Solved WIN 7 Home Premium x64 Reinstall Error on SSD?

[devhead]

Hi:

I'm researching a solution to a problem I have, which is reinstalling the OS to an SSD:

This morning I deleted the 59Gb partition I created to install the OS when I first built my PC system 5 weeks ago because I wanted to free up space, I have a "Crucial M4 128Gb" SSD:
During the installation process ( WIN 7 "Home Premium" x64 OEM ) I deleted the above partition then hit next I didn't format btw, when prompted "Where do you want to install Windows?" I clicked ( Disk 0 Unallocated Space 119.1 GB ) created after the deletion then hit Apply:

The error reads "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 I'm not sure what this means, anyways at the moment my desktop is down, I'm researching online for solutions/advice via my laptop if anyone has advice/guidance on a possible fix would greatly appreciated.

thanks

 

[gregrocker]

If you want to install in EFI mode you'll need to follow these extra steps: UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums

More info on EFI to decide: Installing Windows 7 on UEFI based computer - Ask the Core Team - Site Home - TechNet Blogs
The 30-year-long Reign of BIOS is Over: Why UEFI W... - Input Output

If you decide you'd prefer to install in normal mode remove the EFI Boot disk from BIOS boot order, replace with DVD drive, then HDD. You may have another setting to enable for "Legacy BIOS" or similar. Then wipe the HD with Diskpart Clean Command to clear any GPT formatting.

 

[devhead]

Hi gregrocker:

Thankyou for the reply sorry I hadn’t responded earlier I’m still researching blogs/ forums for a fixs/info relevant to using UEFI also thanks for the links I did attempt similar reinstalls as detailed in the tutorial “How to install Windows 7 using the UEFI” plus with EFI disabled as follows:

1) Firstly I set PCI ROM Priority feature in BIOS to Legacy that [disabled EFI default] to perform a install that would hopefully succeed, it didn’t resulting in slow application boot, plus some mobo driver updates were failing, system instability eg: hangs, screen pixilation I then tried to fix by reinstalling a couple of times no joy:

btw: I had noticed that the unallocated space was 120Gb with 100Mg as the system partition shouldn’t it have been 127.9Gb? is there a hidden/parrallel partition?

2) During my research I had read about the EFI feature/set as described in the above tutorial: I attempted a reinstall using UEFI, I reset PCI ROM Priority feature in BIOS to “EFI Compatibility”

3) NextI noticed that the optical drive was listed twice in BIOS Boot Option Priorities: strange so I selected the UEFI prefixed optical drive to #1:

Boot Option #1 – UEFI: HL – DT – St DVDRAM GH24NS90
Boot Option #2 – P4: HL – DT – St DVDRAM GH24NS90
Boot Option #3 – P0: M4 – CT128M4SSD2

is it a bug or corrupted BIOS due to multiple installs? I then hit save/exit rebooted to run WIN install sequence and hoped for the best:

4) Not sure if system auto detect selected correct drive didn’t see the usual black screen prompt “Press any key to boot from DVD drive” just started loading [ran a test by changing boot order from optical to SSD, both times windows loaded no black screen] next in “Where do you want to install Windows” I deleted both system & primary partitions, then hit New [I had to cancel and rerun installation to enable creation of the 3 partitions – ESP, MSR, and OS] finally managed to create the partitions:

5) I then selected partition 3 to install windows: when install finished cause of habit I tried to reinstall from shipped CDs the mobo & GFX card drivers to enable system to basic functionality some failed the result same problems with hangs, pixilation etc:in BIOS the Boot Options were:

Boot Option #1 – UEFI: HL – DT – St DVDRAM GH24NS90
Boot Option #2 – P4: HL – DT – St DVDRAM GH24NS90
Boot Option #3 – P0: M4 – CT128M4SSD2
Boot Option #4 – Master Boot Record

???

Originally when I built the system I had partitioned the SSD 59Gb to mount the OS with the intent of installing another OS on the same drive at a later date so I don’t think the drive was formatted to GPT to start with which may account for the current issue’s: - I’ve deleted the partitions so at the moment system is as follows no installed OS:

In BIOS

Boot Option #1 – UEFI: HL – DT – St DVDRAM GH24NS90
Boot Option #2 – P4: HL – DT – St DVDRAM GH24NS90
Boot Option #3 – P0: M4 – CT128M4SSD2

Anyways I’ll check out the Core Team at TechNet Blogs and hopefully get some advice and update thread if fix/solution found.

cheers:

 

[gregrocker]

What I notice first is that you kept the P4 DVD drive before the HD in boot order. Did you try it with EFI DVD drive first, then HDD which you show listed third there?

