New Computer please read me!

[SirCyber]

Hey guys I know it's been a while since I posted here, but I have a perplexing issue with a clients computer. Customer would like Windows 8.1 installed on his computer but I can't get the install to take. Customer has a SanDisk (Model SDSSD-128G) SSD. After the initialization of Windows is complete, computer reboots, but it will not load Windows. After lengthy searching I found the reason (given by Windows Repair) to be that it's missing a required partition. Windows partitioned the drive. I don't know what do do here so I'm falling back on the Forum, as you guys have never failed me.
Just an additional thought, during my searching for why it wouldn't boot into Windows, I did update the BIOS, but that was before I discovered that the problem was not with the mobo as initially thought.
Again, and as always, thanks for the insight and thoughts here guys.

 

[PP Mguire]

New install, delete all partitions on drive, create partition, let it create system partitions too, install Windows.

 

[carnageX]

New install, delete all partitions on drive, create partition, let it create system partitions too, install Windows.

Adding onto this, I'd recommend deleting all partitions/formatting using GParted. Windows formatting kinda sucks as it just does a quick format during install.

Boot off of GParted, delete all partitions, reformat as NTFS, create a single NTFS partition, and then boot off of the Windows install disc an select the partition you created in GParted to install onto.

 

[SirCyber]

PP Mguire, I had done that several times... enough times that I have the Windows Key memorized lol... Carnage X... I will try that with GParted... hadn't thought of that one yet.
Adding to that, I learned a little about the UEFI structure, seems that some drives now have a GPT partition, as opposed to an MBR. As seen here on part 3, https://www.winhelp.us/repair-your-computer-in-windows-8-page-2.html towards the middle of the page. That error is exactly the error I get in Windows Repair. I'm hoping that GParted will rectify that issue.

 

[carnageX]

GPT is required for drives that are larger than 2TB. The only way you can boot off of a GPT drive though, is if you have UEFI. Legacy BIOS can only boot off of MBR and not GPT based discs. UEFI can boot off of either, IIRC.

 

[SirCyber]

gparted brought the same issue... customer picked up computer today to ship back to manufacturer. :/ first time that's happened in a long time. thanks for that info though carnageX and PP Mguire... unfortunately I just waited to long to give the forum a shout for help.

 

[carnageX]

Weird, sorry to hear that didn't fix it.

You could try installing on another system temporarily with one of the "fake" keys provided by MS for trial use and see if it's possibly a bad install disc.

 

[cb600fshornet]

That's bizarre, after the installation is complete I tend to unplug the installation media (or eject it), so I know it's booting from the internal drive.

As a matter of course I usually disable the floppy drive in the BIOS (unless it actually has one...) and set Network Boot to last.