Problem installing win7 x64 ultimate n with GA-P55-USB3 (missing drivers?)

[dej]

Hi,
computer specs are:
GA-P55-USB3 Rev2 MB
Intel i5 2.8ghz cpu
Kingston DDR3 (1333) 2GB DIMMS
Cooler master 600watt PSU
Asus Radeon HD 4890 1GB PCI-e GFX
Bios ver F10g

I'm currently running 32bit windows 7 ultimate n edition (i'm an msdn subscriber so it's a legal install). The PC was upgraded recently from an older gigabyte mb with an AMD cpu. I didnt reinstall windows, i just changed the relevant hardware and it all worked ok.
I've recently purchased more memory (4gb kingston DIMMS) and would like to install windows 7 x64.

I attached a new sata disk (a 500g seagate sata2) into the blue sata 0 port and booted off a dvd. I get to the initial install stage and get prompted for media to install some missing drivers. It doesn't specify which drivers are missing however.
What I've tried so far:
1) Re-download the iso, load the contents onto usb drive and boot off it, same problem
2) unplugged all hardware except for the one hard drive and booted, same problem
3) updated bios to current version, same problem
4) loaded bios fail-safe settings, same problem
5) re-attached original hard disk (which is IDE) and have the same problem
6) kept ide attached, loaded bios fail-safe settings, then disabled sata and usb3, same problem

As I've basically removed all hardware other than mouse/kb and vid card, i'm a bit stuck as to what it would be. I'm assuming windows will have generic drivers for those three devices so i'm guessing it's still something in BIOS which is causing the issue?
According the microsoft, the difference between the 'n' version of windows and the non n version is the lack of media center/media player.
I'm currently getting the non 'n' version and will give that a go but i don't hold much hope in that fixing the issue.

Would anyone have other suggestions for me to try?
thanks

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

The first thing that you are doing wrong is loading the Fail Safe BIOS  Settings. You should be loading the Optimised BIOS Defaults.

Normally it will list the problem device in Device Manager and even if it doesn't give it a name you cna work it out from what devices are working properly.

Find the problem device and then click on update driver and tell it to find them. Chances are it is the chipset or LAN.

[dej]

Hi,
I tried this and still the same problem.
After setting fail safe settings, i went and disabled the audio and LAN devices.
I've also tried runnng the win7 premium x64 and vista ultimate sp2 x64 with the same problem

Next step is to have a go at installing a 32bit edition

[KJILM123]

Howdy Dej

Make sure your HDD's are clean, properly formatted and have a clean MBR, Master Boot Record. Inform yourself about that here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/69013 and here: http://mbrwizard.com/



Do what it says and set all settings to Optimized settings as DM told you, Make sure if you have 2 or more HDD's that you set your Start up HDD for Windows as the first one in the BIOS settings. Very important. Save it with F10 reboot. (Why?) It can be that if you have two HDD's and you need to choose from one in Windows Install it always takes the one that you do not want to be the first start up disk. Which is annoying and might give that problem you have at the moment. Secondly make a NTFS partition with a Partition Manager program first (Like Paragon, Easeus, etc etc.) so you can see in the installation where you want your Windblows. Windows 7 likes to make a small partition of 100 mb to put system files there. I hate it that they do that. They say it would help to start up Windows faster, I think it is BS. Just use a good defragmenter and and give windows time to settle down on Fetch and Superfetch and you will see Computer is just as fast. You decide how big it has to be. To me a 100 Gig for a clean Windows install is fine, the rest of your HDD you make other partitions for programs, data, or temp/download files. Etc. Etc. And so you carry on on the 2nd HDD and 3rd HDD, It's all up to you. Make sure that Windows Install can only use One HDD at the time, so it could be more useful if you just start with one HDD and add later another. Just change the Driveletters later at your will, C, D, E, Etc etc. ;-)

Try to put it to HPET 64 bit instead of 32 Bit setting in the BIOS if it is there and try to install again and put it the HDD's on AHCI instead of IDE.


Here are the specs. Try to see if your Windows version has any drivers missing, you can add them after the first boot up. You might have to acquire them from the Chip Manufacturer first with downloading them online where they are. You might need to use the ole' floppy disk or a SD card with Card reader. Put the drivers on the floppy disk, USB stick or SD card and when you get at the initial install choice screen, there is a place you can add drivers. I don't know if there is anything on the chipset that is unknown with this board, but here is the description of them.

Check about the GIGABYTE SATA2 Preinstall driver (For AHCI / RAID Mode) Note: Press F6 during Windows setup to read from floppy. for example.

It could be RAID drivers, SATA drivers, Intel drivers, ITE 8720 drivers, Realtek Drivers, Gigabyte SATA 2 drivers, etc etc. Usually Gigabyte has them in the download list here:


http://uk.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3440&dl=1#driver


and look for the Windows 7 64 bit drivers there and download them and put them on the floppy or SD card. Add the drivers before you install Windows then continue with installation.

