Can't install a fresh copy of windows on my hdd!


  1. I WANT MY GIFS
    Posts : 19
    windows 10
       New #1

    Can't install a fresh copy of windows on my hdd!


    My windows crashed and is stuck in a infinite automatic repair loop. I given up on fixing this, so I moved all my important files to a external hdd and want to install a fresh copy of windows.

    So I downloaded a copy of Windows Installation Media to a usb stick. I set my bios to load from the stick.

    I get a screen showing a install option, then a product key screen, I select I don't have one. Then I select windows 10 home. The next is 2 options are upgrade install or custom install.

    I tried upgrade install and it didn't work. It said:
    this upgrade option isn't available if you start your computer using Windows insrallation media . If a copy of windows is already installed on the computer and you want to upgrade remove the installation media and restart your computer. After windows has started normally, insert the installation media and running Windows setup
    So I choose the next option, custom install. It asks where I want to I install
    Drive 0 unallocated space 100MB
    Drive 0 Partition 1 - 1820GB - 430GB (free space) - system
    Drive 0 Partition 2 - 513MB - 82MB (free space) - OEM

    I select partition 1, but it won't install at all. I get a exclamation point saying
    Windows can't be installed on drive 0 partition 1 (show details)
    Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table.
    On EFI system, Windows can only be installed to GBT disks.
    I tried to select the format option, but it said "we couldn't format the selected partition (error: 0x8004242d)

    I been without access to my PC for a few days now.Help!
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  3. dalchina
    Posts : 43,010
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #2

    1. Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10

    2. Clean Install Windows 10

    Please review this carefully. Note you do NOT install Windows to an existing partition. You delete existing partitions and you install to unallocated space- Windows creates its own partitions when you install it. You can't create a partition inside a partition.

    Upgrading and in-place upgrade repair install are only possible if you can log in to Windows.


    How do you avoid such an awful situation? You prepare for it. As is so so often recommended by tenforums members, use disk imaging routinely e.g. Macrium reflect (free/paid) - image files on large enough external storage medium.

    Then when Windows is unusable and irrecoverable, you can quite quickly and easily recover your PC to a previous good working state by restoring an image.

    You can image Windows partitions, and any other disk or partition.

    Saves so much time and stress, may help to avoid clean installs, gives you a second chance and provides a full backup.
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  4. NavyLCDR
    Posts : 18,432
    Windows 11 Pro
       New #3

    What @dalchina alluded to. On the screen where there is a list of drives and partitions, highlight each partition and click delete until you have disk 0 showing as nothing but unallocated space. Highlight the unallocated space and click next.
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  6. I WANT MY GIFS
    Posts : 19
    windows 10
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    NavyLCDR said:
    What @dalchina alluded to. On the screen where there is a list of drives and partitions, highlight each partition and click delete until you have disk 0 showing as nothing but unallocated space. Highlight the unallocated space and click next.
    So I select delete for all three?

    Delete: Drive 0, Drive 0 Partition 1, Drive 0 Partition 2?
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  7. dalchina
    Posts : 43,010
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #5

    Please follow the clean install tutorial - link posted above.

    Example:
    Can't install a fresh copy of windows on my hdd!-1.png

    Make sure you're following the correct path through the tutorial.

    The only exception would be if any of the partitions is one you specifically created for data.
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  8. I WANT MY GIFS
    Posts : 19
    windows 10
    Thread Starter
       New #6

    Ok thanks that did it. Initially after it rebooted, I selected the hdd to boot first, but it still loaded from the usb stick, had to redo it and when it restarted, I had to unplugged the usb stick for it to cohtinue.
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  9. NavyLCDR
    Posts : 18,432
    Windows 11 Pro
       New #7

    I WANT MY GIFS said:
    Ok thanks that did it. Initially after it rebooted, I selected the hdd to boot first, but it still loaded from the usb stick, had to redo it and when it restarted, I had to unplugged the usb stick for it to cohtinue.
    You didn't have to redo it. All you had to do was remove the flash drive and restart the computer.
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