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["hardware may not support booting to this disk" error]


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So far so good, I've connected and installed everything and just powered it up. I inserted the Vista Ultimate 64-bit DVD and went through the process of the install. I've got as far as this screen;

Where do you want to install Windows?

Disk 0 Unallocated Space

Disk 1 Unallocated Space

Disk 2 Unallocated Space

The 'Disk 0' is highlighted and that's where I want the OS installed to. Further down the screen the following message appears;

This computers hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu.

I click on 'Continue' and then the above message is replaced with the following;

Windows is unable to find a system volume that meets its criteria for installation.

I take it I've got to search through the BIOS for the solution?

DS

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Probably the SATA error.

I got those error at my work (Spanish university). I have installed many computers and before i could install any windows i had to select in the BIOS instead of RAID on, RAID ATA/something.

I must say that after i found Clonezilla i never had to install any of those computer anymore :D

Anyways to restore an image of the PC into a new one i also had to that the BIOS setup.

Edited by Big
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SYMPTOMS:

When you try to install Microsoft Windows Vista, you may receive the following warning message:

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.

This problem occurs if the following conditions are true:

* The computer has two or more uninitialized hard disks. <------------

* You started the computer by using Windows Vista installation media.

This error message may also indicate that the BIOS of the computer does not support starting the operating system from the selected disk.

When you click Next to continue with the Setup program, you receive the following error message:

Windows cannot find a system volume that meets requirements for installation.

CAUSE:

This problem occurs because Windows Vista cannot distinguish between ambiguous hard disks.

In versions of Microsoft Windows Setup that are earlier than Windows Vista Setup, hard disks are marked with distinct values to distinguish them. However, this method of distinguishing hard disks is no longer supported because of the potential for data corruption on hard disks.

RESOLUTION:

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

1. Create one or more partitions on all the hard disks that are not initialized.

2. Restart the computer.

3. Install Windows Vista.

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RESOLUTION:

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

1. Create one or more partitions on all the hard disks that are not initialized.

2. Restart the computer.

3. Install Windows Vista.

Thanks for that Pave. It's been years since I've done that...so go on...please tell me how. :D

DS

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From here: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/new_parti...g_vista_dvd.htm

12/ The next screen to appear is 'Where do you want to install Windows'

13/ At the bottom of this window you will see an option marked Drive options (Advanced), click on this option

14/ In this Window select 'unallocated space' from the list of partitions and then click New

15/ A size box will now appear under the New option

16/ Type the size of the new partition into this box (or simply accept the default), then click the Apply button

17/ The new partition will now be created.

Anyways if U are having the same problem i had, creating a partition wont make any difference and you will still get the error of windows (XP nor Vista) being able to be installed (kind of BSOD screen). As i said i had to uncheck the RAID ON from the BIOS.

PS: U can also as suggested burn any linux distro like ubuntu and from the live cd use the partition editor (GPARTED) to manage your disks. Or even just burn a GPARTED iso or even run it from an usb stick.

Edited by Big
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Anyways if U are having the same problem i had, creating a partition wont make any difference and you will still get the error of windows (XP nor Vista) being able to be installed (kind of BSOD screen). As i said i had to uncheck the RAID ON from the BIOS.
I did all that and like yours, it didn't work. Where do I find the RAID section in the BIOS?

DS

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Not sure, do u see anything like drives on it?

I did it on some Dell Optiplex computers which had a great bios. It was easy to surf on it with the mouse.

I had this options:

RAID Autodetect/ AHCI

RAID Autodetect/ ATA

RAID On

And have to select the second one, Raid on was by default and made it impossible to install windows (XP nor Vista)

Or try to find IDE configuration.

It would be better if u tell us what motherboard u have.

EDIT: My Bios i found it under IDE Configuration on the Main Menu. I have Asus Commando mobo.

Edited by Big
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It would be better if u tell us what motherboard u have.
It's an EVGA x58 3X SLI. It's quite frustrating because it seems as though it's a simple thing to sort out and once the OS is on I can bash on with the things I'm more familiar with. I could do with having one of you lads having a look at the thing.

DS

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If you have easy access to the back of the drive cage, a quick down and dirty way would be to just pull the SATA data/power cables from the two storage drives,

so that only the hard-drive you want as the boot drive is connected

Then when you install it wont have a conflict as it will only see one physical drive

When O/S is up and running then you can plug the two data drives back in and use vista's disk manager to initialise and partition them

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...Then when you install it wont have a conflict as it will only see one physical drive
Thanks Pave. I thought of that when this first happened and got tangled up in searches for the solution and then forgot. I'll try that next.

Are your SATA hooked in to the Orange Ports on the board or the black ones?
The black ones, numbered 0, 1, and 2 according to the EVGA manual.

DS

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Hmm I wish I had bookmarked the site, but they said the Orange were SATA and the other 4 (black) were RAID/PATA(?) and something else I can't remember at the moment.

I'll try to relook up that site.

EDIT: It looks like I read it wrong, (damn these old eyes)

about half way down

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/evga_x58_sli/3.htm

the image of the ports.

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/ev...es/dscf0036.htm

Edited by Fletch
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Try this:

BIOS - Integrated Peripherals - OnChip SATA and change it to AHCI mode or another one. I guess it's set on raid and that's why it doesn't install if you don't add the drivers before installing vista.

It's that thing that in XP at least said press F6 to ..... in a blue screen.

Edited by Big
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I figured it out. I looked at the very nice installation guide for the motherboard. It's in the form of double sided coloUred poster. The last part tells you to press the onboard CMOS button once and the press the green 'On' button next to it. This time, when asked where I wanted to install the OS, there was no error message. It's just installed now. I'm currently formatting the other partition and will have to for the other two HD's, as a message window advised I have to before I can use them.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm now going to start a new thread about my next question.

DS

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