windows 10 cannot install due to gpt partition type.

[antruys646]

I just built a new pc and used the hard drive from my old one to save money. I figured it would be as simple as just plugging in an installation media usb and reinstalling windows, assuming it would just wipe the hard drive and reinstall windows to the specs of this new pc. However, that was not the case. Instead I was met with the old "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected partition is of the gpt format" or whatever the exact error is. I tried clicking format but that did nothing. I tried deleting the partition and then using the left over space to create a new one but that seemingly just brought the old one back with no change and windows still refused to install. I've been searching for fixes all day and have tried a few but it seems to either be payed programs or going through bios which I tried but I don't appear to have a setting in my bios to change the boot settings. I have an ASUS M5A78L-Mplus/usb3 motherboard and I don't think it has anything to do with it but I have an amd fx-6350 processor. Anyone have an ideas as to how I could fix this without buying a new hard drive?

 

[Calvin7]

M5A78L-M PLUS/USB3 has no UEFI BIOS. You would need a UEFI BIOS to install the boot drive with GPT.

As you can only use MBR format with a legacy BIOS for a boot drive. I suggest deleting all partitions and installing on an empty drive with no partitions and nothing formatted. Windows will create the partitions it needs and format the drive during the install.

 

[failboat]

Deleting partitions using a bootable linux drive is pretty easy. There are some specific utility usb bootable images that are handy to just keep on a cheap usb all the time. ubuntu's desktop imagine is bootable from usb if you are familiar with that and searching for how to do it with ubuntu will be easy. I've not used Parted Magic but it looks like it's specific for disk issues and can mount many filesystems by default.

 

[USAFRet]

During the install, when it asks where, select Custom, and just delete ALL the existing partition.
Leaving one blank space.
Continue, and let the OS create what it needs.

How to do a CLEAN installation of Windows 10