Hello, I have my main nbook (MSI GT683R-261CS), which have UEFI (AMI Aptio). However when I try to install Windows to (pre-created) GPT GUID sytem boot partition, Windows installation program kicks me to balls, that it can't be installed there. In UEFI setup, there is no option to switch between MBR and GPT boot. Is there any utility, which will tell me, if my machine supports booting from GPT GUID? Thanks. I proceed in creating system boot GUID GPT by something like this: Code: rescan list disk select disk[=n] detail disk list partition select partition[=n/l] detail partition clean [all] new gpt convert gpt [noerr] create partition esp [size=n] [offset=n] [noerr] create partition efi [size=n] [offset=n] [noerr] create partition msr [size=n] [offset=n] [noerr] create partition primary [size=n] [offset=n] [id=byte/guid] [noerr] assign [[letter=l]/[mount=path]] [noerr] active inspect list disk help exit
Save this to a uefi.txt & run diskpart /s uefi.txt. Code: sel dis 0 cle con gpt rem == 1. Windows RE tools partition =============== cre par pri size=300 for fs=ntfs label="Windows RE tools" quick set id="DE94BBA4-06D1-4D40-A16A-BFD50179D6AC" gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001 assign letter="T" rem == 2. System partition ========================= cre par efi size=100 rem ** NOTE: For Advanced Format 4Kn drives, change this value to size = 260 ** for fs=fat32 label="System" quick assign letter="S" rem == 3. Microsoft Reserved (MSR) partition ======= cre par msr size=128 rem == 4. Windows partition ======================== cre par pri for quick fs=ntfs label="Windows" assign letter="W" I'm assuming you've booted into winpe in uefi mode... Remove section 1 if you don't want the winre/tools partition...
Thanks for response, I have successfully created GPT GUID drive before (with System and Reserved partition), but still Windows refuses to install there. So I need some tool to diagnose it.
Using a partition software(like Partition Wizard), delete all partitions on the hard drive(don't create any partition), then install Windows x64 on the GPT hard drive, the system partitions will be setup automatically for you.
Are you booting off the windows boot media in EFI mode ? If you are not it will throw an error saying "can not install windows to the GPT partition/disk" or similar message. I have a HP elitebook which supports EFI, if i booted off the USB stick in MBR mode it wouldnt install onto a GPT hard disk. To get around this i had to boot from the USB stick /EFI/BOOT/BOOTx64.EFI or maybe it was the /EFI/MICROSOFT/BOOT/BOOTMGRFW.EFI by pressing F9 at boot time and then selecting the EFI file to boot from. It all depends how the PC/LAPTOP manufacturer has setup there EFI boot process. Some will boot from all boot media in EFI mode, some will only boot from DVD's in EFI mode, some require you to select the EFI file from the boot media to boot or else it will default to booting in MBR mode. I have my partition tables like this: 300MB EFI fat32 100GB PRIMARY NTFS (OS) 500GB PRIMARY NTFS (DATA) 4GB PRIMARY FAT32 (HP_RECOVERY where windows recovery files are kept) 4GB PRIMARY FAT32 (HP_TOOLS where EFI bios files are kept) Rest is linux. To create GPT disk setup. Boot into media in EFI mode. When get to dialog to select language etc press SHIFT + F10. That will bring up the prompt, then you can do: diskpart >select disk 0 >clean >create partition efi size=300 >format quick fs=fat32 label=SYSTEM >create partition primary size=102400 >format quick fs=ntfs label=OS >create partition primary size=5120000 (if you leave off size it will take up rest of HD space) >format quick fs=ntfs label=DATA etc until all partitions you want are created.. once created all partitions: >exit If you do not have the option of selecting a EFI file to boot, what you can do is create a recovery partition at end of the disk, format as FAT32 and copy the windows DVD/Bootable USB stick to that partition. As long as your BIOS is set to UEFI and the disk is GPT and no other partitions before the recovery partition have boot stuff on it, the PC will boot from the first partition it finds with /EFI/BOOT/BOOTx64.EFI on it. Or at least thats the case with HP. When the OS is installed and the EFI boot files have been put on the SYSTEM partition during windows installation the SYSTEM partition becomes the first partition with BOOT efi files on it so it wont try to boot from the recovery partition again. Another thing to try is remove MBR boot stuff from the boot media to force it to boot in EFI mode.. To do this delete /boot directory from USB stick or DVD iso. Then you can carry on to do the installation as usual. NOTE: if you do the above diskpart process it will totally wipe your hard disk - patition tables, data etc so if there is anything on the hard disk you want back it up..
@Tahunasky thanks for responding... Yes, I am (probably) booting in MBR mode, but I don't have MBR/GPT booting switch in BIOS. My "BIOS" post (actually UEFI) gives me only <DEL> AMI Aptio Setup, <F3> Rescue Partition (BTW it is deleted ), <F11> Boot Menu (selecting boot drive, as I have three physical 750Gb HDDs in laptop ), there is no <F9> Or do you mean pressing <F9> while Windows Installation boots? (confused) There is no mention about UEFI, BIOS, MBR, GPT anywhere. I have figured out, that it is UEFI, when I performed adding SLIC and AMI SLIC Tool didn't work, so I used UEFI/Phoenix SLIC Tool and it worked. Also 2nd "proof" of UEFI is filesize of "BIOS" update. So in your approach (with Rescue disk partition), I have to erase MBR "Boot" folder from that "Windows Installation" and leave only "EFI" and "Sources" dir there? What is exact procedure in steps (in case, that I have only one empty HDD left in machine)...? ...To Make GPT drive with System and Reserved Partitions and two Data partitions, format FAT32 2nd partition with Windows Installation and MBR boot removed, then create boot there with BCDEDIT? Is that so? So the question is: How to force my laptop with UEFI AMI Aptio to do UEFI GTP boot?
