7 on a U100

[ddrueding]

Feeling dumb, which is unfortunately common for me.

Trying to install Windows 7 i386 on an MSI 100 Netbook with some mods:

2GB RAM, 32GB X-25E

Did the upgrades, everything is recognized in the BIOS, Win7 boots from the USB DVD just fine. It just refuses to see the drive. BIOS sees the drive fine. There are no storage drivers.

Help?

 

[udaman]

Umm, sorry NMI...run us through everything U did, step by step (don't leave any detail out)...TIA

 

[udaman]

Ok, I'm login out of Chat ... laters

 

[ddrueding]

Unbox a brand new MSI U100. Pop the back case, install a 1GB DIMM (Rendition 1GB PC2-6400), swap out the hard drive with an Intel X-25E, put the case back on.

Boot up, go into the BIOS. Confirm that the RAM and SSD are recognized.

Plug in a USB DVD-ROM and stick in a stock 32-bit copy of Windows 7. The system boots fine, loads to the disk, and the first portion of the setup completes as expected.

After choosing "Custom Install", you reach the page that asks "Where do you want to install Windows?". Nothing is listed in the menu, and below it says the following:

"No Drives were found. Click Load Driver to provide a mass storage driver for installation."

Based on their website, no chipset or storage drivers are required for this system and Windows 7.

 

[Santilli]

Sounds like you need a driver for the SATA chipset.

Try going in and loading a driver for the onboard chipset, so the OS can see the drive.

 

[LunarMist]

Did you try using a standard hard drive?

BTW, it is blasphemy to use an X25-E in that toy machine. Why not use the Vortex?

 

[time]

Read this thread. The problem sounds very similar.

To save time, just read the first and last posts. In his case, apart from a BIOS reset, the SSD was the culprit.

 

[ddrueding]

Thanks for the tips, I'll have to put off trying it until tomorrow.

 

[ddrueding]

Ubuntu 9.10 went on no problem. Next step is to swap it out for a 30GB Vertex.

 

[ddrueding]

Same issue with the Vertex. Recognized in BIOS, Ubuntu installs just fine. 7 won't list the drive at all. About to try XP.

 

[MaxBurn]

I second the chipset driver, sounds just like that problem. I had a similar thing only it wasn't the SATA chipset that was holding me back, it was the IDE bridge chipset even though I wasn't using IDE.

 

[ddrueding]

The chipset is 945GSE+ ICH7-M, even XP sees it without anything special. Just 7 has the problem.

 

[ddrueding]

Just grabbed a random 160GB SATA drive from the shelf and 7 sees it no problem. The only thing I can think is that the capacity (32 and 30GB) played a role?

 

[Chewy509]

Just grabbed a random 160GB SATA drive from the shelf and 7 sees it no problem. The only thing I can think is that the capacity (32 and 30GB) played a role?

System requirements is only 16GB (or 20GB for x64).

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/system-requirements.aspx

Otherwise, try installing it on the 160GB, clone the 160GB HDD to your SSD, insert the SSD into the U100, and give it a try...

 

[ddrueding]

Otherwise, try installing it on the 160GB, clone the 160GB HDD to your SSD, insert the SSD into the U100, and give it a try...

That is the current plan. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Mercutio]

I wonder if it's bumping in to a chipset/BIOS issue that stems from the netbook + SSD combination.

 

[Santilli]

I wonder if the chipset/bios haven't been updated for an SSD? What Sam said.

 

[ddrueding]

Installed to the 160GB SATA fine, imaged to the X-25E fine. Boots fine off the X-25E.

What a PITA.

 

[LunarMist]

I'm glad it is working. Yet it is still such a waste to use an X25-E like that. Why?

 

[Santilli]

Why is it a waste?
David, how does the whole setup work?

Bottleneck on laptops for me has always been the dog slow drives. This is a major solution:
less power, instant access, what's not to like?
What did you image with?

 

[Mercutio]

Why is it a waste?

A couple reasons: one is that the chipset that Atom chip is using probably can't keep up with the drive. If nothing else, it's probably SATA I and not SATA II, and it's kind of deficient compared to a modern system for having a low speed FSB and all that entails.

The other is that the CPU is going to be a slug no matter what that SSD does. "Slug" is relative, but even Celerons compare favorable to Atom chips. That SSD is just going to reveal how bound up that machine is for CPU resources.

 

[ddrueding]

It is a waste, and it is just for curiosity. The system will end up with the 30GB Vertex in it, I just had the X-25E sitting around and thought I'd try it out.

 

[LunarMist]

What is the STR with Atto on that chipset?

 

[ddrueding]

Running the Windows Experience Index at the moment...I'll run ATTO when that is through.

 

[ddrueding]

Windows Experience Index:

CPU: 2.2
RAM: 4.5
2D: 2.0
3D: 2.0
HDD: 6.8

Yay!

 

[ddrueding]

ATTO of X25-E on U100:

Not bad, actually.

 

[LunarMist]

That is a typical limitation of laptops.

 

[Santilli]

ATTO of X25-E on U100:

Not bad, actually.

MUCH better then what was in it, and, I would guess it's pretty snappy?;-)

I'd be REAL happy with those sort of numbers in my CF-51, even if they aren't what the drive is capable of.

 

[ddrueding]

It is indeed much better, and very snappy. I suspect I could get 99% of the perceived gain using the Vertex, but I don't think I'll switch back until I have a use for this X-25E.

 

[Santilli]

DAVID: for double the price, you could have got an i7 laptop, and that would have REALLY been able to use the SSD..

 

[time]

Greg, I think people might soon be begging you to consider a harmonious positioning of that fabled i7 laptop somewhere about your person. Unfortunately, the deployment is unlikely to be synergistic.

 

[Mercutio]

DAVID: for double the price, you could have got an i7 laptop, and that would have REALLY been able to use the SSD..

The Wind weighs about 2.8lbs. Any obtainable i7 notebook will be around twice that, if not more.

Also, what time said.

 

[ddrueding]

The objectives on this machine were size and battery life, just upgrading the bits that wouldn't affect those negatively. Of course, I'm now dynamically OC'ing it 27% as well, but that doesn't affect battery life too much over all.

 

[Mercutio]

Speaking of MSI Winds, has anyone seen a service manual for one? I have one where I need to replace the screen, and I can't get the bezel back on right.

 

[ddrueding]

Speaking of MSI Winds, has anyone seen a service manual for one? I have one where I need to replace the screen, and I can't get the bezel back on right.

I haven't tried that before, and the only documentation I've found is youtube

 

[Santilli]

HMMMM.

Got to play with the Netbook today. It was passable quick, but, I just couldn't get past the controls feeling so much like my phone...

I see the point, and, agree that the X-25E is wasted.

 

[LunarMist]

The Wind weighs about 2.8lbs. Any obtainable i7 notebook will be around twice that, if not more.

There are a few ULV i7 CPUs in the 12"/3 lb. class notebooks, but they are expensive and native speed is not fast. Effectiveness of Turboboots is dependent on hardware and usage.