Hi Kennkennfrustrated,

Even if the hard drive controller is set to RAID or AHCI, any Windows 7 disc should provide drivers that allow recognition of the hard drive. At this point, the easiest way to install Windows would be to set the controller mode in the BIOS to ATA or legacy. Then Windows should see the drive. There are fairly easy ways to later set the controller back to AHCI, which a search should help you with.

im starting to think it might be a dead harddrive... ive tried everything in bios - nothing.....always nothing (no recognitilon of harddrive wat so ever).....but i can hear it at times so i dont know.....prolly jus gonna get another one...never had any trouble before swapping harddrives till this one

Ok, if you don't see a hard drive in the BIOS, then obviously trying to install Windows is a non starter. I think your diagnosis is correct.

Tearing a hard drive apart is actually pretty fun, especially for a tinkerer like you.

i dont know everything bout computers but just cant force myself to pay someone to fix anything for me...  when it comes to cars or electrical i got it down.. but on computers there is still alot i just assume, not really knowing...kinda like i assumed the harddrive wasnt dead cause i could hear it at times spinning i think....guess its time i get to tear apart a harddrive and see wats inside....

i more question...lol....i was swapping harddrives cause my current one sometimes make a popping clicking sound and laptop performance is noticeable weak and starting to freeze... on the dell webpage i ran a hard drive check it says i got a couple unrecoverable bad sectors...i read somewhere it is possable to fix the bad sectors...is this b.s or can they be fixed?