Can not install Any Windows on z170

[knoober]

Yeah USB keyboard and mouse work, makes no sense right?

Dont most modern hardware keep the drivers right on the device? SO as soon as you plug in the keyboard and mouse it auto installs I think? I am surprized that USB 2.0 isnt working out of the box though. Maybe clearing the CMOS and starting fresh might give you what you need?

Is your DVD drive still out of commission? I havent noticed you say if you installed the motherboard chipset and other proprietary drivers. USB and all other kinds of good stuff are there on the manufacturer page.

Check revision number and OS before moving forward with this page, but it atleast has the ethernet driver you would need to get your ethernet up and working. This assumes you have a working DVD drive and another system that can access the internet, then you can burn them to a disc and transfer that way

 

[capwn2626]

Tried resetting the bios (optimize flash or something) still doesn't work. DVD powers on but Windows doesn't see it even via computer management. So yeah, no way of installing any drivers.

 

[knoober]

Tried resetting the bios (optimize flash or something) still doesn't work

DId you reflash it or reset it to optimized defaults? they are 2 different things - but admittedly should have nearly the same effect. If you havent tried taking the CMOS battery out and hitting the jumper -check you mobo manual for a "How to" - basically the same as resetting to optimized default thought. When you are ready to call it a day, pull the battery out and leave it out all night. Make sure you put a jumper on the required pins as well. I call it the "long version" of a cmos reset and it has worked for me before. Replace battery the next day and see if you have some changes.

If none of that works, is another system an option? A different dvd drive? different SATA cables? These are probably the next steps

 

[EarthDog]

Yeah USB keyboard and mouse work, makes no sense right?

Snappy driver installer?

Thanks for sticking with me, wouldn't hav blamed you any of you for giving up yet ANOTHER conundrum!

why not unplug the keyboard and use that usb port to install files from usb... you can get theverything drivers from another pc and load from there. No keyboard needed...just install all usb drivers and see if it works then.

 

[capwn2626]

Yeah tried USB sticks in every USB slot imaginable (even the 3.0 ones) and I get nothing. Then I put back keyboard/mouse and it works fine.

 

[capwn2626]

OOOOOKKKK!! figured it out. Hard to explain but ultimately booted from an unofficial copy of Windows 10 and then when that loaded my usbs were instantly visible. Just ended up purchasing it even though I could have maybe updated, not tempting fate. All good now. Thanks for all that contributed.

 

[wingman99]

Can you load your DVD?

 

[EarthDog]

OOOOOKKKK!! figured it out. Hard to explain but ultimately booted from an unofficial copy of Windows 10 and then when that loaded my usbs were instantly visible. Just ended up purchasing it even though I could have maybe updated, not tempting fate. All good now. Thanks for all that contributed.

it was the xhci driver in that case. Glad it's working!

 

[capwn2626]

Can you load your DVD?

Nope, I made a USB bootable of 10 and never want to use that DVD ever again. Have a new issue though Maybe I should make a new thread...

 

[wingman99]

No don't make a new thread what is the problem?

 

[capwn2626]

Oops already did, it felt unrelated but perhaps not? Here is what I wrote;

"Recently built a new machine with a Sata enabled GIGABYTE Z170 motherboard. I have a Sata hooked up to a WD HDD with Windows C) and all is well. I later hooked up a 2nd SATA cable (and power) to a Toshiba DT01ACA100 HDD but I can't see it in Bios OR windows (Even as unidentified in the computer management window).

There doesn't appear to be any drivers so it can't be drivers. The sata is fine as the other HDD works fine. Tried switching between two and it just doesn't see the Toshiba."

 

[wingman99]

If you can't see the drive in Bios a driver won't help, I would check your cables to the drive or the drive in a different PC.

 

[capwn2626]

If you can't see the drive in Bios a driver won't help, I would check your cables to the drive or the drive in a different PC.

Yeah, 100% not showing in Bios. If I switch the SATA that was working with the original HDD to the new one, none of them show. From what I can make out I have 2 sata cables hooked into the motherboard, one goes from the board to a weird place at the top of my case, I have a SATA socket on the outside of my case at the top. Not sure why. Then the other one from what I can make out (my cables are really extreme) it splits into 3 SATA plugs. One makes my old HDD work, the others don't? The SATA cables are about 5 years old. Perhaps some plugs are dead?

 

[wingman99]

Have you tried the port by your video card?

 

[knoober]

Try unplugging the one on your case. That is eSATA and you can get to that after the rest of your system is functioning properly.

Check your mobo manual and make sure you are in the proper ports. They can be numbered in different orders (starting from top left, bottom left, top right or bottom right for instance). Make sure your primary disk is in the first slot. The biggest thing is to make sure you aren't on the third party controller slots (usually a different color, or at least the highest numbered slots), and then you can set boot priority in the BIOS.

make sure you have only the essential equipment ( cpu/gpu/HDD/psu) attached and that everything is working as it should. Then add in extras (eSATA /USB hubs/ other peripheral devices) one at a time and check to see if your system still works.

All that stuff is just "troubleshooting" in general. If you want to troubleshoot the drive that isn't showing in the BIOS, you have to confirm it to be working. You can plug it in to an external enclosure and see if it shows up, or put it in another system too.

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

Your drives are in the wrong SATA ports, those are ports 2 & 3, see screen shot.



edit: Yes, get some new SATA cables

 

[EarthDog]

Yeah, 100% not showing in Bios. If I switch the SATA that was working with the original HDD to the new one, none of them show. From what I can make out I have 2 sata cables hooked into the motherboard, one goes from the board to a weird place at the top of my case, I have a SATA socket on the outside of my case at the top. Not sure why. Then the other one from what I can make out (my cables are really extreme) it splits into 3 SATA plugs. One makes my old HDD work, the others don't? The SATA cables are about 5 years old. Perhaps some plugs are dead?

View attachment 177189

View attachment 177190

- - - Updated - - -

Those are the intel ports.. it doesn't matter if its in 0/1, or 4/5... they are run off the chipset.

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

Wrong ports. Those are not from the native intel chipset so they (usually) need drivers to work.

- - - Updated - - -

Those are the intel ports.. it doesn't matter if its in 0/1, or 4/5... they are run off the chipset.

That may be true, but any time I've had a boot drive in any slot other than 0, I had wonky things happen

 

[EarthDog]

I haven't. I swap them around the native ports at will. Its worth a try, I suppose, but, not a problem I have run across, ever... I have to admit.

 

[capwn2626]

Still not got around to this but yes the 2nd HDD has been used for a year or so and have valuable content so I don't want to be formatting it. Sounds like I have the cables in the wrong port. I'm going to detach the one that leads to the outside of the case on the top first. Then I'm not quite sure what to do? Surely the one I have in (3) is working otherwise the main HDD wouldn't be working? Should I be plugging the x3 sata plug into 0,1,4 or 5 instead? Btw it wasn't me who plugged these in but the guy at the repair shop. If I buy another sata cable should I just buy another x3 one? do I have to get a specific cable?