No hard drive found when installing Windows 7

[NijuuHP]

I have a HP Envy 4 - 1046tx Ultrabook and the operating system is Windows 8.1 64-bit. While downgrading to Windows 7 64 bit I was unable to find the hard drives. In the installation screen it showed me "No drives were found. Click Load Driver to provide a mass storage driver for installation.".

I downloaded all the versions (from latest to the oldest) of Intel Rapid Storage Technology drivers and tried installing them one by one but they didn't work and still the hard drives aren't visible. But if I use a Windows 8 installation disc and install the driver the hard drives are visible.

I need my computer to display the hard drives by default without requiring a SATA driver. How do I do that? My chipset manufacturer is Intel and the model is Ivy Bridge HM77. 

Can anyone help me fix this problem please?

Thanks in advance!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Download the drivers from this link below (first or second file listed -- 32 or 64 bit as applicable).

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProdId=2101&DwnldID=23060&keyword=Intel+Rapi...

Extract the files onto a usb flash drive.

With the flash drive and W7 installation media plugged into the machine, 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.

Follow the prompts and hopefully, W7 should install.

[NijuuHP]

Thanks for replying.

I have already tried installing all the versions of Intel Rapid Storage Technology Drivers both 32-bit and 64-bit (from latest version to the most oldest version) the compatible driver shows up, I tried installing it too but, it didn't work. Is there any other way to solve this?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

I wonder if it is the way the drive is formatted?

W7 may not see the drive because it is GPT-formatted.

When I encounter issues like that, I get out my old trusty XP disk with the sata drivers slipstreamed, and use that to partition and format the HDD.

I have never failed to get an OS to install once I got XP to first install on the PC.

I don't bother doing anything with XP once it is installed.

I just pop in the W7 or Vista DVD and install it problem-free.

[NijuuHP]

So do you want me to slipstream an Windows XP disc, burn it and install XP first and then do you want me to install Windows 7? Will this work? I haven't tried this ever, I read an article yesterday about slipstreaming XP disc with nlite but that was not clear enough so, I skipped it. 

This is the first time am also failing in installing an operating system. When I was about to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro I preferred for a clean install, the same problem occurred and I used the SATA drivers you mentioned and it detected the drives.

Can you please tell me the step by step instructions for doing this. I need to get Windows 7 installed on my laptop. 

I will be happy if you can help me with this problem.

Thanks once again!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Yes, hopefully that will work for you. It has always bailed me out.

I had the same issue you had twice.  Both times after having installed W8 and then wanting to go back to W7...thought I wrecked the drive somehow.

I did the same thing you did...knew the exact name of the sata controller and tried to check the box to only include the compatible driver, and manually tried to install the driver I knew to be the correct one.  NADA!

Very frustrating.

Then I tried a Vista disk. Same issue.

Then I tried XP. Worked like a champ both times.

Now, I prefer putting the drivers on a USB FDD and using the up/down arrow keys to install the drivers after I hit the F6 key and select the driver I need.

But I did slipstream the drivers once.  Somewhat complicated, but doable.

Read this guide>Intel section.  Then read the downloadable PDF document for how to slipstream all of the drivers.

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-Systems-and-Software/SATA-drivers-for-XP-solution-on...

I have attached the drivers you need to slipstream because the ones in the document do not include the Series 7 ahci or RAID drivers you need (I don't know whether your model uses the AHCI or RAID driver). 

But I assume you do since hopefully you looked in the device manager either under the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers category (if AHCI) or in the Storage Controllers category (if RAID) to determine the exact name of the sata controller you need.

Good luck!

[NijuuHP]

Thanks for providing me the links. My model supports RAID I think so. I am using HP Envy 4-1046tx Ultrabook. 

Whenever I check the compatible drivers option and search for the drivers the compatible driver that appears is Intel Mobile Express Chipset SATA RAID Controller(iaStor). This is RAID right?

I have some more clarifications may I ping you?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Yes, that would be the right one...and you see it listed in the W8 device manager under the Storage Controllers category, correct?

An yes you can PM me or post here.

If you post here, others may benefit from the discussion.

[NijuuHP]

Please confirm my steps:

1. Download Windows XP SP2 from Microsoft Site.
2. Slipstream it with nLite and burn it onto a DVD (as per the instructions in the guide you provided).
3. Boot Windows XP SP2 disc and press F6 to install the drivers first.
4. After installing the drivers, install Windows XP SP2.
5. Once Windows XP SP2 has been installed, boot the Windows 7 Home Basic - 64bit Disc and install Windows 7.

In between, I have another doubt. In Step 5, while installing Windows 7, will the same screen (the screen asking for SATA drivers) appear again? If it appears, should I use the same driver you have provided me (XP32) or am I supposed to use the latest version of Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver?

Hope this will work! 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Do you already have an XP installation disk that is version SP2 or newer?

If you do you can skip step 1.

Your version of XP just has to be SP2 or newer in order to follow the procedure.

I have attached the PDF document with the steps to follow. 

Skip step 1 as I have already attached the drivers you need to slipstream.

And skip all the screen shots about slipstreaming SP2.

After you successfully install XP when you go to install W7, you may have to repeat the steps in my first reply but I never had to.

[Thank you for visiting the HP Support Forums. I am sorry to inform you that your post has needed some editing to remove personal information.]