Windows 7: Windows cannot be installed to this volume

Not a good start... I added a new WD500Gb drive to my system so I can put Windows 7 on it and dual boot with my current XP Pro C drive and E drive. I got that error message and cannot do anything in the advanced drive settings to this drive. I went back into XP and formatted it as my D: drive thinking it may install there since Windows 7 seemed to be willing to install on my XP C: or E: drive. When i click on the error, it says 'The partition contains one or more dynamic volumes that are not supported by this installation'...?? What next?

Hello maarkr,

Welcome to 7 Forums.

Have you tried formating the new drive from XP?

Gary

If that is new drive - you should be able to install 7 onto it if you set it first in the Bios Boot order, and mark the partition Active before install. (Assuming you haven't made it Dynamic)


If your existing XP drive is the Dynamic one - that could be the problem - if it the first Active partition in Bios boot order.

If you wish, you can Convert to a Basic Disk.

If there is data on it - you will need a third party app to do that without data loss.

Paragon Partition Manager Professional - Overview

Otherwise:

Destructive:

Dynamic disks and volumes: Storage Services; File and Storage Services

Risky:

The Lazy Admin : Converting Dynamic Disks Back to Basic Disks

Hope it helps.

I put the drive first in the bios boot order earlier today, but I'll check again. I originally had it mistakenly as a dynamic disk. I changed it to a Basic volume and tried it as unformatted and then tried formatting it, but I guess it's looking for a system disk? The Advanced disk options seem not to work well... when u click Format, it takes about 5 seconds for that feature to cycle; then I'll try New or Delete, but that doesn't help me.

If it is first in Bios boot order, try marking it Active.

Use a 3rd party partition manager boot disc - such as the free :

http://www.partitionwizard.com/download/pwhe42.iso

http://www.partitionwizard.com/download.html

Make sure it is a basic disk - create an Ntfs partition - Mark it Active.

Formatting or deleting the partition after that will remove the Active flag.

Install 7 directly onto that partition you created.

Well, I was just ahead of you... I noticed after I was checking it as Basic with the formatted NTFS partition, I checked it off as active... this time it showed as a system disk, BUT STILL said it couldn't be used and to view the setup log. Where the hell is that, or will it help? Guess I'll have to call M$ tomorrow. I'll try the partition wiz but XP seems to format, change to basic, and activate it in disk manager. Funny thing is the XP disk shows as disk 0 and the empty disk is disk 1 on the setup display...

OK...here's the poop... it's got to be in the first drive space for the Windows 7 install screen (drive 0). I had hooked the SATA up and noticed it was a slave in the BIOS, but it worked OK in XP since it wasn't the system disk. So I rearranged the SATA connections and then had the new drive as a master and the first boot drive. It must also be setup as a BASIC disk and ACTIVE if you format it in WinXP first.

In your case, it needed to be first in boot order. It also needs to be a Basic Disk.

Glad you got it working.

Good show. Glad you got it sorted.