Windows cannot be installed to this disk.

jm0 · 12 Jul 2018

Hi,

I'm having problems installing windows 10, on my new mobo.

This is my motherboard: ASUS M5A78L-M LX3

Troubleshooting history:

1) Booting from USB. Got the usual "A Media Driver Your Computer Needs Is Missing"-error, fixed that easily by hitting Cancel, and unplug/replug the USB.

2) Installation wizard couldn't find any disks. Showing an empty list. Fixed this by unplugging the SSD entirely from the computer. Then restart the installation wizard, and when it comes to the "selecting a disk"-step i replugged it back into the system and hit refresh, and there it was. By BIOS also recognizes the disk, so no problems there.

2) To my knowledge this "new" mobo doesn't have UEFI support, and is EFI/legacy only. Nowhere in the BIOS is there an option to enable UEFI. Meaning that the disk has to be of the MBR partition style. So i did this in the command prompt:

diskpart
list disks
select disk 1
clean
convert mbr
create partition primary
active
format fs=ntfs quick
assign
exit

So now i have a MBR/NTFS partitioned harddrive, ready to install windows 10. Not so fast! I get this error message:

"Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu."

And if i try to convert the drive to GPT partition style, i get: "This drive is of the GPT partition style"-error. Meaning that windows prefers my disk to be MBR, since im booting in EFI/legacy mode. Makes sense. But when i convert it to MBR like described above, i get the above error message ^^.

What is causing this? I have run out of options, i cant think of anything else to try. Please help me. Ive sitten with this for 2 days now. It's very frustrating, messing with my sleep pattern. I just want this to work.

Caledon Ken · 12 Jul 2018

Hi jm0. Welcome to the TenForums @jm0

Section 2.6.2 of manual - disable Quickboot until installed. Only have your SSD installed, no other storage.

Section 2.3.4 of your manual, how have you got OnChip SATA channel configured? I would recommend AHCI?

You might also try to "Load a driver" before installing Step 12 of this tutorial.

Clean Install Windows 10

I would do your diskpart commands all the way up to and including clean. Let Windows set partitions and actve etc.

The driver you need is likely storage, Asus has one listed under Windows 7 64 bit OS on their web site

Might just try the diskpart up to and including clean before trying to load driver.

Ken

AddRAM · 12 Jul 2018

What are you trying to install Windows 10 on ?

A SSD, A Hard Drive, A M.2 ?????????????

You are getting the MBR or GPT error because you are not choosing the right boot device, you have to choose a UEFI installer to install windows on a GPT Disk or choose what I guess we`ll call a conventional installer ( I have no other way to describe it) to install Windows on a MBR Disk.

As shown here you can clearly see the 2 choices for the same Lexar USB stick.

If you want to install on a MBR disk then your Bios has to be set to Legacy mode, and you would choose the usb stick WITHOUT the words UEFI in front of it.

AddRAM · 12 Jul 2018

If you are getting a driver message during an install on a Asus motherboard then create an installer using Asus`s EZ Installer software, it`s very simple.

Go to Asus, and look up your board, click on support, Drivers & Tools, choose an Operating System (in your case W10) then scroll down to utilities.

Download the EZ Installer software and just follow the directions.

ASUS USA

Caledon Ken · 12 Jul 2018

This is an old board if I looked up right number. Almost nothing listed for Windows 10.

BIOS does not look it supports UEFI.

Most files on Asus site are for Vista and Win 7

bro67 · 12 Jul 2018

Reset the CMOS and bios by pulling the battery and change the position of the jumper on CLRRTC to clear the CMOS. http://www.balticdata.lv/Gfx/Product...nstrukcija.pdf (See page 1-17).