Solved Installation cant see my hard disk

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sarfraz

New Member
Messages
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Hi guys, I am running through a problem. I ahad updatedmy wife's laptop acer spire 5740 G from windows 7 to 8 and then updated to 8.1. She did not like os and asked me to revert back to 7. After running setup I formated the drivve C containing windows 8. But now computer doesnt boot and I tried to reinstall teh system but I cant see my hard disk- Setup runs till where do you want to install your OS and then I cant find my hard disk. Unfortunatly I ave lot of data in 2 other partitions but have nothing in drive C, Been looking for solution for last 8 hours. Thanks
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
Try resetting your BIOS to defaults. Reboot. Make sure it is now detected by the BIOS and then try your installation again.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
Unfortunately I have lot of data in 2 other partitions but have nothing in drive C
Click to expand...

At this point I suspect the Windows installer has encountered one of the following conditions:


  • The HDD is set as a dynamic drive instead of basic (probably not the issue)
  • If the HD is GPT partitioned you need to install to it using a UEFI interface
(do you have the UEFI install option available instead of a Legacy BIOS install? If so, the HD might be recognized)


See if a UEFI install will work (if you have that option available).

Let us know.

my2cents
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
my2cents said:
Unfortunately I have lot of data in 2 other partitions but have nothing in drive C
Click to expand...

At this point I suspect the Windows installer has encountered one of the following conditions:


  • The HDD is set as a dynamic drive instead of basic (probably not the issue)
  • If the HD is GPT partitioned you need to install to it using a UEFI interface
(do you have the UEFI install option available instead of a Legacy BIOS install? If so, the HD might be recognized)


See if a UEFI install will work (if you have that option available).

Let us know.

my2cents
Click to expand...

No, there is no UEFI install option. Now I bought an external usb 2.0 enclosure to check it on my computer and it just show 12.5 GB space total and all is freee. It wont show my other partitios or my complete hard disk capacity which is 500GB. I dont know what to do cos I have important files there.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
Can you provide a disk management screenshot of that disk in the external enclosure?

Screenshot (932).png

Can you also type these 4 commands from an elevated command prompt and provide a screenshot of same:

diskpart
list disk
select disk x (where x is the external drive number shown in the disk management view)
list partition

Screenshot (934).png

I have to go out for a few hours so maybe someone else can pick this up in my absence. Hey Theog? Are you out and about?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
To install Windows 7 on a Acer Pre-installed with Windows 8, all partition will need to be deleted.

Unfortunatly I ave lot of data in 2 other partitions
Click to expand...

Therefore all DATA will be deleted.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
theog said:
To install Windows 7 on a Acer Pre-installed with Windows 8, all partition will need to be deleted.

Unfortunatly I ave lot of data in 2 other partitions
Click to expand...

Therefore all DATA will be deleted.
Click to expand...

It was not preinstalled I had installed windows 8 on windows7 laptop. Then again tried to revert back wiping
c drive.
Ok I did what My 2 Cents asked. I am attaching images.
 

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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
I am assuming that invalid disk 1 is the one in question; yes? If so, it is listed as a dynamic drive (which is one of the possible problems I mentioned it might be). Unfortunately, I don't have a solution for both of the following:

How to save the data on a dynamic drive and convert it back to a basic disk at the same time (without any data loss).

Moreover, I have never tried to do the above so I have no experience in that area. Now, if you click this link, you will see some partitioning software offerings that claim this can be done but I would wait for more feedback before attempting to do this:

https://www.google.com/#q=how+to+change+a+drive+from+dynamic+to+simple+without+losing+any+data

Who knows? Maybe some other forum member has run across this in the past and has a solution for you or can verify that one of the partitioning software offerings will work.


Good luck,

my2cents
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
my2cents said:
Hi, Thanks for your help. I finally got it working. I used a software "TestDisk - CGSecurity" which was very easy to follow This converted my offline partitions to online primary partitions and then I copied all my data to my computer. Drive C did not show anything except free space which I formatted latter and volla, I attached it to my old laptop and successfully installed Windows 7. Thanks a lot one more time.
Click to expand...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
Hey sarfraz.

Wow! That is certainly wonderful news! I'm going to have to catalog you as a partition expert now! Very nice job indeed!


Best regards,

my2cents
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel G2020
    Motherboard
    ASRock B75M-DGS R2.0
    Memory
    8GBs @ 1333 MHz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 840 EVO
    PSU
    400w
    Internet Speed
    57/11
my2cents said:
Hey sarfraz.

Wow! That is certainly wonderful news! I'm going to have to catalog you as a partition expert now! Very nice job indeed!


Best regards,

my2cents
Click to expand...

Hahahaha, My friends offered me free accommodation as I had to sleep outside if could not fix my wife's laptop today(just kidding).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
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