[SOLVED] Preparing 2nd HDD for a Windows install

ahc_fan · 02-09-2017, 09:20 AM

Hello all. I am trying to get Windows 8 installed so I can play a few games that won't run with wine. I deleted the 3TB partition that was on my second hard drive and am trying to create a 1TB partition for Windows. But it seems like no matter what I do the Windows install complains about the partition. It says "couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one."

I even ran diskpart in CMD to create the partition, formatted it, converted to MBR. That was all successful, but still the Windows installer fails to recognize it.

Is there anything I can do from within slackware to fix this?

(sorry for being somewhat off topic)

Keruskerfuerst · 02-09-2017, 10:27 AM

Can you post the ouput of gparted from that drive/partition?

ahc_fan · 02-09-2017, 10:58 AM

Will fdisk output do? I did try all the various ntfs and fat partition types.

Code:

root@darkstar:~# fdisk -l /dev/sdb
Disk /dev/sdb: 2.7 TiB, 3000592982016 bytes, 5860533168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x2dd993c2

Device     Boot Start        End    Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1  *     2048 2048002047 2048000000 976.6G  7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Keruskerfuerst · 02-09-2017, 12:39 PM

Do you have a original Win DVD?

Didier Spaier · 02-09-2017, 03:45 PM

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/...-windows-8-cp/

http://www.disk-partition.com/articl...tion-1004.html

syg00 · 02-09-2017, 04:32 PM

Last I tried (Win7) it wouldn't install to a non-boot disk. Needed a small partition on the BIOS boot disk, then the rest could be installed elsewhere.
Another option would be to pull out the current boot disk, then the current second disk will be the boot disk. Install Win8, then stick the original disk in and update lilo/grub to chainload Win8. May have issues with M$oft updates, but you can do the same again in that case.

ahc_fan · 02-09-2017, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

Last I tried (Win7) it wouldn't install to a non-boot disk. Needed a small partition on the BIOS boot disk, then the rest could be installed elsewhere.
Another option would be to pull out the current boot disk, then the current second disk will be the boot disk. Install Win8, then stick the original disk in and update lilo/grub to chainload Win8. May have issues with M$oft updates, but you can do the same again in that case.

Unplugging the other drive worked, thanks!