It also needs Legacy BIOS disabled if there is such a setting in BIOS setup.

Have you read your Manual on the Support Downloads webpage for your model mobo or PC?

This is the first report I've seen of an install not setting up correctly when installing to an EFI BIOS in normal mode. Did you come close to getting a perfect install as laid out in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7?

Did you also look for other Legacy BIOS settings to enable, wipe the HD to clear any GPT formatting?
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164

 

[devhead]

Hi gregrocker thankyou for the reply:

What I notice first is that you kept the P4 DVD drive before the HD in boot order. Did you try it with EFI DVD drive first, then HDD which you show listed third there?

Can’t recall brain a bit frazzled due to online fix searchs - but will try this option also just a query is it usual to list the boot device twice in UEFI DualBIOS systems? - I only ask because of past experience using x32 WIN 2000Pro, XP Pro, and Vista Basic BIOS it seem’s a bit strange:

It also needs Legacy BIOS disabled if there is such a setting in BIOS setup.

Yes legacy BIOS was disabled by resetting PCI ROM Priority to “EFI Compatible” for this Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H mobo:

This is the first report I've seen of an install not setting up correctly when installing to an EFI BIOS in normal mode. Did you come close to getting a perfect install as laid out in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7?

Yes I did for both in legacy and EFI config’s – just had minor stability issues with screen pixilation, mouse hangs, some mobo drivers not installing from shipped disk, and slow application launches:

Did you also look for other Legacy BIOS settings to enable, wipe the HD to clear any GPT formatting?

If you mean enabling HDD BBS, CD/DVD ROM BBS for legacy devices no I didn’t, I just deleted the drive partitions during OS install/s no formatting, anyways thanks for the boot order tip will try that and update if solution found.

cheer’s

I have an OEM WIN 7 Home Premium Disk that I'm using to reinstall the OS to drive:

 

[devhead]

Hi gregrocker:


That tip about changing the boot order:

What I notice first is that you kept the P4 DVD drive before the HD in boot order. Did you try it with EFI DVD drive first, then HDD which you show listed third there?

It WORKED!!! my PC is up and running no system errors/hangs/failed device updates etc: - [as described in my earlier posts], in fact it seems to be running better than before I had initially deleted the drive partitions in order to create more space - Re: my first post:


As you suggested I changed the Boot Option as follows:

Boot Option #1 – UEFI: HL – DT – St DVDRAM GH24NS90
Boot Option #2 – P0: M4 – CT128M4SSD2
Boot Option #3 – P4: HL – DT – St DVDRAM GH24NS90


I confirmed UEFI installation by running bcdedit /enum in CMD prompt to ensure both WIN Boot Manager and Boot Loader had .efi extensions which they did:


I think what threw me when this error first occured was the difference between EFI and Legacy BIOS configs and as a total noob I had assumed were one and the same doh!!!


Anyways lesson learnt [4 reeeaaalll...], thankyou very much for your help.


Cheers )

 

[gregrocker]

Good work.

You'd need one or the other BIOS boot order DVD drive listings only.

I wonder if UEFI install failed originally because you had P4 DVD drive in boot order fouling it out?

 

[devhead]

Hi gregrocker:

Yeah much relieved:

You'd need one or the other BIOS boot order DVD drive listings only.

In BIOS current boot order as follows:

Boot Option #1 – Windows Boot Manager
Boot Option #2 – P0: M4 – CT128M4SSD2
Boot Option #3 – P4: HL – DT – St DVDRAM GH24NS90

I wonder if UEFI install failed originally because you had P4 DVD drive in boot order fouling it out?

Yes I think that’s what happened:

Further – I guess if you’re new to UEFI DualBIOS systems as I am having previously used [WIN Vista Basic x32 desk top/notebook platforms] and you attempt a multiple partition during the first clean install with an x64 OS as I did eg: initial PC build you’d get kicked by the EFI BIOS config eventho the setting defaults to EFI the install will fail if the user selects an incorrect boot option:

I think in this case the drive was formatted to MBR which I assume is also the result of the multiple partition framework I deployed: - and BIOS had read as legacy hence “Rolledback” compatibility:

Anyways thanks again for your help much appreciated:


Cheers ; )