Windows cannot be installed to this disk.

After hours and hours of a headache looking at online forums, I finally decided to ask this question myself. So recently I decided to factory reset my cloudbook in hopes of clearing out a virus, only then to get an error message. Then, the cloudbook wouldn't even boot completely, it would always be in some sort of boot loop. I tried to follow multiple instructions from different forums, but now, my cloudbook would only say "no bootable device" with that magnifying glass.

I downloaded an installation media for Windows 10, 32-bit, and changed boot settings to Legacy.

The installation menu booted up, and then it asked where I wanted to install Windows. The only option was Drive 0 unallocated space, full storage, no partitions of any kind. I'm assuming this is the internal hard drive. When I select it, this message pops up "windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk's controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu". I'm certain the boot priority list is setup correctly so I'm not really sure what to do. Maybe I was supposed to get 64-bit? Not too sure. Mind you I did not use RUFUS, but would that matter because it still booted the installation media? I'm not really sure, so help would be greatly appreciated!

My model is Aspire One Cloudbook 14, AO1-431-C8G8

Accepted answers

IronFly

Check on BIOS if the HDD password is set as frozen.

If not and you are under warranty, call Acer support service.

All comments

Stephanos

There should be option to format disk when installing windows

AntonioG

Stephanos said:

There should be option to format disk when installing windows

If by the disk, you mean the internal hard drive, the option to format it is greyed out for some reason.

IronFly

must be x64 version and you must install under UEFI settings.

AntonioG

IronFly said:

must be x64 version and you must install under UEFI settings.

So the error is no longer there. However, when I click on next, it says "We couldn't install Windows in the location you chose. Please check your media drive. Here's more info on what happened: 0x80300002"

IronFly

delete all the listed partition on the installation target drive (you can do it on the drive selection screen), then proceed to install windows.

AntonioG

IronFly said:

delete all the listed partition on the installation target drive (you can do it on the drive selection screen), then proceed to install windows.

There are no partitions and I already cleaned it in diskpart. Could this be the actual bootable USB (since RUFUS wasn't used), the hardrive itself, or some other issue?

Firesweep58

you can recover your partitions using testdisk https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

AntonioG

Firesweep58 said:

you can recover your partitions using testdisk https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

To use the software, do I have to put the hardrive into another working computer? If so, how do I put a hard drive that is connected to the motherboard, in another computer? Or can I boot the software in the Acer laptop I'm having trouble with?

IronFly

Check on BIOS if the HDD password is set as frozen.

If not and you are under warranty, call Acer support service.

AntonioG

IronFly said:

Check on BIOS if the HDD password is set as frozen.

If not and you are under warranty, call Acer support service.

Thank you!

Chazman

If that, can you just convert the disk to gpt disk and then try to install Windows 10 on the gpt hard drive? But I'm not sure whether it help. Since there is no data in the hard drive, you can try it out and here is a guide.