Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

"We couldn’t Create a new partition " HELP!!!

Apr 2, 2017 6:12AM PDT

Recently my computer gained a virus so I decided to format my HDD. How ever, I couldn't get passed the dreaded ""We couldn’t Create a new partition or locate an existing one." screen.

I did everything on this site http://www.partition-tool.com/resource/manage-partition/we-could-not-create-a-new-partition-or-locate-an-existing-one.html

Which includes re-plugging my usb boot and running Diskpart. But I still cant get it to start. Please help me ?!

Added stuff: I dont have a disk drive and the only option is usb.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Clarification Request
up the river without a paddle
Apr 2, 2017 7:04AM PDT

by "disk drive" are you referring to an optical drive, like DVD? If so, you would need a bootable USB device.

GParted is an excellent partition program.

http://gparted.org/liveusb.php

pay heed to the warnings.

- Collapse -
Unfornatly I tried earlier and ...
Apr 2, 2017 7:20AM PDT

I know I'm using a bootable usb now since I don’t have a optical drive. I also have g parted since I'm using Unbuntu in Windows place till i figure this out. Unfortunately the problem isn’t the usb

its that even when I create a partition i keep getting this prompt and it refuses to go past it.
http://i2.wp.com/macriot.com/mcrt/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/177258.jpeg

for a lengthy list of things I done so far please see the link above.
Thanks for responding

- Collapse -
Re: install Windows
Apr 2, 2017 8:02AM PDT

- What version of Windows are you trying to install?
- Use gparted to delete all partitions on that 137 GB hard disk and try the install again.The installer should create a new partition.

- Collapse -
I
Apr 2, 2017 8:44AM PDT

I started partitioning it a bit ago. Its a 2 hour ETA I'll probably post more feed back once its done.
I'm installing windows 8.1

- Collapse -
the message is correct
Apr 2, 2017 8:31AM PDT

How can you create a second partition if the first one has completely filled the drive and no unallocated space remains?

- Collapse -
?
Apr 2, 2017 8:42AM PDT

I dont know what you mean nothing is on the hdd.

- Collapse -
you had a partition already on it....
Apr 2, 2017 8:51AM PDT

....according to your screen capture. Look at it carefully.

- Collapse -
Oh lol
Apr 2, 2017 10:03AM PDT

Oh lol. That was just a picture I found with same error msg lol. I dont have an os when I access my computer so I can not screen cap anything. I'm sorry for any confusion .

- Collapse -
Sorry heres the right picture.
Apr 2, 2017 11:32AM PDT
- Collapse -
delete first drive
Apr 2, 2017 11:47AM PDT

highlight the first partition and delete it. the whole drive should then be unallocated. then highlight and format. once you do that, you should be able to install the os.

- Collapse -
No luck :*(
Apr 2, 2017 1:16PM PDT
- Collapse -
I see where Windows would never install to that drive.
Apr 2, 2017 11:49AM PDT

There's an existing partition so you have to decide why that's there. Here if I knew what that was and had backups I could delete that partition (how is on the screen shot) then let Windows partition as it needs to.

- Collapse -
No luck :*(
Apr 2, 2017 1:13PM PDT
- Collapse -
Just weird.
Apr 2, 2017 1:23PM PDT

Is the drive on the lowest number SATA port?
Is this a PC with BIOS virus protection? (must be turned off during OS installs)

Is there anything jinky about the USB stick? Cracked OS?

- Collapse -
PS. Forgot a big thing. It's huge.
Apr 2, 2017 1:25PM PDT

There are "Signature PCs" that do exactly what you see above. These will not allow a clean install of Windows or most Linux versions. These are very special machines. I wonder what this PC is now.

- Collapse -
Unfornatly not
Apr 2, 2017 1:37PM PDT

Unfortunately its not. I built my Machine back in 2013 . I pretty sure its not too special since I bought the parts and I'm surprised its never given me any other problem before. Do you think I should get the model number?

- Collapse -
Remember I take it that it either worked at one time
Apr 2, 2017 1:41PM PDT

And nothing changed. There's a slim chance something jinky is going on so ...

1. BIOS is current and at default settings.
2. Drive is connected with SATA on the lowest port number.
3. Windows 10 is not that crack version going around and from Microsoft, not some torrent.

4. If there was a virus I worry it did something strange to the SSD. Go ahead and try a Linux install to sniff that out.

- Collapse -
Does windows 10 follow Microsoft tradition
Apr 2, 2017 1:14PM PDT

of requiring it be installed to the first partition like older windows?!

- Collapse -
Maybe but?
Apr 2, 2017 1:19PM PDT

Maybe but there is only one and I'm still getting the same message.

- Collapse -
I answer my own question
Apr 2, 2017 1:24PM PDT
- Collapse -
No I haven't.
Apr 2, 2017 1:40PM PDT

I've tried but I just cant find out how to get to it from the main screen. I guess I should have thought to google that. Do you know a good tutorial how?

- Collapse -
If it wrote a log to the drive
Apr 2, 2017 1:44PM PDT

then boot to a LIVE USB version of Linux, open the file manager and clk on the setup.log file and read it.

- Collapse -
How do I reach the set up log
Apr 2, 2017 4:09PM PDT

How do I reach the set up log? I see a lot of ways to do it after its installed but not very many to see on the boot disc.

- Collapse -
It would be on the internal hard drive
Apr 2, 2017 5:58PM PDT

Not the USB drive. You could boot a LIVE USB of Ubuntu or Mint Linux and use it's file manager to read the setup log.

- Collapse -
Ignore the other post. That was for the other gentleman. But
Apr 2, 2017 1:18PM PDT

It's just a empty drive at the point. I reformatted it at-least 10 times today.

- Collapse -
Are you trying to install
Apr 2, 2017 1:31PM PDT

....windows 10 on a USB drive? That will never work. Wiindows installs on PATA or SATA drives only. Ubuntu will install on USB drive, but not windows.

- Collapse -
to clarify
Apr 2, 2017 1:46PM PDT

the drive must be connected to proper plugs on a motherboard only. Not plugged to a USB port. If you have an HDD in a USB case, why not remove it and place into the computer as your internal HDD and then you should be able to load windows.

- Collapse -
Clarification Request
James may have asked the right question.
Apr 2, 2017 1:34PM PDT

" I dont have a disk drive and the only option is usb. "

Let's hear EXACTLY what drive you are trying to install to and how it's connected.

- Collapse -
when I first read that...
Apr 2, 2017 1:39PM PDT

....I thought he meant no DVD drive, so needed to use USB drive to install to the HDD. I went back, read it all again, and suddenly I realized the answer didn't quite match my question previously and maybe, just maybe he was attempting to load windows to a USB drive.

- Collapse -
Asking the right question.
Apr 2, 2017 1:45PM PDT

If I could give out a cookie of your choice today.