cannot install Windows - driver missing

forgive me if i am asking something that has been answered but i checked the thread and couldn't see any answer that applied to me. I have a Dell Studio 1745 laptop running Insiders Preview build 17063. The day after creating my bootable build 17074 ISO using UUP2ISO and updating my laptop to build 17074 via Windows Update i got some nasty malware on my computer. Rather than toil with removing the malware I took the advice i read on one of the forums that suggested reinstalling Windows. Since i had not only a newly created ISO AND a 2 day old System Image created with Macrium Free and had not really done much between the update and the malware i decided to do that. So I booted up my laptop in Safe Mode and started Rufus and made the bootable USB Drive using the ISO which was stored on a seperate USB Backup drive, safely removed that USB Flash drive, restarted to change the boot order in BIOS, inserted the bootable USB Flash drive and restarted again to begin the installation on Insiders Preview build 17074. Then i got to the screen that asks where I want to install Windows. Usually i delete all the partitions listed until I have 0 Unallocated Space and click Next and the installation continues. Not this time. I am getting a message that says:

"We couldnt create a new partition or locate an existing one. For more information, see the Setup log files." see screenshot below:





I have no idea where the Setup log files would be as i just deleted all the existing partitions cant get to my System Image at this point so I clicked Next. I still got the same message. For some reason I thought I should try to Load Device Driver and when i clicked that I was prompted to insert the Installation Media with the devices driver and click ok. I inserted my Dell Drivers and Utilities disc that came with my laptop and eventually it found the SATA drivers it wanted, I clicked Next and got the same message.

I am not sure if the malware deleted or destroyed something or what but this has never happened and I have performed this exact sequence of steps with previous builds without a hiccup in the past. The only thing different this time is that my laptop has a current malware infection.

I could really use some guidance...

Thanks,

Danny R

From the screen shot, you did not delete any partition and in fact you have 1 partition (Disk 0 partition 1).
Boot up Windows Installation disk again. On the first screen, press SHIFT+F10, a Command prompt will appear, enter:
diskpart
select disk 0
clean
exit
exit

Then continue with the installation, select the unallocated partition (Disk 0) then click Next to continue (Do not format or create any partition)

Tony K said:

Hi there, @djrobison22.

You must set Rufus to GPT partition scheme.

Yeah? Even though it is an old laptop? I dont recall seeing anything in the BIOS that would allow me to change it to UEFI Boot Mode unless that is not something i need to do.

I have done several Clean Installations on this laptop as an Insider and before and this has never come up. Is it odd that it is all of a sudden an issue?

That does lead me to another question....I have a VAIO All-In-One VPCL137FX that i am going to put an SSD in this week. I know from trying in the past that the only way I was able to get into the BIOS was with the Sony VCC suite of system tuners and managers and even then it was very limited and offered really nothing that I could tweak. I don't think it even allowed me to change the boot order! I have removed all of the VAIO bloatware. Am I going to have to change this MBR system to GPT as well? I have also done a few clean installations on this pc in the past without this coming up.

Thanks,

Danny R

topgundcp said:

From the screen shot, you did not delete any partition and in fact you have 1 partition (Disk 0 partition 1).
Boot up Windows Installation disk again. On the first screen, press SHIFT+F10, a Command prompt will appear, enter:
diskpart
select disk 0
clean
exit
exit

Then continue with the installation, select the unallocated partition (Disk 0) then click Next to continue (Do not format or create any partition)

I actually created that partition you see in the screenshot. Initially, I deleted all existing partitions and there were none.

So, I will try this and I will also set Rufus to build the bootable usb drive using GPT partition scheme and will report back.

Thanks,

Danny R

djrobison22 said:

I actually created that partition you see in the screenshot. Initially, I deleted all existing partitions and there were none.

So, I will try this and I will also set Rufus to build the bootable usb drive using GPT partition scheme and will report back.

Thanks,

Danny R

so I recreated the bootable usb drive enabling GPT partition scheme and my laptop doesnt even recognize the usb drive being inserted. I did change the boot order. One thing i noticed when Rufus was finished was that the File System was changed to FAT32 from NTFS as I had it previously set and checked before I started to burn this latest GPT enabled boot disc.

Should the File System be NTFS or FAT32?

Thanks,

Danny R

Tony K said:

My apology. I assumed it was UEFI. I see it's a Vista-vintage laptop. Is this it? Support for Studio 1745 | Manuals & documents | Dell US Doubt that it's UEFI if that's it. Checking the manual or BIOS is the only way to know for sure.

I see why you would with the virus, but I've never made an ISO with Rufus in safe mode. That may have an effect. Not sure.

So far as your all-in-one; Yes, it's probably a UEFI BIOS on that, so GPT scheme is the better choice. Please know that you may run with a MBR scheme, but GPT is a better choice.

topgundcp's choice of disk clean is better than just formatting if that's what you did. Letting windows create the needed partitions is best. However, there is a tutorial I can't seem to find right now that I'll post.

So, should i create the disc for my laptop with GPT enabled or MBR as I always have done?

I think it may be that it was created in Safe Mode...not sure. Is it ok that I am creating the new usb disc on my other computer?

Lastly, should the File System always be NTFS or is it different with GPT enabled?

I am having a flashback to when i installed the SSD in this laptop that I wanted to convert to GPT and after alot of back and forth it was determined that my laptop does not support it. The SSD boots amazingly fast and reads and writes like lightning compared to the old hard disc drive i had in this machine!

D

zbook said:

Were you able to open the BIOS and change Legacy to UEFI?

There was no option to do so. I dont think it is possible with this laptop.