Unable to install windows 8 on SSD with EUFI enabled

Hi Guys,

I am no stranger to re-installing windows, but secure boot and EUFI is still new so please let me know where I might be going wrong.

Please bear in mind this is over a few days of troubleshooting.

Background:
So I have a new HP DV6. Problem is its using a HDD. So I got myself an SSD (from my old laptop), installed the new SSD and kept the HDD for future use..

Turned off Secure boot, downloaded a windows 8 (64-bit) iso from my companies' technet subscription. transferred the ISO to boot via USB

The Problem:
When installing windows in EUFI mode it does not detect my SSD. So I opened the command prompt (shift + F10 is a little shortcut to it anytime during windows 8 setup discs) and go into diskpart

typed in "list disk"
output> There are no fixed disks to show.

So after a little research I realise that I could have formatted it in MBR format in another life.. and I need GPT.
so I changed the bios to legacy mode, booted to disk and deleted all partitions, turned UEFI back on and still the same.


Thought maybe the cables were loose ie the sata connection, reseated, still no go. Not many options to play with...


Thought maybe the USB iso was corrupt and not loading drivers, Downloaded a fresh one and burnt to disk this time. Same thing.

Installed via Legacy mode works... in bios settings>cleared all secure boot keys (even though secure boot disabled) and loaded HP Factory Default Keys.

I am now thinking that hp may have managed to limit their EUFI BIOS from allowing non HP Proprietary Drives... (Are they trying to be like Apple?) or I am just doing something really wrong.

Also note that if I put in my old HDD that I was taking out for the SSD, windows boots fine. I can also install windows 8 in legacy mode on that drive and it detects, so its not a hardware issue - I am thinking EUFI all the way

I have looked at this link which relates very closely to my issue:

http://www.eightforums.com/installa...ected-during-windows-8-installation-uefi.html

and this for the setup, just in case I was doing something incorrectly.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-8-a.html

Please let me know,
kind regards,

Alex

welcome to EightForums.

Are you booting the Windows 8 x64 DVD in UEFI mode?

Hi Theog,

Yes, yes I am - legacy mode is disabled when I attempt to install to EUFI...

alexdagr8 said:

Hi Theog,

Yes, yes I am - legacy mode is disabled when I attempt to install to EUFI...

Click to expand...

I did not ask, if Legacy mode was DIABLED or ENABLED in UEFI/BIOS firmware.

I asked, are you booting the DVD/USB in UEFI mode.

It has been my experience that an install will see a hard drive irregardless if it is configured as MRB or GPT. You will receive an error message if you try to install to the wrong configuration.

You seem to have a situation where the install can see the drive in Legacy mode, but not in the UEFI boot mode. If that is in fact the situation, I would suggest using Diskpart's Clean command to reset the drive and try again.

Any info on the SSD you could share?

Hi Saltgrass

Its an OCZ Vertex 3, I'll give the Clean command a go.