Fix: Windows cannot be Installed to this Disk
If you see the error message “Windows cannot be installed to this disk,” it means that your computer’s BIOS is not configured to boot from the correct drive. To fix this, you’ll need to change your BIOS settings to boot from your CD or DVD drive.
First, insert your Windows installation disc into your computer’s CD or DVD drive and restart your computer. When you see the “Press any key to boot from CD” message, hit any key on your keyboard to start the installation.
Once the installation process starts, you’ll be prompted to choose a partition to install Windows on. If you don’t see any partitions listed, it means that your computer’s BIOS is not configured to show them. To fix this, you’ll need to change your BIOS settings to show all partitions.
Once you’ve selected a partition to install Windows on, the installation process will continue and should complete without any errors.
Table of Contents
Fix: Windows cannot be Installed to this Disk
Why this Error Occurs
This error can occur for a few different reasons. The most common reason is that the disk is not formatted properly. If the disk is not formatted properly, Windows will not be able to install to it. Another reason this error can occur is if the disk is full. If the disk is full, there will not be enough space for Windows to install. Finally, this error can occur if the disk is damaged. If the disk is damaged, Windows will not be able to install to it.
How to Fix: Windows cannot be Installed to this Disk
If you see the error message “Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks,” it means that you’re trying to install Windows on a drive that uses the Master Boot Record (MBR) partition scheme. For Windows to work properly, it must be installed on a drive that uses the GUID Partition Table (GPT) partition scheme.
The easiest way to fix this problem is to convert the MBR drive to a GPT drive. You can do this using the Disk Management tool in Windows. First, open the Disk Management tool by right-clicking on This PC and selecting Manage.
In the Disk Management window, right-click on the MBR drive that you want to convert to GPT and select Convert to GPT Disk.
Once the conversion is complete, you should be able to install Windows on the drive without any problems.
Conclusion
If you encounter the error that Windows cannot be installed to this disk, there are a few potential causes. First, check that the disk is properly formatted and that there is enough free space for Windows. If the disk is not formatted, you will need to format it before you can install Windows. If the disk is formatted, but there is not enough free space, you will need to delete some files or partitions to make room for Windows. Finally, if the disk is properly formatted and there is enough free space, the problem may be with the disk itself. In this case, you will need to replace the disk.
Reader Question
I have a question regarding installing Windows onto my computer. I have been receiving the error message “Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks.” How can I fix this and install Windows onto my computer?
Thank you for your question. In order to fix this, you will need to convert the MBR partition table to a GPT partition table. This can be done using a utility such as diskpart. Once you have converted the disk to a GPT partition table, you should be able to install Windows without any issues.