Ok, if i was you. I would install a hard disk in laptop that can be wiped, or use the currently install HD and re-partition - all data will be wiped. so boot off the windows dvd/usb stick as per usual (doesnt matter if its MBR or EFI mode). then when it gets to the screen that say to select language/location etc, press SHIFT + F10 to get to the dos prompt. type: diskpart >select disk 0 >clean >convert gpt >create partition efi size=300 >format quick fs=fat32 label=system >create partition primary size=102400 >format quick fs=ntfs label=OS >create partition primary size=4096 >format quick fs=fat32 label=recovery >exit now reboot and continue with the windows installation until you get to the partitioning screen, and select to install into the 100GB OS partition. If there is no errors it means its booted with efi and detect gpt and you can continue install, and add data partitions, delete recovery partition if you dont need etc.. if it wont install, boot into a linux live CD and then copy the contents of the windows DVD/USB stick to the recovery partition. then remove all DVD/USB sticks from laptop and reboot. so what i am hoping will happen is that the bios will either detect that the disk is GPT partitioned, and try to boot from the first partition with /efi/boot/ folder on it, which is the recovery partition if you have copied the windows DVD/USB stick to it correctly. It should then let you select to install wiindows on the 100GB OS partition. i did google your laptop model but all the info is in polish (i think) so i couldnt find out if it is indeed efi or mbr bio. But chances are that if its newer than 2011 it probably is.
Read the other threads about UEFI Eitherway, be sure your USB Stick is FAT32 and that you have some way to actually start the stick in UEFI mode. If you want your stick to only boot when it's really UEFI, just delete the boot folder / bootmgr file and keep the EFI folder / bootmgr.efi file. Also if your Setup is booted through UEFI, it will create the GPT table for you, just delete all the ones that are already exisiting and voila, if you want to make sure it does create them, be sure you don't click "Next" but instead delete all and create "new" partition (keep settings) then you will see your success, then you can click Next/Install (whatever the button was).
I just used Windows DVD/USB tool to create the bootable usb, literally one time, and formatted it to Fat32 and its always ready. After that I just extract whatever iso I want to it and it boots UEFI (if ISO is EFI able). Formatting does not stop it from being bootable. I've formatted usb's 30 some odd times over the past year and it keeps booting when I extract an iso to it.
1. My 1st step will be to create UEFI booting only W8-0 installation by: - extracting ISO to C:\ISO - creating new UEFI booting ISO by running: Code: oscdimg -bC:\ISO\efi\microsoft\boot\efisys.bin -w4 -os -lWin_8_x64_UEFI_ISO9660 -m -o -n -pEF -e C:\ISO C:\Win_7_x64_UEFI_ISO9660.iso Until this time, I've used (for updates, features and language packs integrating) creating BIOS MBR booting ISO: Code: oscdimg -bC:\ISO\boot\etfsboot.com -h -u2 -m -lWin_8_x64_BIOS_ISO9660 C:\ISO\ C:\win8.iso 2. My 2nd step will be creating GPT drive by: Code: rescan select disk 0 clean convert gpt select partition 1 delete partition override create partition efi size=300 format quick fs=fat32 label=system create partition msr size=200 format quick fs=fat32 label=reserved create partition primary format quick fs=ntfs label=data assign letter=C exit 3. Final step will be booting from that ISO and installing to that drive. We will see how far this goes. Thanks for replies.
This FAT32 restriction applies only for installation disk or FAT32 is even required for as filesystem for installed Windows? Wikipedia tells me: So, is that a difference, that on Windows installation drive OS Loaders are stored together with installation files on Primary partition, so it has to be FAT32, but on the target drive where Windows are installed OS Loaders are stored at EFI partition, so Primary partition could be NTFS?
It's required for USB sticks and System, but make no mistake... just take a look at the GPT partition layout when using UEFI, the EFI partition which holds the bootmanager etc is FAT32 (it wouldn't work as NTFS, as UEFI has no NTFS driver), while the primary partition is NTFS
Thanks guys for all replies... After a lot of testing I figured out, that I've UEFI nbook (MSI GT683R) without the ability to do UEFI boot LOL (neither in MBR/FAT32-4GB or in GPT/ESP-MSR-Primary)... Shame on you MSI (and AMI too, that you allow such implementation)
What did that ship with? I see a lot of MSI notebooks & they all have full uefi support. All of the win8 installs from msi are uefi. Have you bothered emailing/contacting them? I think it's something like support.msi.com.tw or [email protected]...
Another thing is, the UEFI may have a option called "Legacy boot" or something like that, disable it. Another way would be, if you have a UEFI PC then you can takeout the main HDD from the Laptop and install W8 from your PC on it but when it reboots for the first time just shut down and plug it back into your laptop, this way it can finish the install and voila.
I had done some EFI testings when trying out the big wim in NTFS thing, one thing I noticed was that windows refuses to install on a blank GPT- formated disk, my guess is (just a guess) windows needs to put their MSR partitions starting from sector 0,0, but unable to do that when the GPT table is there already. Also some people thought that they have installed windows EFI(because they set BIOS to boot in EFI mode), but actually installed a windows MBR. To be sure that it's installing windows EFI: either - set to boot from DVD/USB with the EFI notation in front. or - boot into EFI shell and launch EFI\boot\bootX64.efi or bootiaX86.efi (this is 100% sure).
Are you able to take some screenshots of your BIOS/UEFI system screens, at least then we are able to rule out 100% just in case you missed something. Q. What was on the hard drive when it arrived? Was it GPT or MBR type? Or was your system blank Edit: I did try to find a motherboard manual, I did find one but it seemed it was a BIOS to me.