buy a small SSD and a bigger storage disk, it all works out very nicely, because you can't boot directly to a solo SSD at this time anyway.
What happens is, a new Windows installation claims about 100 MB on the first bootable drive and calls it a System partition, hidden, with no drive letter assigned.
With that conventional harddisk in place you can give it the System partition, then tell it to install Win on the SSD.
At that time, you can (partition and) format the SSD.
The drive letter is assigned dynamically, and may not be what you're expecting!
Regards

 

[inuyasha555]

Hi,
You should always use AHCI with SSDs.
Plus, you need a conventional harddisk too!
This is why it's easy to buy a small SSD and a bigger storage disk, it all works out very nicely, because you can't boot directly to a solo SSD at this time anyway.
What happens is, a new Windows installation claims about 100 MB on the first bootable drive and calls it a System partition, hidden, with no drive letter assigned.
With that conventional harddisk in place you can give it the System partition, then tell it to install Win on the SSD.
At that time, you can (partition and) format the SSD.
The drive letter is assigned dynamically, and may not be what you're expecting!
Regards

With that conventional harddisk in place you can give it the System partition, then tell it to install Win on the SSD.

How would I do this? I have a 500GB Seagate HDD I was just going to upgrade to an SSD. I see the system partition but I don't know how to give it too the SDD...

 

[inuyasha555]

Bump. 73 views and 2 responses? You have to be kidding.

 

[nukemaster]

Ok, so the SSD does NOT show in the windows installer, but what about the bios?

Can I please get full system specs. the MB being the most important.

If it is Intel based, you may need F6 drivers. When windows is ready to install you should have a load 3rd party driver option then you can use a flash drive with the F6(F6 being the key pressed when installing XP to check for 3rd part drivers ) drivers to install them.

The latest F6 drivers at this time(for ALL Intel chipset SATA ports in AHCI mode) are here. Just get the 64 or 32 bit version that matches the version of Windows you are using.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?lang=eng&DwnldID=18668

As said above you ONLY want to use the SSD in AHCI mode and NEVER IDE.

 

[inuyasha555]

Ok, so the SSD does NOT show in the windows installer, but what about the bios?

Can I please get full system specs. the MB being the most important.

If it is Intel based, you may need F6 drivers. When windows is ready to install you should have a load 3rd party driver option then you can use a flash drive with the F6(F6 being the key pressed when installing XP to check for 3rd part drivers ) drivers to install them.

The latest F6 drivers at this time(for ALL Intel chipset SATA ports in AHCI mode) are here. Just get the 64 or 32 bit version that matches the version of Windows you are using.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?lang=eng&DwnldID=18668

As said above you ONLY want to use the SSD in AHCI mode and NEVER IDE.

It shows up in the BIOS correctly.

Here is a CPU-Z mainboard screenshot: http://puu.sh/1ErFU

Here is the laptop I'm using with specs included: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=55612

 

[nukemaster]

Well, its an Intel chipset(HM55) so I would try the F6 drivers on install and see if it works. Failing that, Asus should have some in the download section of its website.

Go here
http://www.service.asus.com/#!downloads/c1wax
Search for G73JW
Select Downloads and scroll to Other(way down) then download Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver and extract those files to a flash drive.

You should be able to load the driver from the flash drive at the windows install screen when you would select a drive to install to. With the drivers, you should see the new SSD.

Install with the hard drive removed if you can. I do not like windows placing its boot manager(system reserved partition) on a drive without asking. With only the one drive(SSD), it will be on the SSD.

 

[inuyasha555]

Well, its an Intel chipset(HM55) so I would try the F6 drivers on install and see if it works. Failing that, Asus should have some in the download section of its website.

Go here
http://www.service.asus.com/#!downloads/c1wax
Search for G73JW
Select Downloads and scroll to Other(way down) then download Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver and extract those files to a flash drive.

You should be able to load the driver from the flash drive at the windows install screen when you would select a drive to install to. With the drivers, you should see the new SSD.

Install with the hard drive removed if you can. I do not like windows placing its boot manager(system reserved partition) on a drive without asking. With only the one drive(SSD), it will be on the SSD.

Alright, I first tried the F6 drivers, it couldn't even install them so I just moved onto the ASUS ones.

Here is part of my BIOS: http://puu.sh/1EsRc The drive in definitely shown. (DVD Drive, SSD, USB for drivers)
SATA screen: http://puu.sh/1EsSQ (port 0 is SSD port 1 is DVD drive
Driver installation screen: http://puu.sh/1EsUb
Screen after installing drivers: http://puu.sh/1EsUG

The drive is still not showing up.

 

[nukemaster]

That is very strange.

I have never seen it do that before.

This may not be your issue, but some users on other forums seem to indicate similar issues getting SSD's do show in the windows installer and some even have bios issues.

http://xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?9851-No-AHCI-for-Crucial-C300-SSD-in-Asus-G73JW-A1

Another thread seems to have just used the drivers, but maybe its worth seeing if another drive bay works with windows right.
http://xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?7458-Installing-a-SSD-on-the-G73JW

Try to use the file iaAHCI.inf(if that is not what you did)

 

[apache_lives]

if the firmware is up to date and doesnt detect in AHCI in setup BUT a normal HDD shows up and works 100% sent it away for warranty, THIS IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM ITS A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT.

My shop only sells Intel SSD's because we got sick of sending other vendors SSD's back and forward for warranty, out of the hundreds we sell haven't seen a faulty one yet, never have to update the firmware or anything.

 

[inuyasha555]

That is very strange.

I have never seen it do that before.

This may not be your issue, but some users on other forums seem to indicate similar issues getting SSD's do show in the windows installer and some even have bios issues.

http://xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?9851-No-AHCI-for-Crucial-C300-SSD-in-Asus-G73JW-A1

Another thread seems to have just used the drivers, but maybe its worth seeing if another drive bay works with windows right.
http://xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?7458-Installing-a-SSD-on-the-G73JW

Try to use the file iaAHCI.inf(if that is not what you did)

Yeah, I tried using that file.

I just don't get it It shows up from my desktop and it works fine, I can add files to it and delete files from it, the Windows installer just won't recognize it at all.

http://puu.sh/1EtTE (D: being the SSD)

if the firmware is up to date and doesnt detect in AHCI in setup BUT a normal HDD shows up and works 100% sent it away for warranty, THIS IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM ITS A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT.

My shop only sells Intel SSD's because we got sick of sending other vendors SSD's back and forward for warranty, out of the hundreds we sell haven't seen a faulty one yet, never have to update the firmware or anything.

I doubt it's defective, the drive is 2 days old now that's all I've had it for. It works fine and shows up in WINDOWS just not in the installer as shown in the picture above.

 

[inuyasha555]

Someone has to have SOMETHING I can try, ANYTHING!

I'm going to end up takin the drive back and complaining... I'm almost positive though the drive is fine.

Like come on, it's right there: http://puu.sh/1EDZo

It just won't show up in the Windows installer, there has to be some way to forcefully install it or something...