Can't find hard drive during installation of Windows 7 Ultimate

[gavman4000]

Hi guys, i'm hoping someone can help.
I've recently bought a brand new Toshiba Satellite pro L650 running Windows 7
After a few weeks, things started to get really slow. Then I woke up one morning to discover it stuck on the first screen when I turn it on.
I thought I had a virus, so then decided to do a full re-format and re-install windows. After I formatted the correct partition, I went to install Windows 7 again
Only for it to say "windows could not detect a disc drive"
it asks me to install drivers for the hard-drive, which I can't seem to find.
it's a sata hard-drive (TOSHIBA MK6465GSX) I think is the model number.
I can not find the hard-drive drivers anywhere.

The other strange thing, is every now and then, it finds the hard-drive, but states that windows can not install onto that drive (even when I format it, try to add a partition and so forth)

I have been into bios, I don't really know a great deal of what I am looking at, but it sometimes states my hard-drive is there, and other times it does not.
I am so desperate to get this fixed. Does anyone have any ideas?
I live pretty remotely so taking it back and getting it fixed is not ideal.. but maybe necessary.
Thanks in anticipation..

- Gavin.

 

[Computerpete]

Hi gav
It sounds like a hard drive problem. Try this switch of the laptop and remove the battery then remove the hard drive, then replace hard drive battery and switch on your laptop.

 

[gwailo247]

This happened to me when I reinstalled my windows. Apparently, in my case, the problem was with external USB drives and a flash drive that somehow confuses Windows. I unplugged all my external drives and the installation immediately recognized the drive that I wanted to install my Windows on. So if you have external USB drives plugged in, unplugging them should solve your problem, if it's the same as mine.