Brand new dv6t - Clean Win 7 Ultimate install - "No drives were found" error

[mark19051110]

Just pulled my brand new dv6t quad edition w/ 32gb mSSD out of the box. Going for a clean format and install of Win 7 Ultimate. Upon booting from the bootable DVD, I'm getting a "No Drives Were Found" error. No drives/partitions will show.

When I boot into the existing install of Win 7 Home Premium and boot the win 7 install disc up, it will find the drives.. but I can't format or delete being as that I need to boot from the disc.

Seems to me like a driver issue for the HDD/mSSD. Has anyone encountered this? Any and all help is very appreciated.

[frrw]

Hello mark19051110:

          Welcome to HP Forum and your new computer. Ok first things first before you jump the gun again. Get your sytem back to Windows 7 home as it was when you first turned on. Back to original factory conditions . Ounce you have done that now make a set of recovery disk before you do anything else with it. Ounce you have completed that. For get about using Windows 7 Ultimate disk do not use it. All you need from the disk packaging is the product Key. Following me so far? Click on start button, click on all programs. Go down list and open up Windows 7 Upgrade Advisory  now inter Windows 7 Ultimate product key preceed with wizards comands. After Windows 7 Ultimate is installed go to this link and down load XP mode and XP Virtual Windows  plus other extra goodies you like. I definitely recomend XP mode XP Virtual windows why because what software you can not install on Windows 7 you can install in XP Virtual window . I have installed Windows XP Pluss software and countless other XP Windows software in cluding Microsoft Office 2003. I do not like Microsoft Office 2010 version tool bar. Or features. Do not trash your Windows 7 Ultimate Disk may need it to reinstall software programs later on if they ever become corrupted. Please click kudos if this has resolved your issue. Thank You frrw

[frrw]

Sorry would help if I posted Windows 7 Extras link http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/windows-7

[mark19051110]

Hello..

Thank you for the advice, but I can tell that you either have no idea what you're talking about or what I'm talking about.

What I wish to do is completely format this drive and install Windows 7 Ultimate x64 from scratch.   Typically on any other type of HDD, there is no problem with this.  You simply use the bootable install disk, boot to it, format and/or create partition and install Win 7. 

With this computer, we opted for the hybrid SSD drive ("32 GB mSSD Hard Drive Acceleration Cache") which I believe is where the problem lies.  There seems to be some kind of driver for the HDD that needs to be pre-loaded in order for the Windows to properly recognize the drive.  If you do not boot into the existing system, then this driver does not get loaded and Windows doesn't recognize it properly.

Hence.. the problem.  It's a catch 22.  If you don't boot into the existing Windows install, then it won't recognize the drives.. but you can't format and install once you've booted in. 

At this point, we're looking at dumping this drive.  This is a new option for HP and one that I don't think that they thought out well enough to offer publicly.  If we can't format our own drive and do what we want with the computer, then it's honestly not worth having until the prices of SSD drives come down and we can just replace the traditional HDD with a non-hybrid down the road.

[mark19051110 · Accepted solution]

SOLVED.

You must open up the computer and physically remove the garbage 32GB mSSD module and unbind the HDD from the RAID mode.  Basically, getting rid of the disease and setting the computer back up as a standard HDD.

AVOID THIS OPTION AT ALL COSTS!!

[aadish24]

I'm facing the same problem with my HP DV6t 7000 quad edition, I have the same 32gb mssd, but I didnt make a recovery disk. It came pre installed with home premium 64bit. I have an installation disc for windows ultimate 64bit. My windows can't start up. And I am forced to do a fresh install, but I face the same problem 'drivers not found'. Please help. I am a bit hesitant to make hardware changes myself. And I also don't want to lose the functionality of 32gb Mssd.