Windows 10: no partitions

Hi. I installed a 2nd hdd in my laptop thru the dvd drive. I would to install another os on it, but I get an error message saying that there are no partitions and read the log files. I refomatted the drive, but I still receive the error message. I have an Acer Aspire E17. Can I install an os on the 2nd hdd or just use it as data. Any help will be appreciated.

:)

 

Clean install no partitions

Hi Jonathan,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community, we appreciate your interest in Windows 10.

I understand your concern about deleting all the partitions of the hard drive after upgrade to Windows 10, we will help you with this issue.

I suggest you to perform reset on Windows 10 and check if it helps.

Refer: Refresh is part of reset in Windows 10 (Select Remove everything in Step 3)

Also, click on the link: Download Windows 10 to download Windows 10 ISO.

Hope it help. Feel free to contact us for further assistance on Windows Operating System, we will be happy to help you.

 

Clean install no partitions

You can clean install Windows 10 from media and delete all partitions then create one new one. Windows may create a small partition in addition to this. If it does, leave it alone. It is useful. Since your computer is already a Windows 10 device you
do not need a product key and should not enter one when you see a screen for entering one. Click SKIP or DO LATER to proceed past the screen.

Personally, I would leave the computer as is. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The additional small partitions are harmless and require little space. However if you have a Recovery Partition you can recover 10 - 20 GB by deleting it. That would be the only reason I would reconfigure, and then I would only bother on a relatively small
disk. If you are in the 1TB+ range, don't worry about it.

 

It would help to know what OS you are trying to install on the 2nd HDD.

 

Why do you need another Operating System ?

Just use it as storage.

 

Post a full shot of Disk Management with the 2nd hard drive installed.

When you 1st installed it, did you get any pop up windows asking you to initialize it ? Did you do that ?

Let`s see what it looks like in Disk Management.

 

Here is the picture of disk manag

ement:

 

You need to delete Disk 1 to unallocated space then create 1 partition out of the entire drive and give it a letter and label it.

You can't use it because nothing`s lettered, right now it`s a mess. The only usable partition is Raw.

Disk Management may not let you delete those system partitions, if it won`t then install Partition Wizard, it will do whatever you tell it to do.

This is just an example of how it should look when you`re done, no system partitions, no recovery partitions, just 1 large Primary or even a Logical partition for data.

 

AddRam, thank you for your advice. Following your advice the recovery partition will be deleted. Willl I need the recovery partiton to reinstall the OS? I do not have an installation dvd. Any thoughts will be appreciated.

 

The answer is yes, . However, I have never seen a messy disk layout like yours. Normally the disk layout for Windows would be:
450MB Recovery partition, 100 MB EFI Partition, 16MB MSR partition (hidden from disk management) then the C drive in this order.

The 100MB EFI partition is the most important partition, it contains the boot code to boot windows and you only need one. Without it, you won't be able to boot.

Looking at the layout, I don't know which one is needed for Windows to boot since you have so many of them and I assume it's the 4th one from disk 0. To make sure it's the one, disconnect disk 1 then reboot if it works.

The Recovery partition just contains tools for diagnostic and trouble shooting, windows still works without it, however, you won't be able to boot into the Recovery environment to diagnose/fix if something goes wrong but you can also boot into the Recovery from the installation media with USB/DVD.

If Windows still boot without disk 1 connected then shutdown, reconnect, reboot then open the Admin command prompt and type:
diskpart
select disk 1
clean
exit
exit

This will wipe out everything on disk 1. Open disk management and initialize/format and use it as data storage or install another OS on it.

EDIT: If it were my laptop, I would also fix the disk layout on disk 0.

 

@deanie44 ,

Use @topgundcp's diskpart commands to wipe the second hard drive clean. Then download the Windows 10 ISO file to your primary hard drive using the Media Creation Tool. Click on the download tool now button:
Download Windows 10

Once you have the ISO file downloaded, mount it (right click on it, select Mount). A new drive letter will open, looking like a DVD. Go into the Sources folder. Run setup.exe from the sources folder. When you get to the option for upgrade or custom install, select custom install. Disk 1 should be shown on the next screen as nothing but unallocated space. Highlight the unallocated space and click next to install Windows 10 to the wiped hard drive.

 

Hi NavyLCDR. Thank you. I clicked on the link, but I cannot find his diskprt commands. Please help me find them*Smile

 

The link is only to get the ISO file. Diskpart commands were shown in post #8 above.

 

I`m trying to get her to just use the 465 GB for storage, there is no need for another OS on that particular PC, it`s a waste of time, you don't need it, just use the 465 GB drive for storage.

The recovery partition on Disk 1 is useless, it was only put there when you tried installing another OS on that drive, delete the entire 465 GB drive to unallocated space and then format it as 1 entire partition.

Give it a letter and label it Storage or Data etc