Cannot install Windows 7

[crunchie]

Hi guys. I had the Windows 7 beta installed until the RC came out. I formatted the drive where the beta was and proceeded to install a Vlited version of RC7.

Got to about 80% of the way through and just sort of hung there, although it was not frozen (cursor still moved). I waited for over an hour and no progress was made, so I cancelled (restarted computer) the install.

I attempted (and am still trying) to install the un-Vlited version of RC7 to a separate hard drive and I get past the 'copying files' part and then 20% into the next stage and I get an error that says "Windows installation cannot continue because a required driver could not be installed."

This happens now no matter what Windows I attempt to install.

Does anyone have any idea what I can do? Would cancelling the original install have done something? Windows Vista on my RAID0 array is working flawlessly.

Will add that these attempted installs have been tried within Windows. When I have tried booting from the DVD to install, it gets to the stage of asking which drive to install to, but says there are no devices found.

Is that because I have the RAID0 configured in my bios? I don't want to ruin the array so have been reluctant to disable the array before installing through the boot procedure.

Any help appreciated.

[razormoon]

I've had that same issue using raid in Asus Striker II extreme. I have RAID configured for striping, a SATA DVD and a plain ole IDE. I believe I disabled all in BIOS (except for the RAID) and everything shows up peachy. Pretty strange but it works.

Can't shut off my PC as I am doing some work on it, but I will update with a little more detail when I can. I'm pretty sure it was this that was causing my issue as it chooses the IDE as boot.

Try experimenting if you have more than RAID disks.

[razormoon]

Ok, here is what I have:

In the Serial-ATA section of my bios, I have my RAID enabled (naturally).

In my main page of the bios, I have my RAID and my IDE disabled (or not setup, whichever makes sense...they don't appear on the drive list) and my SATA DVD enabled (appears on the list).

Setting it this way allows W7 to see your disks. Go figure.

[crunchie]

When I try to install from within Windows, the drives show up. C drive = 2x250Gb HD's in RAID0. D drive = 1 partition on another 250Gb HD and E drive is the other partition on the 250Gb HD.

These drives are all seen in bios. They are all seen when in Windows. RC7 starts installing to the E drive, then pops up that error message .

[ajua]

Download the floppy disk drivers for your RAID array and put them on Floppy\USB stick.

Boot from DVD\USB to install Windows 7 and when the drives list is shown choose to load drivers, selec the ones you saved earlier and then choose the drive to install.

This way, Windows will already be installed using the proper drivers for your RAID array instead of the generic ones.

[crunchie]

Thanks, but I am not sure I am being understood correctly.

I do not want to install RC7 on the RAID array. I want to install it to the separate hard drive. When I attempt to do this through Windows, I get an error as per my first post. If I try it through the boot process, there are no devices recognised. I am worried that if I go ahead at that stage and install the drivers, that I will not get the choice of where to install and therefore lose my Vista install by RC7 installing on the RAID array.