Installing Win7 on CF(seen as removable by OS)

I want to install win7 on IBM thinkpad x40. Since the hard disk is really slow, I removed it and replaced it with trancend 32GB CF card and ide to CF adapter. SSDs for this model is VERY expensive, since only two models run them. Anyway.
I tried to install windows 7, but when I reach the select hard disk step, I just cannot see the CF. The CF is seen in the BIOS as IDE HDD, and is working.
second method I attempted is to install Windows on a real SSD( i have a few of these machines, and an SSD for one of them). I cloned with Clonezilla. The boot process will start, but will be terminated with code 0x00000007b.
AFAIK this means that boot device is not found, - the OS cannot see the CF as its image. I will ask for a work-around, did anyone managed to do that on CF. Most of the methods describe USB or USB-hdd