The problem of not being able to install on the drive during Windows installation is usually because the partition table type does not match the startup mode. The solution is to use the diskpart tool through the command prompt, enter the command list disk, select disk 0, and clean, and then select convert gpt (for UEFI) or convert mbr (for BIOS) according to the boot mode supported by the motherboard, and finally start the installation process again. Note: If the motherboard only supports Legacy mode, the MBR partition table must be used, otherwise an installation error will occur.

This prompt usually occurs when you are trying to install a Windows system, especially when using a USB or CD-ROM. There may be several reasons for this problem, but it is not too difficult to solve it. The key is to find the specific links where the problem arises.

1. The hard disk is not initialized or the partition table type does not match

This is one of the most common reasons. If your hard drive is brand new or has been formatted and emptied, it may not have been initialized, that is, the MBR or GPT partition table is not set.
The Windows Installer will therefore not find the available partitions and will not create a new partition.

Solution:

• After inserting the installation media, click " Repair Computer " in the installation interface > "Troubleshooting" > "Advanced Options" > "Command Prompt"
• Enter the following command in the command line and press Enter:

   diskpart
  list disk
  select disk 0
  Clean
  convert gpt (if you plan to install it in UEFI mode)

  Or use convert mbr if your motherboard does not support UEFI.

• Then exit the command prompt and restart the installation process

Note: If your motherboard only supports traditional BIOS (Legacy), you cannot use the GPT partition table, otherwise this error will occur.

2. The hard drive is not loading (especially in NVMe or RAID mode)

Some motherboards (especially newer AMD and Intel platforms) have RAID or NVMe modes enabled by default. At this time, if the installer does not have a corresponding driver, the hard disk cannot be recognized.

Solution:

• Enter BIOS settings (press Delete, F2 or F12 keys when powering on) to check whether the hard disk mode is AHCI
• If it is RAID or NVMe, try to change it to AHCI before continuing the installation
• If you have to install it in RAID mode, you need to prepare the corresponding driver and click " Load Driver " during the installation process to manually import it

Tips: Some brands of laptops (such as Lenovo and Dell) may have blue screens after switching AHCI/RAID. It is recommended to back up the system in advance or understand the motherboard model clearly.

3. There are hidden partitions or residual information on the disk

Sometimes you have tried installing the system before, but it fails in the middle or is not formatted, resulting in some hidden partitions or boot information remaining on the disk. Although it seems to be an empty disk, the installer cannot operate directly.

Solution:

• Use the diskpart tool mentioned above
• After executing list disk , you will execute it in turn:

   select disk X (X is the disk number of the system you want to install)
  Clean

• This clears all partitions and data, allowing the installer to recreate partitions

Note: This operation will delete all data. Please confirm that important files have been backed up.

Basically, these common reasons and ways to deal with them. Although the problem looks scary, in most cases, you can solve it by checking the hard disk status, BIOS settings and partition table type.

The above is the detailed content of How to fix 'We couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one' during Windows installation?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!