So, for a quick background, I put together a new computer recently. I picked up win 7 and installed it without issue to a 40GB SATA drive. I noticed after getting it set up that there were only a few gigs of space free after the install, so I picked up a 2TB drive, figuring I could just keep everything else off the 40GB drive except the OS. I figured out how to format the new drive via win 7 (with some internet help), and things were running decently. Skyrim looked absolutely gorgeous. Unforunately, windows updates and several others things ate up the few remaining GB in the next month, so when I got down to 200MB of free space, I decided to redo the setup before I started running into constant free space issues.

This is where the actual problem starts. I booted the win7 disk for install, but only 3 pages into it I am unable to continue. The computer can only see the 2TB drive in that environment, with a message that I can not install windows to either of the 2 partitions it shows (one being the MSR partition). The 40GB doesn't even show in that menu... so off to the internet I go for research. Thank god my old slowpoke computer still runs. Anyhow, I now understand that MS changed the setup of things regarding boot sectors and such, and that I need to get into an EFI boot manager or EFI shell to essentially enable my ability to install windows to the drives as it set them up. I also understand the firmware is supposed to handle all of this in one manner or another. Unfortunately the only option I see to do with EFI in my bios is an auto/EFI/non-EFI toggle, and no matter what I chose it boots the win7 disk the same way... with the inability to install. Removing the disk or booting the HDD first always ends in an incredibly long load time on the 'starting windows' screen which inevitably ends in a BSOD.

I'm using a Gigabyte 880GM-USB3 motherboard. Can anyone give me an idea on how to get into an EFI boot manager or EFI shell on this machine? I'm completely Flumoxed... and I'd really love to be able to get back to the land of Skyrim instead of fighing with it and making no progress.

Thanks,
James