Cannot install Windows to SSD

[Cantaloupeman]

I'm trying to install Windows to my SanDisk SSD and it is saying that I cannot install Windows to it because it is of the GPT partition style. What does this mean and how do I fix it?

[Pixel5]

when you get into the screen where windows asks you which drive you wanna install to select the SSD and format it.

[kelvinhall05]

What are the rest of your specs? If you have a UEFI-compatible system, GPT shouldn't be an issue.

 

If Windows doesn't let you partition your drive as MBR from in the installer, use a USB with GParted on it and partition the drive you're trying to install Windows to as MBR.

[191x7]

Which Windows OS are you trying to install? Windows 10 supports GPT and thus GPT should be used, it's way more advanced/better than MBR.

[Cantaloupeman]

6 minutes ago, kelvinhall05 said:

What are the rest of your specs? If you have a UEFI-compatible system, GPT shouldn't be an issue.

 

If Windows doesn't let you partition your drive as MBR from in the installer, use a USB with GParted on it and partition the drive you're trying to install Windows to as MBR.

My PC is uefi compatible. Im not sure why it won't let me install with gpt. I'm trying to get windows 10 pro. Do I need to format it somehow?

[kelvinhall05]

1 minute ago, Cantaloupeman said:

My PC is uefi compatible. Im not sure why it won't let me install with gpt. I'm trying to get windows 10 pro. Do I need to format it somehow?

Maybe. Does it let you partition your drive as either MBR or GPT in the installer?

[ATFink]

I had this exact same problem and solved it.

 

I'm also assuming the ssd is a blank drive. If it's not this will erase everything on it. Windows must be installed to a blank drive. If you have data on the drive, save it elsewhere first and put it back on the drive after you erase it and install windows.

 

First make sure you boot into the flashdrive (or whatever device) with the windows installation media. 

Press shift+f10. This will take you to command prompt.

Enter "diskpart" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "list disk" (without the quotation marks)

Find the drive number in the list that corresponds with the ssd you want to install windows to.

Enter "select disk x" (replace x with the drive number you are targeting, also without the quotation marks)

Enter "clean" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "convert GPT" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "exit" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "exit" (without the quotation marks) again

Continue installing windows as usual

 

This video is exactly what I just described:

[Cantaloupeman]

3 minutes ago, ATFink said:

I had this exact same problem and solved it.

I'm also assuming the ssd is a blank drive. If it's not this will erase everything on it. Windows must be installed to a blank drive. If you have data on the drive, save it elsewhere first and put it back on the drive after you erase it and install windows.

 

First make sure you boot into the flashdrive (or whatever device) with the windows installation media. 

Press shift+f10. This will take you to command prompt.

Enter "diskpart" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "list disk" (without the quotation marks)

Find the drive number in the list that corresponds with the ssd you want to install windows to.

Enter "select disk x" (replace x with the drive number you are targeting, also without the quotation marks)

Enter "clean" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "convert GPT" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "exit" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "exit" (without the quotation marks) again

Continue installing windows as usual

 

This video is exactly what I just described:

So what does this do? If my disk is already got, why does it need to convert to gpt?

[ATFink]

Simply, it's the format the drive that will contain windows must utilize for motherboards that have a UEFI instead of a simple BIOS (this is for virtually all computer motherboards for AMD and Intel CPUs for the past decade and longer).

 

EDIT:

The reason for this is because a simple BIOS only recognizes up to MBR (no GPT) and can only read up to 2 TB of drive space (per drive). A UEFI a like a more advanced BIOS that can recognize GPT as well, and GPT does allow space on drives to exceed 2 TB.

 

EDIT 2:

I assume it's not GPT or we wouldn't be having this problem. The instructions a gave will make the ssd recognized as GPT.

[Cantaloupeman]

1 minute ago, ATFink said:

Simply, it's the format the drive must be in to install windows to.

Well if my disk is already in gpt partition style, I have a uefi supportive motherboard, and windows 10 supports gpt why won't it work currently?

[ATFink]

6 minutes ago, Cantaloupeman said:

Well if my disk is already in gpt partition style, I have a uefi supportive motherboard, and windows 10 supports gpt why won't it work currently?

