Can't Install

[Wakers]

On my desktop I'm trying to install the x64 version of the CP.

Sadly, no matter what I do with the partitions, it refuses to let me install it, saying that every partition and disk has an MBR and therefore it won't install. It also mentions something about GPT disks - I'm not sure why because I'm not trying to install it on a server.

This happens after formatting my second disk, or creating a new, empty partition on my larger, primary disk.

I've tried reformatting the partitions but to no avail.

Any ideas?

[Mazhar]

  On 03/03/2012 at 10:23, Wakers said:

On my desktop I'm trying to install the x64 version of the CP.

Sadly, no matter what I do with the partitions, it refuses to let me install it, saying that every partition and disk has an MBR and therefore it won't install.

This happens after formatting my second disk, or creating a new, empty partition on my larger, primary disk.

I've tried reformatting the partitions but to no avail.

Any ideas?

Make sure you are booting from the hard drive, if not, change settings in BIOS.

[Wakers]

  On 03/03/2012 at 10:25, Mazhar said:

Make sure you are booting from the hard drive, if not, change settings in BIOS.

Can you be a bit more specific?

Obviously I'm booting from a DVD to install it. When the computer starts normally it is booting from my primary 1TB HDD.

[Farstrider]

  On 03/03/2012 at 10:28, Wakers said:

Can you be a bit more specific?

Obviously I'm booting from a DVD to install it. When the computer starts normally it is booting from my primary 1TB HDD.

I presume what he means, is the first device that's set to Boot, your DVD/Writer ROM?

This is patiently obvious but that's what I gather he means!

[Mazhar]

  On 03/03/2012 at 10:28, Wakers said:

Can you be a bit more specific?

Obviously I'm booting from a DVD to install it. When the computer starts normally it is booting from my primary 1TB HDD.

What is the actual error you are receiving?

[devHead]

  On 03/03/2012 at 10:23, Wakers said:

On my desktop I'm trying to install the x64 version of the CP.

Sadly, no matter what I do with the partitions, it refuses to let me install it, saying that every partition and disk has an MBR and therefore it won't install. It also mentions something about GPT disks - I'm not sure why because I'm not trying to install it on a server.

This happens after formatting my second disk, or creating a new, empty partition on my larger, primary disk.

I've tried reformatting the partitions but to no avail.

Any ideas?

I had the same thing. Unless your motherboard has a UEFI BIOS, you cannot install Windows on a GPT partitioned disk. You will have to install it on a different disk with an MBR partition table. At first i tried to use a partition on my 3 TB drive, but couldn't. So I moved some stuff around and had a blank partition on my MBR partitioned 1 TB. If that's the only hard drive you have, you won't be able to install it. What partition is your Windows 7 installed on? For me, it's on a SSD, so I never had the issue before this.

[Wakers]

  On 03/03/2012 at 10:51, devHead said:

I had the same thing. Unless your motherboard has a UEFI BIOS, you cannot install Windows on a GPT partitioned disk. You will have to install it on a different disk with an MBR partition table. At first i tried to use a partition on my 3 TB drive, but couldn't. So I moved some stuff around and had a blank partition on my MBR partitioned 1 TB. If that's the only hard drive you have, you won't be able to install it. What partition is your Windows 7 installed on? For me, it's on a SSD, so I never had the issue before this.

This is the error;

Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks.

I have two hard drives in my computer, a 1TB WD that Win 7 is installed on, and an empty 160GB WD that The Developer Preview was installed on.

I have formatted the disk that had the DP on from within Win7. Why does it want to install on GPT when it wouldn't be able to boot from it? It doesn't make sense.

I have also tried making a new partition from spare space on the 1TB drive - but neither will work, giving me the above error. I saw that error reported as a Win 7 issue on another forum - but it doesn't make sense to me. All of my hard disks have always had MBR, I don't see why it's suddenly an issue?

[devHead]

Wow, so your problem is exactly the opposite of mine. Can you go into your BIOS setup and change the configuration from EFI to traditional BIOS? If so, that would fix the problem. The other glitch I found was that with Windows 7 on my SSD and all of the boot files on that drive also (ntldr), i couldn't install Winows 8 without unplugging the other drives, starting the install, and replugging them in. So I didn't create a true dual-boot environment. But your error sounds like it's the opposite of mine; I couldn't install on any of my partitions on the 3 TB because the drive was GPT partitioned.

So, you have an EFI Bios? That's what it sounds like. In that case, Windows 8 can be installed to it.

[Wakers]

I think I've found a gap in my IT knowledge here.

It's just a normal BIOS, which I guess is EFI - because I sort of remember that the new, more GUI based BIOS is called UEFI, right?

--------------------------------------------------------

Solved!

I went into BIOS and checked the boot order again, then I had to go into another submenu, and it listed the DVD drive as UEFI: DVD rather than SATA: DVD. I was able to change it to SATA and now it would let me install on any disk I wanted.

Just making a new partition and then I'll install it. Thanks for the suggestions!

[devHead]

Actually, EFI and UEFI are the same. From an article on the burnedin.com website:

  Quote

Intel developed EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) as an upgrade to the old school BIOS that most computer geeks are familiar with. Then a bunch of companies jumped on board to refine it, so that it could be used by all. And the result: UEFI (Unified EFI).

So, if you have a relatively new motherboard and the BIOS setup screen doesn't look like some ugly blue monster from the 1990s, then you're running with an EFI or UEFI BIOS. Which is why Windows 8 (likely for security reasons) is forcing you to use a GPT partitioned disk since you have a U/EFI motherboard. That's my guess.

[devHead]

  On 03/03/2012 at 16:02, Wakers said:

I think I've found a gap in my IT knowledge here.

It's just a normal BIOS, which I guess is EFI - because I sort of remember that the new, more GUI based BIOS is called UEFI, right?

--------------------------------------------------------

Solved!

I went into BIOS and checked the boot order again, then I had to go into another submenu, and it listed the DVD drive as UEFI: DVD rather than SATA: DVD. I was able to change it to SATA and now it would let me install on any disk I wanted.

Just making a new partition and then I'll install it. Thanks for the suggestions!

Ah super! Enjoy.

[fogboy]

hey guys ..... i still have the same problem and i dont know what to do but my problem is alittle strange cuz i already have a windows 7 is running now on my laptop but when i wanted to use another dvd but home one i couldnot cuz of that stupid message "*Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks." so plz anyone do what to do cuz i think i didnot understand how it was solved ......thanks alot