I bought an SSD a few months ago for my laptop. When I try to install it, it tells me that windows can't format the drive. I thought the SSD was dead, but when I tested it on my desktop, it installed just fine. It's an HP DV7-7121nr laptop. The bios is extremely basic, and I don't see anything in there that would seem to help the situation. You guys helped me solve the DAZloader EFI issue, and everyone else iis basically stumped on this one. Anyone have any ideas of how I can get this to work? The laptop has a 5400rpm HDD from the factory, and it's painful when I'm used to an SSD.
Why you start a new topic and not carry on on the previous which handles the same problem? That's not a good way!
What previous topic? The last one was about not being able to install DAZloader due to the UEFI. This one is my laptop not being able to format an SSD. I can install windows just fine on any desktop. The laptop itself doesn't like it. The topics are completely unrelated. When I go to install windows, it gets to the part where you format the drive, and it says Windows can't format it.
That's for a 2nd HDD. I'd need that if I moved the 640gig that's in it to the 2nd bay. I'm replacing the main HDD with an SSD, and moving the HDD to an external enclosure. If I can get the SSD to format with it.
What same laptop? My last problem was with my desktop. It's a Bitfenix Prodigy build, and I specifically mentioned it being a Z77e-itx motherboard, and not being able to figure out how to boot without uefi on it. You don't find those in laptops. Windows has always been installed on it. I just couldn't get DAZloader to work due to it booting with UEFI. That problem is solved. I just had to delete the bootmgr.efi from the install drive, and DAZloader worked fine. I bought this laptop back in December, and I couldn't stand the 5400rpm HDD, so I bought a 120gb SSD for it. I have never been able to get windows installed because it gives an error when I try to format it. The laptop doesn't even have a UEFI bios. It's as basic as it gets.
Go into the BIOS and view what interface the HD is using. (IRRT, AHCI, IDE, legacy, etc.) It's possible a change is required for the SSD to be formatted. (And yes, once you are addicted to SSD, HD is horrible!) Update: I searched Google and found a similar thread on Overclock.net - OP has same laptop, same problem. Although he doesn't state exactly what steps he took, it does appear he tried different bios settings. He never got it to work.
Are you booting in Legacy or UEFI mode? When you get to Disk Manager, press Shift+F10 for administrator command prompt. Run diskpart from there. Your SSD should be disk 0. Select it & wipe it: Code: list disk select disk 0 clean If your in UEFI mode: Code: con gpt cre par efi size=100 for fs=fat32 label="System" quick cre par msr size=128 cre par pri for quick fs=ntfs label="Windows" If your in Legacy/Bios mode: Code: cre par pri for quick fs=ntfs label="Windows" active Exit Diskmanager. Exit Command prompt. Refresh Disk Manager, selecting the Windows Partition for Installation. Hope this helps!
The bios doesn't have uefi. That overclock.net post was probably me. I'm a regular there. I mostly just use themmarketplace nowadays, though.
Apparently, the cause is my bios being locked. I can't enable AHCI in it. I can't manage the sata controller at all, really. Anyone know where I can find info on how to unlock AHCI?
Take the Laptop to the next HP Service Center and let them explain to you how and what to do! If you take a closer look at the HP Support Forum, you'll see some explanation from HP Support Staff that in some laptops the SSD will NOT work on SATA 1 (primary/main HDD) port instead works on SATA 2 Port. Also what brand is the Storage Controller? If Intel, those having some problems as well. If you didn't could reach an HP Service Center, sign up to the HP Support Forum and let the HP Staff explain what you could do or not do!