Win 10 Clean install problem

AD123 · 22 Jan 2018

Hi, new member seeking help.

I removed a bad HDD, noisy but working, and replaced it with an SSD and tried a few times to install Win 10 without success. It completes then says it will reboot in 10 seconds and when it does it starts the process over and over. I did a lot of searching w/o no luck. I tried removing the USB stick during the 10 second delay before the reboot with no luck. I get a black screen telling me there is no OS.

What I did observe is that when I start the installation I get to the screen to do a custom install and tell it to install on the 0 disk,. Normally it will tell you it needs to create other partitions for windows to operate properly. I don't get that message, and it doesn't create the small partitions before C:. I believe that is the problem, its the fix I can't figure out.

Thanks

AddRAM · 22 Jan 2018

Explain how you are booting from the usb stick, did you make any changes in the Bios, or are you using the 1 time boot menu and choosing the usb stick ?

essenbe · 22 Jan 2018

Hello AD123 and welcome to the Forums. During the process choose Custom Install. When you get to the 'Where do you want to install Windows', delete all partitions on the drive you want to install Windows on until the whole drive says unallocated. Highlight that drive and press next. The installation will start then. When the computer reboots, during the reboot, remove the USB drive. You may want to read through this and see if it helps you. Clean Install Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

AD123 · 22 Jan 2018

Thanks for the replies. I must have installed Win 10 at least 20 times before, and never encountered this issue. I have the BIOS set to boot from the USB stick, with the HDD just below that. I've also tried installing it from a DVD setting the BIOS to boot from the CD/DVD drive. I do the custom install, delete all partitions and let it do its thing. Every installation I've done it tells me something like Windows will create additional partitions for the OS to work, or something along those lines. In this case it isn't, and I know it didn't create them because I removed the drive, put it in a docking station and see only one partition on the drive, with no smaller partitions in front of it.

I used the one time boot menu, and then changed it to boot only from USB, both to no avail. Removing the USB stick during the ten second warning before the final reboot yields a black screen with there is no OS message after the reboot.

I hope that makes sense, and thanks again for the help!

essenbe · 22 Jan 2018

Try dong the same thing, but when you get the drive unallocated, instead of pressing next, press new. That should create the partitions right there and you can see them. The installer will automatically select the right partition to install to. Then press next.

Perhaps I am failing to understand about booting to the USB. You seem to indicate you can't boot from the USB. I thought you could because most of your problem seemed to be installing.

AD123 · 22 Jan 2018

Sorry for any confusion, booting from the USB stick is not the issue, nor is booting from a DVD. I watch it go through all the steps, right to the very end. Once complete there is no OS, according to the message displayed on the black screen.

I've also tried hitting the yellow star to create a new partition, and all it does is creates one partitons, and no mention of the smaller partitions. I believe my problem lies in the fact that it is only creating one partition, nothing else.

essenbe · 22 Jan 2018

Also, do you have an MBR BIOS or a UEFI? In your one time boot menu you should have 2 entries for your USB. One will name your USB, ie Kingston USB Drive, (if you are using a Kingston USB drive). The other will say UEFI Kingston USB Drive. If you have an MBR BIOS, chose just the Kingston USB, if you have a UEFI BIOS select the UEFI Kingston USB. Again, that is if you have a Kingston USB. It should name which USB it is if it can determine it, otherwise it will just say generic USB.

AD123 · 22 Jan 2018

It is not creating the System Reserved Partition, only C:

essenbe · 22 Jan 2018

Are you sure the drive says unallocated? If there is a partition there, it will put the System files on the C drive and there will be no System Reserved.. If there is no partition (unallocated) it should create a System reserved partition and a C drive.

It should work either way, but you will be better off, most likely, with the System Reserved.

essenbe · 22 Jan 2018

This is what you want it to look like before you start the install.