How do I install Ubuntu on an ASUS N75S

[MR ZenWiz]

I've done things like this many times before, but this one has me baffled.

I just picked up a used ASUS N75S laptop and I want to install Ubuntu
on it, or Mint, either way.

Once I get to the relevant part of the install, where normally I get
to set up the disk partitions, neither Mint nor Ubuntu can see the
hard drive at all.

I tried using gparted, and it only sees the optical drive.

I went into the boot prom, and SATA unit #1 is the hard drive, and the
boot is set for AHCI booting, the only other option being IDE.

I notice when I run from the DVD image, there is no trace of a hard
disk listed, either in /dev (e.g., /dev/disk/by-id only shows the DVD
drive) or with lshw (also optical drive only).  How can it be
invisible like that?  I tried to Google that too, and nothing shows
up.

How do I get it to see the hard drive so I can install Ubuntu (or
Mint) or any Linux?

It boots just fine into Windows 7, which is what came on it.
Actually, it boots into an ASUS media program that I neither need nor
want, but that's a side issue.

I tried to Google for this and absolutely nothing shows up.

???

Thanks.
MR