GA-880GM-UD2H Win7 install help!

[bimmerite]

Hello! 

I've built a new computer using a GA-880GM-UD2H mobo.  All my hardware is recognized by the BIOS and I'm ready to start installing Win 7 32-bit Enterprise Edition.  BTW, the BIOS ver is F6.

The problem:  Windows 7 will not recognize a hard drive even after I supply the Gigabyte preinstallation driver.  I'm using a Hitachi 7K1000.C which supports SATA 3Gb/s according to the documentation.  I've got the mobo SATA setting set to AHCI.  According to the manual, this has to be set for the SATA ports to be hot swappable and I have an eSATA port on the front of my case that I have plugged into port SATA2_4.

I've downloaded the latest pre-install drivers from Gigabyte and tried all of them (RAID, AHCI & GSATA) and the drive is never seen by the Windows 7 installer.

If I have to go to NativeIDE I will but I want to be able to use that front port as an eSATA port unless I still can and I'm just misunderstanding the docs.

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks!

[bimmerite]

I found my solution.  Very strange.  I had to disable IDE 0 & 1 both master & slave in the BIOS.  Once I did that I was able to enable AHCI and Windows 7 installed fine without even having to use the Gigabyte pre-install drivers.

I wish this little tidbit was included in the manual.

[boolean_1or0]

@bimmerite -

I think I am facing a very similar issue - btw how did u disabled the IDE0 & IDE1? I couldn't find any option in the bios

Thanks in advance,
regards,
boolean

[bimmerite]

If I remember correctly, it has been a while, in the BIOS, I had to go into each IDE interface and change the setting from automatically detect to none.  It may have also been included in the advance settings.

Sorry I couldn't help more.  I built this box for a family member so once I had it done it was shipped off and I haven't seen it since.

Good luck!

[boolean_1or0]

Sorry guys .. I lost myself from this thread for a while ... I was staying away from home .. now I am back happy home

Well, I again looked into the problem. In my PSU, the SATA power cable has only 13 pins - I.e. 1st and 2nd pins are missing (3.3v pins from the Orange wire).

Finally I upgraded the PSU to a 700W PSU. Beautiful world - all problems got solved

Thank you everyone helped me in the forum

[Dark Mantis]

Well I am glad to hear your good news and that everything is running properly again now. Enjoy your new toy and have fun.