I am installing Windows 8.1 Pro from a USB drive.

I am in the set up tool just past the product key, it then asks simple or advanced install and I selected install.

I enter Shift + f10 to go into the command prompt.

And I key in:

Select Disk 0 (that is the only disk)

CLEAN

CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY

FORMAT FS=NTFS

ACTIVE

EXIT

Then I go back to the install setup GUI, and I select Disk 0 and when I click on next, the setup wizard gives me the error message "Cannot locate Partition"

Any idea on what commands I need to perform to prep my disk so that Windows can continue with the install?

Thank you

Hi Jwconk,

I did found anything wrong from your command. Try using following sample.

Select Disk 1

Clean 

Create Partition Primary Size=

Active

Format fs=ntfs quick

assign letter=c:

Exit

Exit

Try assign letter after active your partition and make sure you run all commands successfully.

If the error still persists I don't think this error is caused by wrong command, try using GUI to create partition on your hard disk for good measure.

There is one possibility that your hard drive may be using a GPT table and you didn't boot your installation CD or USB from EFI mode. If the installation CD boots in the legacy mode, it is not able to handle the GPT table.

Regards

D. Wu

• Edited by Deason WuMicrosoft contingent staff 9 hours 53 minutes ago

Hi Jwconk,

I did found anything wrong from your command. Try using following sample.

Select Disk 1

Clean 

Create Partition Primary Size=

Active

Format fs=ntfs quick

assign letter=c:

Exit

Exit

Try assign letter after active your partition and make sure you run all commands successfully.

If the error still persists I don't think this error is caused by wrong command, try using GUI to create partition on your hard disk for good measure.

There is one possibility that your hard drive may be using a GPT table and you didn't boot your installation CD or USB from EFI mode. If the installation CD boots in the legacy mode, it is not able to handle the GPT table.

Regards

D. Wu

• Edited by Deason WuMicrosoft contingent staff Thursday, March 05, 2015 5:37 AM

Hi Jwconk,

I did found anything wrong from your command. Try using following sample.

Select Disk 1

Clean 

Create Partition Primary Size=

Active

Format fs=ntfs quick

assign letter=c:

Exit

Exit

Try assign letter after active your partition and make sure you run all commands successfully.

If the error still persists I don't think this error is caused by wrong command, try using GUI to create partition on your hard disk for good measure.

There is one possibility that your hard drive may be using a GPT table and you didn't boot your installation CD or USB from EFI mode. If the installation CD boots in the legacy mode, it is not able to handle the GPT table.

Regards

D. Wu

• Edited by Deason WuMicrosoft contingent staff Thursday, March 05, 2015 5:37 AM

Hi Jwconk,

I did not find anything wrong from your command. Try using following sample.

Select Disk 0

Clean 

Create Partition Primary Size=

Active

Format fs=ntfs quick

assign letter=c:

Exit

Exit

Try assign letter after active your partition and make sure you run all commands successfully.

If the error still persists I don't think this error is caused by wrong command, try using GUI to create partition on your hard disk for good measure.

There is one possibility that your hard drive may be using a GPT table and you didn't boot your installation CD or USB from EFI mode. If the installation CD boots in the legacy mode, it is not able to handle the GPT table.

Regards

D. Wu

• Edited by Deason WuMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, March 16, 2015 8:51 AM

Hi Jwconk,

I did not find anything wrong from your command. Try using following sample.

Select Disk 0

Clean 

Create Partition Primary Size=

Active

Format fs=ntfs quick

assign letter=c:

Exit

Exit

Try assign letter after active your partition and make sure you run all commands successfully.

If the error still persists I don't think this error is caused by wrong command, try using GUI to create partition on your hard disk for good measure.

There is one possibility that your hard drive may be using a GPT table and you didn't boot your installation CD or USB from EFI mode. If the installation CD boots in the legacy mode, it is not able to handle the GPT table.

Regards

D. Wu

• Edited by Deason WuMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, March 16, 2015 8:51 AM

This typically happens if the partition is not marked as active. Which is certainly not the case here. 

When it says "can not locate the partition" can you shift F10 at that time and list the partition and see nothing is screwed up?

While I understand that you may intentionally be trying to create a single partition on this disk, what happens if you just clean the disk and then attempt to install?

Brandon
Windows Outreach Team- IT Pro
Windows for IT Pros on TechNet

Hello,

Don't you need to select the partition once you create it to mark it active and format it?

Something like select partition 1

Diskpart will automatically select the first partition after it creates it, but will not automatically select new partitions. While it may not be technically required to select the first partition, it would be a good habit to get into just in case.