Because the ssd probably either has not been initialized or was originally initialized as MBR. Just follow my post and it can be the primary drive you can install windows to.

 

EDIT:

I assume it's not GPT or we wouldn't be having this problem. The instructions a gave will make the ssd recognized as GPT.

[ATFink]

If the drive was not initialized you probably can skip the step that involves "clean," but it can't hurt to do that anyways.

[Cantaloupeman]

1 minute ago, ATFink said:

If the drive was not initialized you probably can skip the step that involves "clean," but it can't hurt to do that anyways.

So if my motherboard supports uefi shouldn't I be able to just use the drive as is?

[ATFink]

13 minutes ago, Cantaloupeman said:

So if my motherboard supports uefi shouldn't I be able to just use the drive as is?

No, there is an error message for a reason. I'm pretty sure you can't install windows to an existing partition which could be a problem if the drive was already initialized with disk management on an existing windows computer already. This method erases the drive partition and designates the unallocated space as GPT. That allows windows to be installed.

 

I'm not an expert. I can't tell you why that's the case. I just know that's how it works and it worked for me. Just try it out, you'll see it'll almost certainly work. Hope that helps.

[ATFink]

8 minutes ago, Cantaloupeman said:

So if my motherboard supports uefi shouldn't I be able to just use the drive as is?

I don't need to see your motherboard to guarantee it uses a UEFI, but I'll ask anyways. What is your motherboard?

[Cantaloupeman]

7 minutes ago, ATFink said:

I don't need to see your motherboard to guarantee it uses a UEFI, but I'll ask anyways. What is your motherboard?

Gigabyte Z270-HD3 ultra durable

[Cantaloupeman]

9 minutes ago, ATFink said:

I don't need to see your motherboard to guarantee it uses a UEFI, but I'll ask anyways. What is your motherboard?

So when I'm booting which one should I boot to? SanDisk is my ssd brand, but also the USB stick brand. I don't know why it says uefi partition 1 but I'm assuming it's not that.

[ATFink]

Do you have the windows usb installation media on the flash drive already?

[Cantaloupeman]

Just now, ATFink said:

Do you have the windows usb installation media on the flash drive already?

Yes

[ATFink]

ok, boot into the flashdrive and follow the instructions I provided earlier. I will provide them again here:

Spoiler

43 minutes ago, ATFink said:

Press shift+f10. This will take you to command prompt.

Enter "diskpart" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "list disk" (without the quotation marks)

Find the drive number in the list that corresponds with the ssd you want to install windows to.

Enter "select disk x" (replace x with the drive number you are targeting, also without the quotation marks)

Enter "clean" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "convert GPT" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "exit" (without the quotation marks)

Enter "exit" (without the quotation marks) again

Continue installing windows as usual

 

This video is exactly what I just described:

 

 

[Cantaloupeman]

1 minute ago, ATFink said:

ok, boot into the flashdrive and follow the instructions I provided earlier. I will provide them again here:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

So not the uefi partition 1 version? Just SanDisk?

[ATFink]

I'd assume so, yes.

 

Wait, when you put the usb intallation media on the flashdrive, did you ever boot the program from the flash drive? If you didn't you need to do that first.

 

I'm pretty sure you did already or you wouldn't be asking about gpt in the first place, but I'm covering all the bases here.

[Cantaloupeman]

3 minutes ago, ATFink said:

I'd assume so, yes.

 

Wait, when you put the usb intallation media on the flashdrive, did you ever boot the program from the flash drive? If you didn't you need to do that first.

 

I'm pretty sure you did already or you wouldn't be asking about gpt in the first place, but I'm covering all the bases here.

Yes I did. It is installing Windows now thank you so much. The commands worked. Except now I have no partitions. Is that a bad thing?

[ATFink]

1 minute ago, Cantaloupeman said:

Yes I did. It is installing Windows now thank you so much. The commands worked. Except now I have no partitions. Is that a bad thing?

No. You usually want the windows drive to be a single partition. You'd know if you needed more than one partition on a drive and since you don't know, you don't need it.