GA-P55-USB3 (rev. 2.0)


Specifications

 CPU 1.Support for an Intel® Core™ i7 series processor/Intel® Core™ i5 series processor in the LGA1156 package (Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest CPU support list.)
2.L3 cache varies with CPU
 
 Chipset 1.Intel® P55 Express Chipset
 
 Memory 1.4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 16 GB of system memory (Note 1)
2.Dual channel memory architecture
3.Support for DDR3 2200/1333/1066/800 MHz memory modules
4.Support for non-ECC memory modules
5.Support for Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules
(Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest memory support list.)
 Audio 1.Realtek ALC888 codec
2.High Definition Audio
3.2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
4.Support for S/PDIF In/Out
5.Support for CD In
 
 LAN 1.1 x RTL8111D chip (10/100/1000 Mbit)
 
 Expansion Slots 1.1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16) (Note 2) (The PCIEX16 slot conforms to PCI Express 2.0 standard.)
2.1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4_X1) (Note 3)
3.2 x PCI Express x1 slots
4.3 x PCI slots
 
 Multi-Graphics Technology 1.Support for ATI CrossFireX™ technology (Note 4)
 
 Storage Interface Chipset:
1.6 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors (SATA2_0, SATA2_1, SATA2_2, SATA2_3, SATA2_4, SATA2_5) supporting up to 6 SATA 3Gb/s devices
2.Support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10
GIGABYTE SATA2 chip:
1.1 x IDE connector supporting ATA-133/100/66/33 and up to 2 IDE devices
2.2 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors (GSATA2_6, GSATA2_7) supporting up to 2 SATA 3Gb/s devices
3.Support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD
iTE IT8720 chip:
1.1 x floppy disk drive connector supporting up to 1 floppy disk drive
 
 USB Chipset:
1.Up to 14 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (Note 5) (10 on the back panel, 4 via the USB brackets connected to the internal USB headers)
NEC chip:
1.Up to 2 USB 3.0 ports on the back panel
 
 Internal I/O Connectors 1.1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
2.1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
3.1 x floppy disk drive connector
4.1 x IDE connector
5.8 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors w1 x CPU fan header
6.2 x system fan headers
7.1 x power fan header
8.1 x front panel header
9.1 x front panel audio header
10.1 x CD In connector
11.1 x S/PDIF In header
12.1 x S/PDIF Out header
13.2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
14.1 x serial port header
15.1 x parallel port header
16.1 x clearing CMOS jumper
 
 Back Panel Connectors 1.1 x PS/2 keyboard or PS/2 mouse port
2.1 x coaxial S/PDIF Out connector
3.1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector
4.8 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
5.2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports
6.1 x RJ-45 port
7.6 x audio jacks (Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out/Rear Speaker Out/ Side Speaker Out/Line In/Line Out/Microphone)
 
 I/O Controller 1.iTE IT8720 chip
 
 H/W Monitoring 1.System voltage detection
2.CPU/System temperature detection
3.CPU/System/Power fan speed detection
4.CPU overheating warning
5.CPU/System/Power fan fail warning
6.CPU/System fan speed control
 
 BIOS 1.2 x 16 Mbit flash
2.Use of licensed AWARD BIOS
3.Support for DualBIOS™
4.PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.0, SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI 1.0b
 
 Unique Features 1.Support for @BIOS
2.Support for Q-Flash
3.Support for Xpress BIOS Rescue
4.Support for Download Center
5.Support for Xpress Install
6.Support for Xpress Recovery2
7.Support for EasyTune
8.Support for Dynamic Energy Saver™ 2
9.Support for Smart 6™
10.Support for Auto Green
11.Support for eXtreme Hard Drive
12.Support for Q-Share
 
 Bundle Software 1.Norton Internet Security (OEM version)
 
 Operating System 1.Support for Microsoft® Windows 7/Vista/XP
 
 Form Factor 1.ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 24.4cm
 
 Remark 1.Due to different Linux support condition provided by chipset vendors, please download Linux driver from chipset vendors' website or 3rd party website.
2.Most hardware/software vendors no longer offer support for Win9X/ME. If drivers are available from the vendors, we will update them on the GIGABYTE website.
 
 Note (Note 1) Due to Windows 32-bit operating system limitation, when more than 4 GB of physical memory is installed, the actual memory size displayed will be less than 4 GB.
(Note 2) For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.
(Note 3) When the PCIEX1_2 slot is populated with an expansion card, the PCIEX4_X1 slot will operate at up to x1 mode.
(Note 4) The PCIEX16 slot operates at up to x4 mode when ATI CrossFireX is enabled.
(Note 5) Two share the same ports with USB 3.0.




Good luck,


KJ

[Dark Mantis]

Nice weighty tome there KJ. "War and Peace" part 2 I think  

Sometimes I do wonder why I bother writing these things just to have the OP totally ignore them!

[KJILM123]

@ DM,


Touch down bro, recon mission was on it's way, hehehe.

 


Oh and Dej, Make SURE that your partition is FORMATTED, like with FAT32, NTFS, and then also make SURE it is Active. Otherwise Windows does some real strange things.

You can find these options in the Partition Managers of EASEUS and PARAGON.http://www.easeus.com/product.htm there are some free products on there,  Good luck


KJ

[dej]

Thanks for that..
sorry i did try optimised (as well as fail safe) my bad..
was installing with just one disk connected ( a brand new sata..i'll have a go at formatting it prior to kicking off the install)

i know the old w2k/wxp etc have the f6 option for loading scsi drivers etc but i dont recall seeing that during the win7 install..
thanks again, i'lll have another go this weekend if i get the time