Windows 7 - How do I "install Windows on the drive from which it boots"?

I want to encrypt my hard drive with TrueCrypt, but it comes up with an error saying that "Windows is not installed on the drive from which it boots". I just reinstalled Windows 7, so it wouldn't be a huge loss to install it again in the same day, but when I install it, how do I make Windows install on the boot drive? When it came up with the partition prompt, I formatted the partitions (there were two) and then deleted the partitions and made it all unallocated space. Should I put one partition on first? Thanks in advance!

You may want to check if you have a hidden 200MB partition that Windows 7 will create if installed onto a clean un-partitioned drive - it sounds as if this may be the case.

If this is so then creating a primary partition and installing windows 7 there should get passed the issue you are seeing.

there are several threads relating to the 200MB partition on the forums if you need further information

Yes, that's exactly it! I looked on fdisk, and it showed this phantom "drive". The first time I installed it, it actually replaced my C drive with this space! Wow, I don't know how I didn't see any threads when I looked: I didn't think that 200MB could be the problem.
Thanks a million!

Hi

200 MB Hidden system partition

There you go - Saves me explaining it all again

Haha thanks! I found another thread talking about it and just asked about how to prevent it, but that solves everything. You're awesome!

Okay I'm at a loss. I read through that thread and went to the site it pointed to, but clicking "cancel" when it says "windows might make partitions" etc. just tells it to not make a partition. If I click "Okay" and make the partition, it makes the 200MB one anyway. Do you know how to make it so that there is *NO* 200MB partition? I also don't want to just "try it out" with the two partitions after formatting them, because I really don't feel like reinstalling any more times (I've already formatted my drive, so it's too late to turn back for this one). Thanks so much again. You're a partition saver!

This is what an MVP on the TEchnet forums has to say:

1. Do not install Windows 7 to a hard disk that not yet been partitioned or to unallocated space (When install Windows 7 to unallocated space, no warning pop-up or confirmation is asked, and setup will straight away and directly create partition 200 MB of disk space as special partition without notification).
2. If possible, try to create all the necessary partition(s) and format the partition(s) before attempting to install Windows 7.
3. If you’re installing Windows 7 into a new hard disk, or a blank hard disk with no partition defined yet, or if you must delete all existing partitions to start afresh, chose Drive options (advanced). Delete (if applicable) unwanted partitions. Then, click New to create the single partition or multiple partitions according to your own preference. When prompted with dialog box saying “To ensure that all Windows features work correctly, Windows might create additional partitions for system files”, click on Cancel button. Optionally, to be double confirm, Format the partition before selecting it to install Windows 7.

When Windows 7 does not create the special 200MB partition, the recovery environment is stored in a folder in the root of Windows 7 installation drive, called X:Recovery.