Windows setup can't detect hard drive

emc1950

Posts: 17   +0
Hi Guys, Hope you can assist me in this problem.
I'm trying to reinstall Windows onto my newly acquired but poorly Sony Viao laptop - VGN-NR31J which ran Vista Home Premium OEM - which had started having problems loading but worsened to 'No Operating System found'. Suspected the hard drive so took it out but it can't be picked up as an external drive on my pc. I've invested in a new Hitachi Sata HDD and replaced it. Unfortunately the prev owner had no original windows disc and no recovery discs at all.
I've got a Windows Vista Upgrade disc and a Windows XP Home install disc from my pc so was going to install XP, upgrade it with my Vista Upgrade disc and change the Product key back to the original shown on the Windows Sticker on the Sony laptop - is this logical/correct?
Anyway, i first tried to setup windows but at the stage where you need to enter Coninue (or recovery option) it advises that it can't detect any hard drive (PS: the Phoenix BIOS does detect the size of the new disc but doesn't give any more info on the disc or Sata/Raid options.
I have seen posts which indicate changing Bios settings for Sata/Raid but no options for this; other posts suggest SATA drivers required - so i downloaded the Vista Sata driver from Sony website for the model and put it on a floppy in a USB attached floppy drive - when i action F6 at Windows initial install it tells me later that it can't detect the floppy drive and i have to exit install.
I'm now lost a bit! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
I've tried to use the nlite and after half a dozen attempts to vreate a bootable disc i'm at my wits end.....i go through the instructions, create the ISO file then re-try nlite to make the image bootable but after many attempts the disc won't boot (the original installation disc i'm replicating boots so the bios settings are ok)..any ideas where i'm going wrong? As an alternative i've now got a USB floppy drive but not sure if i've got the right driver - the folder i downloaded from the sony site gives multiple drivers (Mobile,desktop,server,2 variations of each ) and i don't have a clue which is the correct one (the system is a Viao VGN-NR31J) - anyone point me in the right direction - many thanks for looking.
 
These instructions for using nLite may be easier to follow. They are for integrating SP3 so just use the Drivers button instead. Or, you can include SP3 at the same time to save having to download all the updates.
Slipstream XP with SP3

When you have created the ISO file you do not use nLite any further you need to use an ISO burner to make the disk with the ISO file. Judging by what you have said I think that is where you have gone wrong, you have to check the "Make Image Bootable" before you make the ISO, if you then just copy the ISO to a disc it wont work, it has to be burned as an image (ISO) file. ImgBurn will do that for you - read on.

Try this free software.
ImgBurn

Install the program and start the application. Select the top left hand option to burn image file to disk and then on the next window click on the small yellow folder icon and browse to the file you have downloaded from the links below. Then click on the two grey discs with the arrow in between (bottom left) and leave it to complete the operation.

If you go for the floppy install you should find there is an automatic program included with the floppy that runs llike a wizard to guide you on how to make the floppy.
 
Hey, thanks Mark56 :)
It has been a long time since I made first "slipstreamed" Service Pack XP install disc. I just made a XP Professional SP3 disc, and everything went smoothly per your instructions here. Thanks again!
 
Cheers Mark56....i'll give this a go (I'm assuming SP3 includes the necessary SATA drivers to enable Setup to identify the new hdd?) Thanks for your help.
 
PS: ignore the last part as i have re-read your post and realise that i'm substituting the Sata driver for SP3 (will still slipstrem SP3 as well while i'm on) -sorry for being a thicky.
 
Not a problem, I've made the same mistake many times. Slipstreaming both the SATA drivers and SP3 onto the disc will save a lot of time and fairly easy to do with nLite.
 
Thanks Mark56 (or should i say Muy Gracias) - your a star! Created the slipstreamed cd (XP Home + SP3+Sata Drivers) no bother "just like it said on the tin". Booted up fine and currently installing.
Once up & running on XP(Home) I have a genuine Vista upgrade cd which i plan to install which will take the Viao VGN-31j back to its original operating state - as i have the original authentic sticker & Product key on the laptop is it easy enough to change this once loaded?
Thanks again.
 
Your most welcome (and it's Mucho Gracias, lol) but I am English or my name would be Marko56.

Glad the hear everything worked ok, when you run the Vista upgrade it should ask for the product key during the installation.
 
Hi marco!
Only just managed to get a hold of a Vista OEM installation disc now that i've got XP up and running. But here's the problem....the install goes through the loading filees,install now, product key (the original from the laptop). clean install after formatting the disc and all ok but near the end of the 'expanding files' part of the windows install (80+%), i get a blue screen error " IRQ NOT LESS OR EQUAL" with the Stop error: 0X0000000A,0XE5E5E85A,0X00000002,0X00000000,0X894ACDD2) Any ideas on how to rectify this error would be mucho appreciated!
emc1950
 
Is that a genuine or burned copy of Vista?

Where did it come from if burned?

Is it 32 or 64Bit?

Personally I would stick with XP unless you can upgrade to Windows 7, Vista is not a great OS IMO.
 
Hi,
It's a burned copy from an oem 32 bit disc with SP2 . Wouldn't normally go for Vista but this was the OS shipped with the Sony Viao laptop and the only OS for which i have a genuine product key.
Thanks again for replying (and all the best).
 
Two things you could try.

Burn the disc again at a slow speed, x4 max.

Try the install again and do not enter the product key. Go to System in the Control Panel once installed and select Change Product Key to enter the correct one and validate it.
 
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