Cannot install Windows 7 or 8 due to GPT partition issue?

[pantherinae]

Hi folks,

I have a new HP laptop with Windows 8 installed, I reformatted the primary drive with Windows 8 on it and when attempting to then install a copy of Windows 7 it states "windows cannot be installed on this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style"

There is about 5 different partitions all labelled things like "system reserve" "backup partition" etc and every single one of them seem to give me the same issue.

I gave up and went and got a copy of Windows 8 to just put it back to what it was, and now its giving me the same error even though its the same copy of Windows 8? I've been reading many forums regarding how to get this to work but no luck. I tried gpart live which gave me some error when booting so I'm really lost in what to do?

Any tips or advise or just straight forward instructions for a complete newbie to "GPT" would be greatly appreciated... so far all forums regarding the matter are far beyond my skill level with computers!

 

[theog]

Downgrade to Windows 7.
Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7
Warning you must have the uEFI/BIOS firmware setting in Step Three set.

 

[pantherinae]

Thanks for that reply, however I have seen that post and I'm screwed at the first step which is:

1) Open an elevated Power Shell in Windows 8.

The issue is I have reformatted and deleted Windows 8 already, so I don't have access to the elevated Power Shell

 

[theog]

Thanks for that reply, however I have seen that post and I'm screwed at the first step which is:

1) Open an elevated Power Shell in Windows 8.

The issue is I have reformatted and deleted Windows 8 already, so I don't have access to the elevated Power Shell

GO to STEP THREE.

 

[gregrocker]

If you've already deleted Win8 then follow the steps for UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums.

If this causes you problems then you can also Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7.

Here is more information to help you decide if you want UEFI at this time:


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

 

[ghugan519]

Install from current windows

This i what i did.

Open the windows 7 installer when i am inside the windows 8.1.I get a warning saying that "it is not recommended to install windows 7 on gpt type partition disk". I just ignore it and proceed with the installation.

Miracle happened and now i have windows 8.1 and 7 in a single laptop.