Windows 7: wont install on formatted drive

Hi
I recently installed Windows 7, but then 'internet download manager' screwed it up.
So im trying to do a fresh install.
Rather than have windows save all the stuff like it did when i installed windows 7 over xp(i dont want lots of files saved from my old OS taking up space), so i told it to format the partition first, so it was totally empty before installation,
but now it says 'Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate existing system partition. See the log files for more information.''
i have no idea where the log files are...
but all i really want to know is how to instal windows 7 on this formatted partition.
thanks

Common Installation Problems and Their Solutions

it didnt work

i got to the last step and typed 'active'

and it said'error, the specified partition is not a primary or logical volume

So i tried partition 2, becasue its got the same drive listed twice, for sum reason, but i got another error
'not valid for this operation'

here is my list of partitions on this disc
0 extended 172GB 8032kb
2 logical 172 GB 8064kb
1 primary 59GB 172GB

i tried 0 and 2

but no luck

I didn't quite get where you want Windows 7 to go, if you had it all work to your satisfaction?

Is that one primary partition where you want to get Windows 7 installed? Is it currently empty (you believe) because you formatted it?

Or is it to one of the two logical partitions inside of the extended partition?

Is there any more unallocated space on the drive, or is it totally allocated as you show above?

The extended partition (which holds the two logical partitions inside of it) is not relevant, and you can't just point to one of those two logical partitions as the target for the Windows 7 system partition, at least not without some true other primary partition on the drive which is currently marked as "active".

That's where Windows 7 normally wants to plant its own boot manager files... in a primary partition marked as "active", on the hard drive specified in the BIOS as "hard disk #1". In other words, on an install to a brand new empty drive there really normally would end up being TWO primary partitions involved, (1) "active" primary partition for the boot manager files, and (2) primary Windows 7 system partition.

So room needs to exist during an install for either (a) Windows 7 to create two primary partitions on its own, namely "system reserved" partition as "active" and also a Windows 7 system partition, or (b) you need to have one existing "active" primary partition and additional unallocated space for a second Windows 7 system partition to be created, or (c) you have an existing "active" primary partition and an existing logical/primary partition that's empty into which Windows 7 can be installed.

From the messages you describe, it would seem that the one primary partition you have on the drive is NOT marked as "active"... and there's likely no further unallocated space on the drive in which one can be created.

Is that one primary partition a data partition? Or is it where you want Windows 7 to go?

If that space currently used by what presumably is an empty primary partition is where you want Windows 7 to go, how about deleting that partition completely, leaving only the extended partition and the two logical partitions inside of it, which again is not relevant. The rest of the space on the drive (currently that one primary partition) would now be "unallocated", and there will be no partition on the drive that is either "active" or "primary". It should thus look like a brand new drive to the Windows 7 installer... or at least there should be free unallocated space in which Windows 7 can create what it wants, which is the creation of a "system reserved" partition to be marked "active", and then the Windows 7 system partition itself. Starting off as unallocated", this space would thus be divided into two primary partitions by the Windows 7 install process, and you'd get what you want I believe.

This is exactly how things would work if you started literally on a totally empty brand new drive, with no pre-existing partitions on it. But in your case, you've simply created sufficient empty unallocated space on this existing partially allocated drive, so that Windows 7 installer can create what it wants.

Now, if you run the Windows 7 installer it should ask you if you want to install to this unallocated space as one of your options, you say yes, and it creates (a) a small "system reserved" 100MB primary partition which is will mark as "active", and (b) Windows 7 system partition for the OS, also marked as a primary partition. I'd think if you didn't do any other partitioning during the install that just about the entire unallocated space (produced when you delete that primary partition) should be used for the Windows 7 C partition.

So, you'd end up with (1) 100MB "system reserved" (primary) partition, marked "active", (2) 172GB Windows 7 (primary) system partition, (3) extended partition (primary) with the two logical partitions sub-defined inside of it. I think this is what you want to end up with, yes?

Of course I'm still guessing that it is the primary partition space in your list where you really wanted Windows 7 to go. Yes? Or am I misinterpreting?


Assuming you have another working system somewhere you should download and burn the standalone boot CD ISO for Partition Wizard. You can then boot to it and delete that primary partition from the drive above on this machine, thus making it "unallocated" and now available for the Windows 7 installer.

You should also download and install the standard Partition Wizard program that runs under Windows 7 and WinXP, for future use in any partition work.

Try a full clean & full format in command prompt.
SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

jeez..#lol
thanks for the help
its to complicated for me

im trying to totally format the hard drive now
adn remove all partition
but i cant even bloody do that
if its totally empty, with no partitions
then windows 7 can install on it ok??

but i have it pluged into my netbook via usb external cradle..
and i cant work out how to delete all the partitions

please can sumoen help
computers make me sick
i just like them to work
im not a tweaker, and its not a hobby for me

thanks for all ure effort

The link above.

diskpart wont recognise the hard drive when itrs in the external cradle

i just need to totally format this bugger,. AND delete the god damn partition
them im guesing windows 7 will install on it
ive NO idea why it has to be made so complicated

i thought window 7 was user friendly???

xp was simpler
'delete partiton, yes or no?'

i tried deleting it from inside my linux pc.. but it only does it as fat32..

and my windows 7 netbook can only look at the drive from an external cradle

If you read the tutorial you find Windows 7 is simpler.