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need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

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  • need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

    I've clean-installed Windows 7 several times on my new Z77 Extreme4 board, booting from a UEFI USB (FAT32) derived from the Windows installation ISO (I select the UEFI USB option from the F11 boot menu).

    Each time I try, I get a "Drivers failed to load" error just before the Windows EULA should appear, and the installation won't proceed. It happens repeatedly if I try again. But if I clear the board's CMOS, set up the same UEFI values as before, and try again, then the Windows installation succeeds, with no driver-loading error.

    The clear-CMOS workaround is easy (I don't OC and I use mostly default UEFI values). But I'm wondering what makes the workaround necessary each time I reinstall Windows. Since I re-establish the same UEFI values anyway (after clearing CMOS, prior to the successful Windows reinstallation), why should clearing the CMOS make any difference? Does it indicate that some data on the motherboard is getting corrupted each time? (I've had this happen on two different Z77 X4 boards.)

  • #2
    Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

    Suppose it does not say which drivers?

    "derived from", so does that mean an nu-altered ISO/DVD source or something you've 'lited.?

    What BIOS version are you running?
    Win7 x64 or x86?


    OT:

    How to Create a Bootable UEFI USB Flash Drive for Installing Windows 7 and Windows 8

    What do you gain by using a "UEFI USB" rather then creating a bootable USB in some other fashion (that you can install Windows from)?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

      The error message does not say which drivers couldn't load.

      The instructions you linked to are what I used to create the installation USB (that's what I was calling the "UEFI USB"). (I'm not familiar with any other method to create a Win7 installation USB for a UEFI PC.)

      BIOS 2.80. Windows 7 Professional SP1 x64. (I did follow the bootx64 instructions in the link you cited.)

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

        I think the key here is your use of the F11 method of setting the boot device. That method is usually a temporary selection which is not set in the UEFI/BIOS, and when the Windows installation reboots, it uses the setting in the UEFI/BIOS.

        You saw that there were two entries for the USB installation device, UEFI and non-UEFI, right? The setting in the UEFI was likely not the "UEFI USB", but the non-UEFI USB entry (I can't recall the exact name), so the installation continues in non-UEFI mode, and you then see that error. Note that when you select the appropriate device directly in the UEFI, you don't get the error.

        The "Drivers failed to load" message is related to the change in the boot device (using F11 first, and the UEFI/BIOS setting afterwards), or really what is being read from the boot device. What Windows expects to find after the reboot and change to the non-UEFI installation, was not loaded during the F11, UEFI boot stage, so the "drivers failed to load" earlier from Windows (new) perspective.

        No data on the board was corrupted, it was just missing when the installation proceeded in non-UEFI mode. Does that make sense?

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        • #5
          Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

          Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't think that's what's happening, for two reasons.

          (1) The drivers-not-loaded error occurs just a couple of mouse-clicks into the installation process, well before Windows reboots. So it's still got whatever was loaded via the UEFI USB selection in the F11 boot menu.

          (2) If I clear CMOS, then re-establish the same UEFI settings (just irrelevant things like disabling Smart Connect), and start again from scratch (via the UEFI USB selection in the F11 boot menu), then I don't get the drivers-not-loaded error, and the whole installation proceeds smoothly (including the reboots during installation, where Windows installation continues to read from the USB after the reboot).

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

            Is this all happening using the same USB Key/copied data?

            F6'ing one or more controller drivers in during installation?

            Using the HDD controllers built onto the MB, or an add-in card?

            Doing a basic install using only the minimum hardware to install? Or are you assembling the whole shebang and then installing?
            #1 - Please, when seeking help, enter the make and model of ALL parts that your system is comprised of in your Signature, or at least the model #'s in your System Specs, then "Save' it.
            ____If you are overclocking, underclocking, or undervolting any parts, informing us of this and their values would prove beneficial in helping you.


            #2 - Consider your PSU to be the foundation from which all else is built upon. Anything built upon a weak foundation is poorly built.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

              Originally posted by - wardog - View Post
              Is this all happening using the same USB Key/copied data?
              Yes.

              F6'ing one or more controller drivers in during installation?
              No.

              Using the HDD controllers built onto the MB, or an add-in card?
              Built-in, no add-on.

              Doing a basic install using only the minimum hardware to install? Or are you assembling the whole shebang and then installing?
              I've tried both ways, and the same behavior occurs either way.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

                When you make the very FIRST attempt to install Windows again, do you clear the CMOS before that first attempt? Or are the UEFI settings whatever they were with your previous Windows installation?

                The only data of any kind stored on a mother board itself is on the CMOS chip, everything else is on the OS drive. So the "drivers failed to load" message is not related to anything being read from the board.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

                  Originally posted by parsec View Post
                  When you make the very FIRST attempt to install Windows again, do you clear the CMOS before that first attempt? Or are the UEFI settings whatever they were with your previous Windows installation?
                  I've tried it both ways. If I don't clear CMOS first, I get the drivers-not-loaded errors. When I do clear CMOS and re-establish the same values as before (whether I do this on the first or second installation attempt), the installation then proceeds without error.

                  The values I'm setting up are unrelated to the installation: no overclocking, just disabling Rapid Start and Smart Connect, setting the fans to auto, setting the keyboard to be able to wake the computer. And like I said, I set up those same values after clearing the CMOS, before the next installation attempt, and the next installation works fine.

