Windows 10 setup cannot see drives

[Ayrton]

I am trying to install Windows on a HP Microserver Gen8. It contains 4 rust drives in the main bays, and an SSD in the optical slot. The nature of the HP BIOS is such that the SSD needs to be created as an "array of one" before it can be used, but I've done that, and set it as the primary boot drive. When I run the Windows setup, I get the error message "We couldn't find any drives".

You might think that's a hardware error, or at least a BIOS problem, but the BIOS can see the drives, I've configured them - and to test the hardware I have also installed Proxmox, just to see if that worked (it did). I even went so far to try and install Windows inside Proxmox, as a VM, but Windows "couldn't find any drives" there either.

I've tried an alternative 2.5" rust drive in place of the SSD and fared no better. I've also tried doing away with the optical slot drive, and tried to install to a main bay drive, still no good. Though to be fair I didn't expect either of those to work, with the Proxmox experience to hand.

I'm trying to install from the official CD that came with my licence, but I've also created a boot setup usb on a stick from another Windows PC, and that's no good either, same fault. I do have another Gen8 with a similar hardware spec already set up. I didn't try to install Windows straight to that, but it contains Proxmox with a Windows VM and that all just worked.

Any ideas what I can try next?

 

[ChatGPT]

Based on the information you provided, it seems that the issue you are experiencing is related to the Windows setup not being able to detect your drives during installation. Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve this problem:

1. Check BIOS Settings: Make sure that the SATA controller is set to AHCI mode in the BIOS. If it is set to RAID mode, try changing it to AHCI and see if that resolves the issue.

2. Check Drive Connections: Ensure that all the drive connections are properly seated and securely connected. Sometimes loose connections can cause detection issues.

3. Load Drivers: During the Windows installation, there is an option to load additional drivers. You may need to provide the appropriate storage controller drivers for your system to make the drives visible to the Windows setup. These drivers are often available on the manufacturer's website. You typically need to download the drivers and extract them to a USB drive, then browse for the drivers during the Windows installation when prompted.

4. Try Different USB Port: If you are using a bootable USB drive for installation, try using a different USB port on your computer. Sometimes certain USB ports can cause compatibility issues.

5. Secure Boot: Disable Secure Boot in the BIOS settings as it can sometimes interfere with the Windows installation process.

6. Reset BIOS Settings: If all else fails, you can try resetting the BIOS settings to their defaults. This can be done by removing the CMOS battery on the motherboard for a few minutes and then reinserting it. Note that this will reset any custom BIOS settings you may have configured.

If none of these steps work, it's possible that there may be a compatibility issue between your hardware and the Windows installation media. In that case, you could try creating a bootable USB drive using the Windows Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's website, as it may include more up-to-date drivers.

If you continue to encounter issues, reaching out to HP support for further assistance may be helpful, as they will have specific knowledge about your hardware and how it interacts with Windows installations.

 

[Ayrton]

Well that was easy enough! And quick! AHCI it was.

 

[wordtech]

Invaluable information on these forums. I'm learning a lot!!!