driver HP Compaq dc7800p Convertible Minitower PC

[Joseph007]

1. HP Compaq dc7800p Convertible Minitower PC    10 year old BIOS=2007 

2. doing a Windows 7  64 bit  clean install  

3. have a SSD (Solid State Drive) Kingston 120GB SV300  

I believe that the Windows 7 Install is asking for a driver before doing the

Windows 7 Install to be able to talk to the SSD.  

What is the LINK, the web site, to download this driver?  

I am guessing Windows 7 is asking for driver = AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface)

Help

What is the LINK, the web site, to download this driver?

So the Window 7 Install program can use it.

-- 

[VJ_R]

Hi 

The HP Hosted drivers for your PC is aviliable in the link below

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-compaq-dc7800-small-form-factor-pc/3459241

[Joseph007]

This link below matches my HP system, but, does not answer the Question.  

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-compaq-dc7800-convertible-minitower-pc/3459240

There are many drivers in the above Link.  

Which one driver does the Windows 7 installer need to see a

SSD (solid state drive) Kingston 120 GB   SV300.

This means, before windows is installed,

before the operating system is running,

what is the HP driver?

The drivers I looked at in the above Link need the operating system running.  

I am looking for the driver before the operating system is installed.  

On another computer, not HP computer, a driver was on a Floppy disk:

359 KB (367,870 bytes)  

in 7 files :  

iaAHCI.cat

iaAHCI.inf

iaStor.cat

iaStor.inf

IaStor.sys

license.txt

TXTSETUP.OEM

What is the specific driver needed?

So new install,

clean install of Windows 7 can be done on 

HP Compaq dc7800p Convertible Minitower PC

with

BIOS date of 2007 which is 10 years ago.  

--

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @Joseph007

I have a dc7800 CMT latest BIOS rev 1.35, and had no problem installing a Sandisk SSD Plus 240 GB SSD.

Windows didn't ask for any drivers.

In any event, make sure the BIOS is set to RAID (which it should be by default).

I have zipped up and attached newer storage drivers than the ones on the support page below.

Download and unzip the attached file to its folder.

Copy the contents of the file folder to your flash drive.

With the flash drive and W7 installation media in the PC, boot from the W7 installation media.

After you select the install now option, select the Drive Options - Advanced menu, then select the Load Driver option.

You should now see the storage driver files listed.

If you check the box, it will only include the compatible driver.

Windows should be selecting the Intel(R) Desktop/Workstation/Server Express Chipset SATA RAID Controller driver.

Follow the prompts, and hopefully W7 should install.

If not, the SSD is either incompatible with your PC, or you may want to update the BIOS to the latest version by using the F10 flash system ROM method, which is the safest and easiest way to update the BIOS.

[Joseph007]

Thank you for Attachment   f6flpy64.zip 265 KB

With the HP Compaq dc7800p Convertible Minitower PC

I also have a HDD (hard disk drive) lying around.

So to bypass the SDD (solid state drive) driver issue I use a HDD.

097 GB as C: drive

836 GB as 😧 drive

-----------------------

931 GB HDD total

Trying to Install Windows 7 to above HDD.

Error message:  

"Windows cannot be installed to this disk. (HDD)  
This computer’s hardware may not support booting to this disk. (HDD)

Ensure that the disk’s controller is enabled in the computer’s BIOS menu."

What exactly does above error message mean?

(I have a foto of above error message, if you like.)

Objective: Trying to update HP BIOS from

1.04 to

1.35

Suggestions?

--

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I don't know what that error means.

It is possible the drive is formatted GPT and you need to change the formatting to MBR by using the disk management utility.  If one of your drives works in windows, plug in the ssd so you can use the disk management tool in Windows to delete all partition(s), format the drive, and then try to install Windows.

As far as updating the BIOS, you don't need to even be in Windows to do that.

I'm going to make it easy for you.

From another windows PC...if your dc7800 can't get into Windows from any drive you have...

Get a USB flash drive, and format it using the FAT 32 file system.

I have zipped up and attached the DOS based v1.35 BIOS update files below.

Download and unzip the attached file, and copy just the file contents from the folder to your usb flash drive.

