Installing W7 on SSD - GPT partition style??

[PiMan314]

So I try to install Windows 7 onto my SSD for a completely new comp - and in the 'where do you want to install windows' window I have 2 partitions.

Disk 0 Partition 1 - 100MB total size, 86MB free space, System - type - 'Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style. Windows cannot be installed to this hard disk space. The partition is an EFI system partition (ESP)'.

Any advice?

[Apex]

Windows 7 and to a point i think Vista when you do a fresh install creates a system reserved partition - only 100mb in size that has system tools in it.

What you should be doing is to install it to the free space or the other partition that should be taking up all of the space left on the SSD.

[PiMan314]

If only it were that simple T_T
EDIT: mobo is GA z77 d3h

[Splash]

Delete both partitions and install to the blank disk.

[PiMan314]

Couldn't delete the partitions, idk - it wouldn't let me. Or format, or infact make new partitions. Perhaps I messed up and made a new partition when I didn't have to? Maybe that's why it was in 2 parts?

I restarted the computer and for some reason I no longer got those GPT messages, changed to an error message (FOR NO REASON, I DID NOTHING XD) of 'Windows is unable to install to the selected location. Error: 0x8007045d' - which was solved like so:

SOLUTION - for anyone who has the same problem.

At the first screen, hit <SHIFT>+<F10>. At the elevated command prompt type:
diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
clean




Thanks everyone for your input. As for what happened here - idk, I really don't know.... Many thanks, and happy new year!

[directhex]

Okay. The problem, FYI, is that the installer booted on the system in BIOS mode.

BIOS can only boot from the MS-DOS partition type ("MBR").

Your disk, for whatever reason, was partitioned using the newer GPT style. Booting GPT requires a motherboard with UEFI instead of BIOS, and to boot the Windows installer via UEFI mode not BIOS. BIOS and MBR go together; GPT and UEFI go together. For boot, anyway. All versions of 64-bit Windows, from Vista SP1 onwards, can install to GPT in UEFI mode.

[Apex]

I would also add that it apears that the above only works if it's via usb - if you try it via the dvd image it will fail [ not my experiance so far but then i not used dvd images; all been usb installs ] - i might have to see if this is true from what the lad was telling me.

[xpronic]

This is good stuff to know in advance. I'm now prepared for when I decide to reinstall windows to a SSD.

[directhex]

I would also add that it apears that the above only works if it's via usb - if you try it via the dvd image it will fail [ not my experiance so far but then i not used dvd images; all been usb installs ] - i might have to see if this is true from what the lad was telling me.

I've installed Windows in EFI mode from DVD before now.

[Kecman]

Just get Hiren's boot disc and allocate that unallocated space or you can install the SSD in a computer that already has a Windows on it and format the SSD from My Computer. Then you should install W7 with no problem. I had an SSD and it works excatly like any other HDD, just much faster.

[Apex]

I've installed Windows in EFI mode from DVD before now.

Then i don't understand what was going wrong with the person who mentioned this to me in irc. Liked i kept saying to him, the dvd image and the usb image are the same.

[NorBdelta]

Okay. The problem, FYI, is that the installer booted on the system in BIOS mode.

BIOS can only boot from the MS-DOS partition type ("MBR").

Your disk, for whatever reason, was partitioned using the newer GPT style. Booting GPT requires a motherboard with UEFI instead of BIOS, and to boot the Windows installer via UEFI mode not BIOS. BIOS and MBR go together; GPT and UEFI go together. For boot, anyway. All versions of 64-bit Windows, from Vista SP1 onwards, can install to GPT in UEFI mode.

This. To install you need to format that disk, use the advanced drive options in the menu you screen shotted.

[hardbeck]

PiMan314 you are a life saver.
Thanks so much!

Couldn't delete the partitions, idk - it wouldn't let me. Or format, or infact make new partitions. Perhaps I messed up and made a new partition when I didn't have to? Maybe that's why it was in 2 parts?

I restarted the computer and for some reason I no longer got those GPT messages, changed to an error message (FOR NO REASON, I DID NOTHING XD) of 'Windows is unable to install to the selected location. Error: 0x8007045d' - which was solved like so:

SOLUTION - for anyone who has the same problem.

At the first screen, hit <SHIFT>+<F10>. At the elevated command prompt type:
diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
clean




Thanks everyone for your input. As for what happened here - idk, I really don't know.... Many thanks, and happy new year!

[gaklof]

Couldn't delete the partitions, idk - it wouldn't let me. Or format, or infact make new partitions. Perhaps I messed up and made a new partition when I didn't have to? Maybe that's why it was in 2 parts?

I restarted the computer and for some reason I no longer got those GPT messages, changed to an error message (FOR NO REASON, I DID NOTHING XD) of 'Windows is unable to install to the selected location. Error: 0x8007045d' - which was solved like so:

SOLUTION - for anyone who has the same problem.

At the first screen, hit <SHIFT>+<F10>. At the elevated command prompt type:
diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
clean




Thanks everyone for your input. As for what happened here - idk, I really don't know.... Many thanks, and happy new year!

if i have disk 0 partition 2, all the file will be clean too?

[directhex]

Then i don't understand what was going wrong with the person who mentioned this to me in irc. Liked i kept saying to him, the dvd image and the usb image are the same.

It's the case when badly remastering your own install DVD, and the case when using the Windows 8 installer to download Windows and burn the installer to DVD - in both cases, the DVD does not contain valid UEFI boot records. It's easier to boot UEFI from USB, since any FAT32-partitioned drive with a valid file in EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI is enough.