                  The only data of any kind stored on a mother board itself is on the CMOS chip, everything else is on the OS drive. So the "drivers failed to load" message is not related to anything being read from the board.
                  That's what I thought, so I'm puzzled as to what explains the behavior I'm seeing. The OS drive doesn't change between the unsuccessful install attempt and the subsequent (after clearing CMOS) successful install attempt.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

                    I'm guessing it's driver related, as you're not installing the F6 drivers, "proper' like.

                    I'll also guess that should you format the Windows drive between this first "fail' and subsequent try it would fail each and every time. Although for the life of me why it doesn't see/use the inbox drivers the first attempt is beyond me. It's like installing any controller driver, it's needing to reboot after driver installation. Guessing anyways.

                    Any chance you used a program to "whack' out unneeded Windows bits from the Windows installation media before copying it to the usb stick?
                    #1 - Please, when seeking help, enter the make and model of ALL parts that your system is comprised of in your Signature, or at least the model #'s in your System Specs, then "Save' it.
                    ____If you are overclocking, underclocking, or undervolting any parts, informing us of this and their values would prove beneficial in helping you.


                    #2 - Consider your PSU to be the foundation from which all else is built upon. Anything built upon a weak foundation is poorly built.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

                      Originally posted by Gary902 View Post
                      I've tried it both ways. If I don't clear CMOS first, I get the drivers-not-loaded errors. When I do clear CMOS and re-establish the same values as before (whether I do this on the first or second installation attempt), the installation then proceeds without error.

                      The values I'm setting up are unrelated to the installation: no overclocking, just disabling Rapid Start and Smart Connect, setting the fans to auto, setting the keyboard to be able to wake the computer. And like I said, I set up those same values after clearing the CMOS, before the next installation attempt, and the next installation works fine.


                      That's what I thought, so I'm puzzled as to what explains the behavior I'm seeing. The OS drive doesn't change between the unsuccessful install attempt and the subsequent (after clearing CMOS) successful install attempt.
                      That's what I thought, just wanted to verify that. My theory/guess is (pure speculation) there is a UEFI setting that is automatically set earlier, before you perform a CMOS clear that results in the error you see. We should remember that there are many settings in a UEFI/BIOS that we do not have access to that potentially could cause this too. The main cause IMO, is choosing the UEFI entry for the installation media. That is not a mistake, but is significantly different than choosing the other.

                      Which leads me to, why did you choose the UEFI entry? No offense, but you have not mentioned anything about "UEFI booting" or UEFI starting/booting as I call it, although you are using an installation medium formatted to set up full UEFI booting, rather than standard BIOS booting, for lack of a better term. You are not required to choose the UEFI entry because your board has a UEFI type firmware. Are you familiar with what I'm talking about here?

                      I'm asking because you did not mention anything about wanting to UEFI boot.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

                        YUMI is (one of many) methods you can use to create a bootable Win7 (non-UEFI) Flash drive, if you want to try that.
                        (It's what I used for my Win7 installs.)
                        Last edited by therube; 04-16-2013, 01:37 PM.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

                          Originally posted by parsec View Post
                          Which leads me to, why did you choose the UEFI entry? No offense, but you have not mentioned anything about "UEFI booting" or UEFI starting/booting as I call it, although you are using an installation medium formatted to set up full UEFI booting, rather than standard BIOS booting, for lack of a better term. You are not required to choose the UEFI entry because your board has a UEFI type firmware. Are you familiar with what I'm talking about here?

                          I'm asking because you did not mention anything about wanting to UEFI boot.
                          Reasonable questions. I need to UEFI-boot the installation USB in order to install Windows for UEFI/GPT booting, right? And I want the latter mostly because (1) I don't want to drag along a legacy mode if I don't have to, and (2) UEFI/GPT might be needed in the future, so I want to make sure now that it works properly and that my Windows installation is already set up for it.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

                            Originally posted by therube View Post
                            YUMI is (one of many) methods you can use to create a bootable Win7 (non-UEFI) Flash drive, if you want to try that.
                            Thanks, but the method I'm using works well enough (with the clear-CMOS workaround), and I don't expect to reinstall again for a while anyway. Mostly just curious about why the workaround was needed. But I appreciate your suggestion.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: need to clear CMOS each time before installing Windows 7 (Z77 X4)

                              Originally posted by Gary902 View Post
                              Reasonable questions. I need to UEFI-boot the installation USB in order to install Windows for UEFI/GPT booting, right? And I want the latter mostly because (1) I don't want to drag along a legacy mode if I don't have to, and (2) UEFI/GPT might be needed in the future, so I want to make sure now that it works properly and that my Windows installation is already set up for it.
                              Great, I was hoping that was what you were doing (and would have been nice to know from the start... )

                              My guess about what caused that error message is this: The EFI specification defines how information is stored in NVRAM (an area on the CMOS chip) so things like boot loaders and other files can be found. Variables (named data storage areas) are defined that contain things like the path to a folder or file (like \Users\parsec\downloads is the path to my download folder.) Since you were using a UEFI Windows installation media, the installation program read one of those variables and assumed it was a valid path to a folder or file on the USB drive, when it wasn't, or the folder did not contain any .efi files. That caused the error message.

                              When you cleared the CMOS, the data for that variable was cleared. The protocol probably is, check the variable for data, if there, use it, if not use the standard EFI defined/default data. The standard path to the folder was correct, the files were found, no error.

                              Does this make sense? I did my first UEFI boot Windows 8 installation this year, so I don't know all the details. The specifics of my description may be wrong, but in general some data that the Windows installation program found or used was not correct, and clearing the CMOS caused the correct data to be used

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