Plug the flash drive into your dc7800, turn the PC on, and tap the F10 key to get access to the BIOS.

Select the File tab>Flash System ROM menu.

Select the USB flash drive.

Now the PC should see the BIOS update files on the flash drive.

Follow the on-screen instructions to update the BIOS.

[Joseph007]

To add clarity for others reading this...

Paul_Tikkanen typed:  

"Download and unzip the attached file, and

copy just the file contents from the folder to your usb flash drive."

Paul, the reality at my end was to do what you typed above and
also to have one (1) file in the root directory of the USB drive  

7F1_0135.bin      4.00 MB (4,194,304 bytes)

Do not have     7F1_0135.bin   in a sub directory like USB drive:
E:\temp\7F1_0135.bin
because BIOS menu cannot see a subdirectory, but BIOS can see
E:\7F1_0135.bin

Trusting the above adds clarity for beginners.

A big Thank You sent to Paul_Tikkanen,

Success!

1.04 was my old BIOS version

1.35 is now my new BIOS version for
HP Compaq dc7800p Convertible Minitower PC.

--

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Now I hope you can get Windows to install on the SSD.

I'm thinking it is an advanced format SSD (GPT), and you need to format it MBR-NTFS.

[Joseph007]

Paul, in an earlier post use said you have BIOS version 1.35

So, now I know what to look for:
BIOS version 1.04 was my old version # 

BIOS version 1.35 is your version #. 

But, there are 3 BIOS choices at this web page.  

Without that "BIOS version 1.35" information that you typed:
How would a newbee (beginner), to this HP website, know what to download and install?

How does a beginner decide what to do?
Download #1

Download #2

Download #3 or

Download & install all 3 of them?

or 2 of 3 of them?
Etc…

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-compaq-dc7800-convertible-minitower-pc/3459240

The 3 BIOS choices are:

1.
Business Desktops BIOS Utilities

4.02 Rev. A

0.4 MB       

Mar 14, 2011

2.

Microcode Update for HP 786F BIOS Family Computers with Intel Processors

1.14 Rev. A

0.4 MB       

Dec 21, 2010 

3.

ROM Firmware for HP Compaq dc7800 (786F1)

v01.35 Rev.A         

6.3 MB       

Nov 27, 2015

Question:

How would a newbee (beginner), to this HP website, know what to download and install?

How does a beginner decide what to do?

--

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I guess you have to read the file descriptions....

Business Desktops BIOS Utilities:  This has nothing to do with updating the BIOS according to the description...This file is useful in a corporate environment where management of PC's is done from a central location for managing many of the same model PC.

This package contains three BIOS utilities, the Replicated Setup utility, the Image Flash utility, and the Assign Password utility, for the supported desktop models and operating systems.

Microcode Update for HP 786F BIOS Family Computers with Intel Processors:  This might be a little harder to determine but still is not a BIOS update technically, as it only updates the processor microcodes, not the entire BIOS.

This package contains a utility that can be used to install or upgrade the processor microcode for HP 786F BIOS Family Computers with Intel Processors. This utility works with the supported operating systems.

So you have to read the file details further...ENHANCEMENTS:  - Updates the Intel Processor microcode for processors having CPU IDs 6F6, 6FB,  6F2, 6FD, 6F7, 10676, 10677, and 1067A.

You only need the microcode update if you plan on updating the processor to one of the newer supported quad core processors listed in the manual.

That leaves the ROM Firmware for HP Compaq dc7800 (786F1), which is the actual BIOS update.

This package provides the HP Business Desktop System Firmware Package for supported models running a supported operating system.

So yes, it can be confusing, and on some PC's support pages, there are many more 'BIOS' files than only 3.

I believe this forum is beneficial for newcomers to ask questions first before charging ahead with little knowledge.

I updated the microcode in my dc7800 because it is hard to learn how to do, but it is a fun project because it entails learning how to make a usb flash drive bootable, finding and using the old DOS command files, and then finally executing the Microcode update from the DOS command prompt after the PC boots from the flash drive.

But I wanted to do it so I could help others who did upgrade the processors in their HP business desktop PC's, and then got the dreaded 1801 microcode update error because they didn't update the microcode.

Much more complicated than doing a BIOS update.