Cannot find hard drive when re-installing Windows 7 on ACER ASPIRE ASE500-UP801M?

lockenload
lockenload Member Posts: 2 New User
edited March 2024 in 2018 Archives
I am trying to re-install Windows & on my friends old Acer Aspire ASE500-UP801M (S/N PTS320J0176280535B2707) but it won't see the hard drive on the Install Windows screen. I have reset the BIOS to default and formatted the HD. Do I need special tools to see the drive to install? See attached pictures. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answers

  • lockenload
    lockenload Member Posts: 2 New User
    I see my error. I need to install an old copy of Windows XP first. Sorry for the post and thank you.
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,944 Trailblazer
    More likely the problem is that the motherboard chipset is old enough that Window 7 didn't have the IDE drivers included. No need to install XP, but you will need the drivers to install at the place in the install shown in the first picture. The other thing you might have to do is move the HDD from IDE 3 to IDE 2. I see Acer has drivers for XP on the support site, you might do some searching to see if there are Windows 7 drivers on the Intel site. If not you might be able to use the XP drivers during the W7 install. Note that you'll need the 32bit version of W7, there likely won't be any 64bit drivers.
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