Acer Aspire V3-772 Windows 8.1 clean install

So I upgraded to windows 10... It didnt work quite well and I decided to use eRecovery to return to windows 8 and then update to 8.1.

After the system restore I found out that windows was corrupt. (Windows worked, however I cant install updates)

So I decided to wipe everything and clean install windows 8.1, only to find out that I can only install it using Legacy Boot mode, using the UEFI it gives me the error: Windows could not update the computer's boot configuration, installation cannot proceed. (Already tried disabling secure boot, no success.) Legacy mode worked fine until I went ahead to re-install drivers, that's when I noticed that some hardware wasn't detected, my nVidia gpu for example.

Any help is appreciated. (Please... I'm so frustrated right now.)

And yes, I configured another usb to fully support UEFI boot, no success.

Accepted answers

JordanB

After you use "diskpart clean" on your main hard drive.........press and hold the power button on your computer to shut your computer down. Wait about 20 seconds. Then turn it back on. Install windows as per step 8.

All comments

JordanB

1. Backup your important personal files because the following steps will completely wipe your drive

2. Go in to your BIOS and load your BIOS defaults (F9) and then save/exit (F10). Your computer is not designed to run Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 in legacy mode.

3. Go back in to your BIOS and enable the F12 boot menu.

4. Boot your Windows 8.1 installation media

5. When you see the screen below, press Shift F10 on your keyboard to get a command prompt

6. Use diskpart clean to wipe your drive. "Diskpart clean" works on both HDDs and SSDs. This will also put your drive in an uninitialized state.

http://forum.crucial.com/t5/The-Cru/Reset-your-SSD-to-factory-settings-Windows-DiskPart/ba-p/162503

7. Exit out of diskpart and exit out of command prompt

7.5 (Edited) Press and hold your computer's power button until your computer shuts down. Wait 20 seconds. Turn your computer back on.

8. Install Windows 8.1. Select custom install. Click on the drive where you want to install Windows 8.1 (it should say unallocated space) and then click "next". The Windows installer will automatically partition and format your drive and install windows.

If my steps don't work, then that means you don't have UEFI installation media. If that's the case....download iso and use rufus to create UEFI installation media.

You always have the option of getting your windows 8 media from acer store,,,,,if you prefer factory install.

https://store.acer.com/en-us/extended/recovery/

Kobr4_C

No success... The media I'm using was created using rufus. I still get the same error (I noticed that diskpart listed 2 drives, Primary one with 700 gb and secondary one with 14 gb, should i try cleaning both?)

Kobr4_C

I booted to the drive by changing the boot order.

JordanB

Have you enabled the F12 boot menu in your BIOS/UEFI settings? After you enable the F12 boot menu, you press/tap F12 at the Acer logo screen to bring up the boot menu. You've got to be quick. Go back and re-read all the steps. Each and every step is important. Let me know if you can't get it to work.

I suspect that the 14 GB drive/disk is your USB drive. No, you don't want to wipe/clean your USB drive with the Windows 8.1 installation media.

Follow these steps to create Windows 8.1 UEFI installation media.

1. Download the Windows 8.1 ISO from Microsoft

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8

2. Download rufus

https://rufus.akeo.ie/

3. I've circled the settings you need to use in red.....

Kobr4_C

Yes Sir, followed everything, same error.
Used 2 USBs first one with the Windows tool, second one using rufus. Both got the same problem.

sharky25k

Hi,

So I am confused, are you able to boot the USB in UEFI?

If yes, then proceed with install and when you select the disk, tell us how many partitions do you have on the disk drive?

Do you have more than one or just unallocated space?

If the response is more, please try to remove all partitions, except the recovery one (or remove that one as well) and then create the partition again and proceed with install. UEFI has a 350 MB partition which contains the .efi files necessary for boot. If windows cannot edit it it will not work.

If you have no partitions, or just a single partition try to delete the partition and recreate it. If you have no partition:-? That's confusing for me Smiley Happy )

Kobr4_C

Yes, I deleted everything, and let windows create partitions.

JordanB

After you use "diskpart clean" on your main hard drive.........press and hold the power button on your computer to shut your computer down. Wait about 20 seconds. Then turn it back on. Install windows as per step 8.

Kobr4_C

Windows created 4 partitions: Recovery, System, MSR and Primary

JordanB

If you're still having problems, then my advice would to be to completely start over. Create new Windows 8.1 UEFI installation media with rufus using the settings that I previously posted. And then follow those 8 steps.

Kobr4_C

Surprisingly, this worked! Thank you very much.

JordanB

You're welcome.

Sorry I didn't include that shutdown step in the first place. I normally include it.

That shutdown step is not important if you previously had a UEFI install. But obviously it is important when you're switching from legacy to default UEFI.

cLoud_YooSha

I've been able to solve my clean install windows 10 on uefi where the problem shows an error while "Setup is starting" and windows driver error message pop out like "Windows driver is missing. Please insert DVD or USB that contain windows driver". For that, ive follow all 8 steps provided exactly..and additional to the error stated above, I solve it with extra windows installation media using DVD that contains the same windows file.
I start clean install as follows:
1. Insert USB contains windows 10 file with support uefi boot (using Rufus).
2. Do as exactly as the same 8 step provided.
3. When the driver error message pop up, insert the DVD that contains same windows installation file.
4. The windows installation start as usual.
5. Wait till it finish, and done clean installation of windows 10 in my Acer laptop!

gaurav965

JordanB said:

1. Backup your important personal files because the following steps will completely wipe your drive

2. Go in to your BIOS and load your BIOS defaults (F9) and then save/exit (F10). Your computer is not designed to run Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 in legacy mode.

3. Go back in to your BIOS and enable the F12 boot menu.

4. Boot your Windows 8.1 installation media

5. When you see the screen below, press Shift F10 on your keyboard to get a command prompt

6. Use diskpart clean to wipe your drive. "Diskpart clean" works on both HDDs and SSDs. This will also put your drive in an uninitialized state.

http://forum.crucial.com/t5/The-Cru/Reset-your-SSD-to-factory-settings-Windows-DiskPart/ba-p/162503

7. Exit out of diskpart and exit out of command prompt

7.5 (Edited) Press and hold your computer's power button until your computer shuts down. Wait 20 seconds. Turn your computer back on.

8. Install Windows 8.1. Select custom install. Click on the drive where you want to install Windows 8.1 (it should say unallocated space) and then click "next". The Windows installer will automatically partition and format your drive and install windows.

If my steps don't work, then that means you don't have UEFI installation media. If that's the case....download iso and use rufus to create UEFI installation media.

You always have the option of getting your windows 8 media from acer store,,,,,if you prefer factory install.

https://store.acer.com/en-us/extended/recovery/

I have done all the steps as per given but it gives me error on step: Where do you want to install window? error: We couldn't install windows in the location you chose. Please check your media drive, Here's more info about what happened : 0x80300002
I'm doing clean installation in my acer laptop. I'm stuck here from 2 days

JordanB

@gaurav965

I think it might be better to start a new topic. Please include your model number.

Windows Installer Error 0x80300002

What causes Windows Installer Error 0x80300002?

Windows Installer errors don’t occur every day but when they do, it usually is due to —

Corrupted Windows installation media. If the media that you are using to install Windows on your system is corrupt, it can cause the error to pop up.
Incorrect partition. If you’ve selected a wrong partition for Windows installation, it can prompt you with this error.
Changes made prior. If you’ve made changes to your older Windows prior to installing Windows, it can also cause the error to show up.

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