Need help with windows 7 installation on driveless laptop.

Cerune

Solid State Member
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Puerto Rico
Okay, so my stepfathers laptop was chuck-full of malware to the point where it was barely serviceable. I convinced him it was time to re-install it's OS since it was so screwed that it just wasn't worth the head ache to try to find and remove everything.

So I made a bootable usb installation and went ahead with installing. So when I get to the partitioning/drive setup step I go about it like normal but run into a huge problem, two to be exact.

Problem 1. "Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup lof files for more information."

I did some research and found that the problem was caused by the usb device being plugged in at the moment of selecting a drive. The computer doesn't know what to do about having an extra memory attached to it and so it gives you a generic error.

Problem 2. So I take the usb off and try to hit next again and get this error "Error: 0x80300001". After more research I found that this happens because the installer doesn't have the data it needs to install since the usb is now disconnected and won't let me continue.

So I'm stuck in a situation where I can't do anything since the laptop doesn't have a CD/DVD drive. I'm wondering if it's possible to create a small partition, copy the installation files over to it, then run that from BIOS and install like that? I honestly have no idea what to do about this. The laptop doesn't have an OS anymore, so I kinda HAVE to find a way to fix this.
 
I have no idea how to check since there's no OS installed.
Somewhere around the actual port you should hopefully see one of two icons:
USB 2.0
usb20.jpg

USB 3.0
usb30.jpg
FYI, that symbol is an "SS"

Also if the port looks blue like in picture, then that's also an indicator that it's USB 3.0.
 
Try this:

1. Boot windows installation from USB drive
2. Press Shift+F10
2. In command window, type diskpart and press enter. In this program, type the following commands:
list disk
- that command will bring all available disk that the installation detects. find the one that matches the hard drive.
select disk 0
- select the disk number whichever is the hard drive.
clean
- wipes the hard drive
create partition primary
- creates 1 primary partition for the Windows installation to install to.
active
- marks this partition as "active", and also makes the disk bootable.
format fs=ntfs label=OS quick
- format the hard drive with NTFS, calling it the "OS" drive.
assign letter=c
- give the formatted partition the drive letter of "c". If you get an error at this step, then you will have to restart, press F10 again to see the command window, and then repeat the command to assign the letter "c".

Once finished, type exit twice to leave "Diskpart" and then close the command window. Then try your windows installation again.
 
Try this:

1. Boot windows installation from USB drive
2. Press Shift+F10
2. In command window, type diskpart and press enter. In this program, type the following commands:
list disk
- that command will bring all available disk that the installation detects. find the one that matches the hard drive.
select disk 0
- select the disk number whichever is the hard drive.
clean
- wipes the hard drive
create partition primary
- creates 1 primary partition for the Windows installation to install to.
active
- marks this partition as "active", and also makes the disk bootable.
format fs=ntfs label=OS quick
- format the hard drive with NTFS, calling it the "OS" drive.
assign letter=c
- give the formatted partition the drive letter of "c". If you get an error at this step, then you will have to restart, press F10 again to see the command window, and then repeat the command to assign the letter "c".

Once finished, type exit twice to leave "Diskpart" and then close the command window. Then try your windows installation again.

Tried this, still getting the same 2 errors.
 
Have you tried getting to the screen with the drives while the flash drive is plugged in, unplug it, and tried refreshing the list? And then plug it back in after you are able to select your partition?
 
Have you tried getting to the screen with the drives while the flash drive is plugged in, unplug it, and tried refreshing the list? And then plug it back in after you are able to select your partition?

I'm not able to hit next when I don't have the usb connected, so when I refresh without it I can't advance until I refresh again, and then problem #1 happens.
 
sounds like windows is attempting to install the boot loader on the usb. Windows has a nasty habit of placing the boot files on another drive.
After you remove all the existing partitions, create a new partition but just before you create the new partition, un-plug the usb and after it's done making the partitions you should see a separate 100 mb partition along with the partition to install windows onto.
Plug the usb back in and format the partition to install windows onto
 
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