I've started this thread because I found lots of references to this in older versions of Windows, but not Windows 8, and their answers are all quite confusing.

On doing a clean install (the advanced option in Setup), the available disk partitions on your PC are displayed. But when you click Next, it falls over with one of several errors, most of which say something like: "Cannot find or create a partition to install to" and use the code 0x80300001

This is a long-standing issue with Windows installers, where essentially they get confused when there are a number of disc drives, or possible places in which disc partitions could be. It seems that it tries to go through them all in sequence, and if the first one it finds is not the one you specified, it will fail. Or something along those lines.

There is another potential cause - which is that the driver you have installed for the only disc drive you have is not compatible. However, before you reach this conclusion, read the whole of 'The FIX' below, because that's what I thought my problem was, but it wasn't.

Anyway - the FIX:

Essentially you have to give Windows Setup no choice whatsoever. Do everything within your power to stop it from having to guess where the install partition is, and give it only the choice of the one you want.

IF you have multiple internal or external drives, physically disconnect all of them.

IF you have done this, or don't think you have any other drives, go in to your BIOS/CMOS setup - at boot look for the text that says e.g. Press F2 for Setup

 - Once in your BIOS setup, the job in hand is to find all of the options for where hard disc drives (HDD) can live, and disable all but the one on which your target hard disc lives. In my case, the motherboard has both an IDE interface for Hard Drives and a SATA interface. In the BIOS, all of these interfaces where set to auto-detect.  I worked out that my only hard drive was a SATA drive (By watching the diagnostic screen on the BIOS startup), and set both IDE channels to 'DISABLED'

If you are convinced that you have totally given Windows no option but to use the disc you intend, then you may well have the driver issue discussed above.

In this case, you have to go to the website of your PC manufacturer and find the relevant drivers. The disc partition selection screen in Windows 8 Setup has an option for you to change the drivers, so click this, and have the drivers you downloaded on a USB stick so Windows can grab them.

Hi, I am facing the same problem.

Have been on the phone with Microsoft for days. Great support but still no solution

Sony(My VAIO's manufaturer) made me reformat windows 7

And then I tried installing Windows 8 but still failed

ANY SOLUTIONS MICROSOFT??????

Hi,

Seems that the issue is caused by the SATA controller. Windows 8 can not correctly detect the hard disk connected with the controller. Please download the SATA controller driver and load it in choosing Partition phase. If still no go, you may try to plug the disk in another computer, then utilize Imagex command to extract install.wim manually to this disk=>Plug it in to the problematic computer.

This is Soooo frustrating.  Such poor quality software. I can't understand how Microsoft can let this kind of crap quality out the door.  The solution to this type of thing isn't rocket science, it's just simple quality control.  Microsoft has to try harder at coding and at testing.

No wonder apple is kicking Microsoft's ass in every market that they compete.

Hello,

Seems that the issue is caused by the SATA controller. I came across the same trouble, it has confused me a a lot, then one of my friends recommended me to use the partition assistant then everything becomes so easy. as i know it is developed by AOMEI Tech.

Hey guys so I was having the same problem, and here is what I did to fix it.

You will need another computer with windows installed and running.

connect the hard drive to the running windows, I connected mines through a sata to usb cable I have from an extra external hard drive.

Right click on My computer

Select Manage

On the left Colom under storage, select Disk Management

You should see the hard drive your trying to install windows on the bottom half of the screen.

Delete any partition on this disk and format

Right click on the disk and select "Mark partition Active"

Eject the hard drive and install it in the PC your setting up.

I did this and Windows 8 setup finally recognized the hard drive without loading any driver.

hope this helps GL!