Windows 10: Beware - clean install with multiple HDD's and UEFI take care !!!

Yep this is a simple solution, and it works.

I disabled my M.2 W7 drive on my X299 when I installed W10 on the 860 Pro, the installer never even saw it.

But as you said Jim, IF it`s possible.

 

Hi there.

On a Clean install if you have multiple HDD's all with 100% "unallocated space" and no partition table (gpt flag) as far as Windows is concerned even though those unallocated partitions are Native partitions for another OS the wretched system will install the EFI boot system on HDD2 - it creates an EFI partition.

To avoid this in the set up create 2 partitions on the first HDD one for "C" Windows and the other ("D) for data in the custom setup menu. (Create partitions).

Then it will leave the other HDD's untouched.

In the setup for Windows on clean install there ought to be an option "Do not Touch these Disks" instaed of a fairly useless message "Windows might need to create additional partitions --if it has to then do it on the partition where you select you want to install Windows !!

Install just destroyed 3 TB of Linux Multi-media data (I always have backup though !!! - have learned over the years the hard way !).

Hope this saves people from losing data - anyway always have backups before major mess arounds with Windows (or any OS for that matter).

Shows though it's easy for anybody to make mistakes -- ensure you know how to recover !!.

Cheers
jimbo

:)

 

Inaccessible Boot Device error - cause? fix?

at first, you need to understand BIOS and UEFI, for the best result set up bios in factory defaults, check if the security is off, than there is difference, 32bit system in UEFI mode is able to install from ATAPI CDROM - after install you need to fix MBR
- in 64bit system is better for you to do clean install, best idea is to take out HDD, do deep format, after that to do clean install from USB KEY, you can use RUFUS or Microsoft creation tool. but ! iso files used for USB KEY must be " legal " .... so in
Bios check UEFI options, there is more chances, try to set up Both, remember, your HDD must be in compatible mode, not AHCI...

-take out HDD and format deeply, not fast - fat32 or NTFS

-prepare USB KEY - Rufus + windows iso file 64 bit legal.-usb must be FAT32, MBR with UEFI

-instert your HDD

-insert your USB KEY - must be activated ability boot from USB

-if it give you question about where to install, there is full space of your drive, you dont need to do partitions, instalator will make it alone by your bios setup...

 

Windows 10 Restoration Incomplete and facing issues in installing Windows 10 on SSD (the laptop contains one SSD and one HDD)

To simplify the resolution of your situation, I would suspect that both the SSD and the original HDD are the same size. You could replace the HDD with the SSD and put the HDD in the caddy. On a UEFI device, it should not really matter where Windows is
installed, unless the system still sees the connection to the caddy device as removable media.

Another thing to check is if you have the option to select the SSD in the caddy as the first boot device in your UEFI firmware/BIOS settings.

The SSD has to show up as a UEFI boot device and be visible as that from BIOS. That means it needs to be a GPT disk with the right partitioning scheme (System files on a small FAT32 partition, etc.). Windows setup would normally take care of setting that
up properly.

 

I always recommend people to disconnect all other drives when doing a clean install.. Just for that reason. Good thing you had a backup!

 

Yep just pull the power plugs, leave the data cables connected unless you have them labeled, but there`s no reason to pull them.

 

What's the big deal about this?

 

Welcome to TenForums, ern88!

If you read the first post thoroughly, you should see that jimbo thought it was a big deal that he lost 3 TB of data due to Microsoft's less than stellar (i.e., not so foolproof) interface design. Seems like a reasonable cautionary post to share with others who could get caught in like manner.

 

But Jimbo, in your scenario you say "if you have multiple HDD's all with 100% "unallocated space" so how could you lose any data *Huh

Unless of course the installer does not see Linux files, but you should know better. *Smile

 

Ok, I have a Samsung 850 pro 256 gig and a 4tb WD Black. I just recently re installed Windows 10. Did the custom install guide to have all my user data over on the the HDD. I didn't notice any big loses of space. Thanks.

 

Why would you think you would lose space ?

What we and Jimbo are trying to say is "Always unplug any and all other drives before installing windows" *Smile

But Jimbo did not in this situation, why not, I have no idea *Smile

In my, and a lot of other people`s opinion, It`s best to keep all operating systems totally separate from each other.

 

Hi there
@AddRAM et al.

Actually I should have removed the HDD's -- it's a cube server with the 4 HDD's mounted in caddies so just an easy open door and one click remove - but was lazy. !!!

The reason the Linux HDD's show unallocated space on the HDD is that there's no "classical partition table" or GPT entry ( I formatted entire HDD XFS) so Windows just sees it as 100% unintialized Disk even though there's valid Linux data on it. Linux doesn't need or care about GPT even for EFI boots - but that's another issue.

Windows start up if all HDD's are unitialized will create other partitions all over the place in addition to a "C" partition for Windows which is why I posted the warning - if you don't or can't remove other non Windows HDD's before install then ensure that you create a large enough Windows partition at install time (or before) when doing a clean install. I.e create partition space rather than just select the HDD to install windows to and let windows get on with it.

I use the other 3 Linux HDD's to attach a VM for sharing a whole slew of multi-media files to things like amazon TV stick etc.

The reason I use a Linux VM rather than run the whole thing on Windows (share Multi-media from Windows) is that I come up against the 266 or so char length for windows directories + file name lengths also I can easily compound 3 HDD's as a RAID 0 array giving a lot more space than using a single volume. Windows storage spaces don't work so well as Linux RAID 0 and I've still got the 255 char file name length limit which I don't have on Linux.

Hopefully that answers peoples queries and explains why I hosed it up a bit (my fault) -- and can't emphasize enough the importance of always having sufficient backup !!!

And I'd still like to suggest to Ms when installing Windows on a multi HDD system an option to "Not touch specified Disks" to make it foolproof.

Cheers
jimbo

 

Moral of the story: Keep the Penguins hidden from the Ninja-Cats or they will be consumed! *chuckle

 

I agree with Sedril, remove secondary drives to avoid any issues.

 

It's been the recommended advice since Windows 7.