# This disk does not contain a windows xp-compatible partition (??)



## Elmer Fudd 58 (Jan 16, 2008)

Hi All,
I've done a 'Google' on the above and had loads of hits but so far I haven't found the definitive answer to the (my) problem, so I'm hoping someone here can help me out.

I'm not trying to install a system on a different system or anything like that, I just want to put XP Home back where it was ! My scenario follows:-

Maxtor 60gb HD *IDE* running 3 partitions, C_was _:upset: ntfs)= system, D: = (ntfs), My important stuff. E: = (ntfs), The stuff that you are told to "re-install Windows" to get it to work properly instead of the issues being resolved ( I digress !!), i.e. dotNET 2.0, 3.0 etc. Win Installer 3.1, SP3 ( I have a WinXP SP2 Home streamed cd) IE7, W.G.A. Photoshop, any redistributable updates as available, plus all the other O & E's needed to install without connecting to the web.

T'other day I 'lost' my firewall after uninstalling a defunct eset security suite (not right name I know) which I didn't find out about until PC was rebooted, but , not to worry, messed about a bit then thought, hey, a 39 minute recovery run and away I go again :grin:. Or not :sigh:. On second re-boot amibios (?) kicked in with an error message that I couldn't read fast enough so re-booted again and went into F2 where the clock had reset to 24th Sep 2001, so now I'm thinking PC is dead.

I managed get through that and the cd loaded, I made an option (install new), I then hit the *"This disk does not contain a windows xp-compatible partition"* message where you go back and (re)create a partition, use existing partition, scratch your bum, have a beer  but always end up back at the:-
"****To install Windows XP on the partition you selected, Setup must write some startup files to the following disk:

However, this disk does not contain a Windows XP-compatible partition.

To continue installing Windows XP, return to the partition selection screen(done that) and create a Windows XP-compatible partition on the disk above(done that). If there is no free space on the disk, delete an existing partition(done that), and then create a new one(and that).

To return to the partition selection screen, press ENTER(done that, now go back to ***).*"

I now have the original system partition which is in RAW or "unassigned"(my only options) configuration, the "backup" partition and the "my bits" partition. I've even tried overwriting both of the ntfs partitions and end up here*** again.

I suppose my question really is:- How do I make the unassigned (which was my system partition) windows XP-compatible when there are no options to format ?
Windows just seems to tell you it isn't compatible only to send you back to the screen you came from with no other options but to follow the instructions and end up back at the beginning of this sentence, ad infinitum. ( Just remembered, its Windoze, or I'm missing something !!)

I've reinstalled XP loads of times on this partition/disk, with the (MY) same cd, as I like to "rip the guts" out of XP home (who wants movie maker ? BIN IT ! as a very simple example !) and this is the 1st time I have ever encountered this issue.

By the way I'm writing this on the same PC but with my old HD (10gb!!) inserted which amazingly still knows its way about.

TIA Elmer


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## Fren Banklin (Nov 6, 2008)

Erm, why not boot to the O/S disk and reformat the partition(s) ?


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## Elmer Fudd 58 (Jan 16, 2008)

Fren Banklin said:


> Erm, why not boot to the O/S disk and reformat the partition(s) ?





Elmer Fudd 58 said:


> "****To install Windows XP on the partition you selected, Setup must write some startup files to the following disk:
> 
> However, this disk does not contain a Windows XP-compatible partition.
> 
> ...


Afraid I'm not seeing an option to reformat the (any) partition, only when I get to the installation screen would I see that.

I'm not getting that far. Cannot install on either of the ntfs partitions either and they're both big enough (6gb & 10gb)

Elmer


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## redoak (Mar 19, 2008)

Is there a "C" partition? I believe the OS will be looking for that.
Just a wild guess.

FYI: "XP" likes to have a minimum of 12 GB just for itself if it is to function well. Additional space would have to be provided for programs, etc.

{redoak}


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## Elmer Fudd 58 (Jan 16, 2008)

thanks for the responses, yea I do believe it was looking for a 'C' drive. Anyways, I resolved the issue, What WinXP is really looking for is an "empty" space, as in neither a non-formatted or formatted partition will do. It has to be an *unallocated partition *so the O/S disc can format *after* you've confirmed you want to install, whereas before I could make a partition "unformatted" but not unallocated

What I did (and I suppose I was lucky here) was inserted the "broken" Maxtor HD into my system where my broken cd-r should be, copied all info off the 2 ntfs partitions to the spare (old, in use) hard drive, (just in case !) made the "C" partition unallocated, swapped the 2 HDs' over and re-installed.

Worked a treat although how you get on with just the one drive is beyond me still, but I'll not worry meself over it !! I always wondered why I left XP on my old drive, I now know why !!


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## DytallixB (Jan 11, 2009)

This issue is alive and well with the Windows 7 public beta (build 7000). I have four SATA drives in a JBOD setup and Windows 7 kept saying "setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition" when I tried to install to an empty partition. 

No matter what I did (format as NTFS, FAT32, leave raw) Windows didn't like the drive. 

I got suspicious when i tried to install Windows XP to this partition and got a similar error from the XP installer. 

After unplugging the power from all of my drives except the one with the partition, the installer went ahead without any problems.


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## DCSlatter (Apr 14, 2009)

I had the same problem - I corrected this issue by disabling one of my drives in the BIOS. Booted from CD and started the install on the empty partition


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## pgn674 (Jun 1, 2009)

I had a similar problem as well. I was trying to install to a SATA drive. I unplugged my other 2 SATA drives and it worked.


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## lorjack (Nov 15, 2007)

Well since everybody is posting their own solutions to this problem i think I'll add to it.

The way i fixed this issue is i created the partition with fdisk and marked it as an active partition.


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## Niram (Jun 20, 2009)

incredible I have the same problem, will try your solutions


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## freko (Oct 20, 2009)

Hi!

I found a more simple solution than disconnecting the other harddrives, just simply change disk priority in BIOS and it will install without any problem.


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## kristinica (Oct 30, 2009)

Hello, I got the same error, but on a single wdc 500gb hdd, partitioned in 3. Most of the solutions above are based on disabling a drive etc., this is not an option for me. I had Ubuntu for some time, but had to quickly move back to WinXP. Tried installing XP on the 20gb partition (which I had deleted) and got the error. I also tried using fdisk and setting the bootable and/or dos-compatibility flags; also tried the repair option in Win setup, using format tool to manually create the ntfs partition; nothing worked, same error!  Can anyone please help?


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## kristinica (Oct 30, 2009)

I found a solution. Windows recovery console, from where formatted again the partition to ntfs, then ran fixboot, fixmbr and systemroot for the same partition (which fixed the boot sector and changed the partition letter to C, then rebooted, re-ran the setup and it recognized the partition.


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