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New Laptop with nvme hdd - tried a clean Win install - can't install win on drive (but can see it)
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New Laptop with nvme hdd - tried a clean Win install - can't install win on drive (but can see it)

We just got a new Lenovo Thinkpad P51 computer with a single nvme HDD.
I normally always just delete the disk and do a clean Windows installation to get rid of all crapware etc. We started the computer with a USB stick with Win10 1703, the disk is on the disk list, and we did delete the partitions, create a new partition, but then I only get a message that Windows can't be installed on that drive. Check BIOS settings.

It's not my first computer, and I have of course change BIOS settings to remove Secure Boot, and that it can boot from both Legacy and UEFI (and also tried just Legacy and just UEFI).
On other computers the same issue has been solved going into command promt and diskpart, then clean the disk and convert to MBR.
This will not work on this computer.

We have tried all tips on this page: https://www.partitionwizard.com/partitionmanager/windows-cannot-be-installed-to-this-disk.html

including paying for the MiniTool Partition manager and using their USB Boot software.

But it's no way to get Windows installed on that drive. I contacted Lenovo support, and they had not heard about this issue on this model yet. So they had no solution beside tips mention in the link I provided. Any help here???

Thanked by 1pradip

Comments

  • does it have a bay for a normal ssd or hdd you can try?

  • @ehab said:
    does it have a bay for a normal ssd or hdd you can try?

    No, it's no place for other HDD's. And since I deleted all partitions I have no recovery partitions left.

  • does break the same if you try to install a linux distro?

  • @ehab said:
    does break the same if you try to install a linux distro?

    It's no issues at all installing Linux. Just tried with CentOS 7, but that worked fine.
    But after the Linux installation, I started with the Win10 USB stick again, and tried to format the linux partitions, but then I just got the same error trying to install Windows, that I can't install Windows on that drive.

  • is the drive locked in the bios? clear that if it was. At least now you know it comes from windows.

  • i mean security locked.

  • Probably no drivers for the disk. Juat because you can see it does not mean winblows is using the correct driver.

    Thanked by 1karjaj
  • AlexBarakovAlexBarakov Patron Provider, Veteran
    edited October 2017

    looks like a similar issue.

    Thanked by 2myhken ehab
  • You tried UEFI & GPT?

    Thanked by 1NanoG6
  • AlexBarakov said: looks like a similar issue.

    You're right. And that was the solution. Just use the UEFI setting in Rufus, and then you can use the disk.
    So it's not a driver issue, it's a UEFI issue.

    Thank you for the reply.

    Thanked by 1AlexBarakov
  • Have you created the restore disks? If the answer is yes, use them to get the original installed OS back. Later you can perform a factory Windows reset from control panel to clean everything.

  • @myhken said:

    just use the UEFI setting in Rufus, and then you can use the disk.

    So it's not a driver issue, it's a UEFI issue.

    so you mean what worked was true UEFI with GPT Fat32 filesystem... right ?

    Thanked by 1Lee
  • @mehargags said:
    so you mean what worked was true UEFI with GPT Fat32 filesystem... right ?

    Used the UEFI with MBR and FAT32 option in Rufus.
    Mayebe the GPT option would have worked also, but did not try that. I had converted the drive to MBR, so that why I just tried that option in Rufus.

    cpsd said: Have you created the restore disks? If the answer is yes, use them to get the original installed OS back. Later you can perform a factory Windows reset from control panel to clean everything.

    Like I wrote earlier on, I had deleted all partitions and did not have any restore disks.
    Did not find any restore disks (.isos) on Lenovo support either.

    But the problem is solved with Rufus.

  • @myhken said: We just got a new Lenovo Thinkpad P51 computer

    That's a nice laptop! I thought that Lenovo didn't install much crapware on its high-end ThinkPads, but I may be mistaken about this.

  • @myhken said:

    @mehargags said:
    so you mean what worked was true UEFI with GPT Fat32 filesystem... right ?

    Used the UEFI with MBR and FAT32 option in Rufus.
    Mayebe the GPT option would have worked also, but did not try that. I had converted the drive to MBR, so that why I just tried that option in Rufus.

    Yes the Pure GPT UEFI Fat32 filesystem will work... I can tell that from my experience with a few recent laptops, but do try if you get a chance.

  • WSSWSS Member

    It's kind of sad to see EFI completely obliterating BIOS. How the hell are you going to run bare-wire DOS?!

  • mikhomikho Member, Host Rep

    You probably need to inject the drivers for the disk onto your usb install disk.

    I'll search for the link on how to do it

  • WSSWSS Member

    There's probably some way to chain from grub2-efi into a standard kernel, but I don't believe EFI is real mode, so DOS won't actually work, anyhow..

  • mikhomikho Member, Host Rep
    edited October 2017

    http://codeabitwiser.com/2014/03/how-to-install-windows-7-with-only-usb-3-0-ports/

    This explains what I mean but you need the sata drivers for your computer.

  • WSSWSS Member

    @mikho said:
    This explains what I mean but you need the sata drivers for your computer.

    Or, just use NTLite..

  • mikhomikho Member, Host Rep

    @WSS said:

    @mikho said:
    This explains what I mean but you need the sata drivers for your computer.

    Or, just use NTLite..

    I'm on my mobile with my 8week old son in my lap.
    Excuse me for trying to help ;)

  • WSSWSS Member

    I wasn't discounting your assistance, but slipstreaming drivers can be annoying and error-prone when it requires other stuff to exist, too. NTLite just makes it easier (the author of nLite, who did this for XP/Vista years ago).

  • MikePTMikePT Moderator, Patron Provider, Veteran

    @myhken said:

    AlexBarakov said: looks like a similar issue.

    You're right. And that was the solution. Just use the UEFI setting in Rufus, and then you can use the disk.
    So it's not a driver issue, it's a UEFI issue.

    Thank you for the reply.

    It looks like you need to purchase a VPS from Alex, huh...:p

    Thanked by 2AlexBarakov myhken
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