Please forgive me for not being very knowledgable, but I'm doing the best I can. I've got a laptop and I'm trying to install Vista Home Premium on it (I have no idea whether or not it's x64 or anything like that). I put in my product key and it works fine, but when it asks where I want it installed, it says "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style." No matter what I do, I cannot get it to work. I keep getting that same message. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

At the start of the install, select the option to reformat your hard disk/partition.

I did that, and it keeps giving me that same error.

Originally Posted by Xopher

Please forgive me for not being very knowledgable, but I'm doing the best I can. I've got a laptop and I'm trying to install Vista Home Premium on it (I have no idea whether or not it's x64 or anything like that). I put in my product key and it works fine, but when it asks where I want it installed, it says "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style." No matter what I do, I cannot get it to work. I keep getting that same message. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

At the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen hit Shift+F10 to bring up a command prompt.
Type "diskpart" and hit enter.
Type "list disk" and hit enter.
Type "select disk x" replacing x with the number of the disk you want to install Windows to.(Typically you will see a * under GPT for the disk you are having a problem installing to.)
Type "clean" and hit enter. (SEE NOTE BELOW!!!!!)
Type "exit" and hit enter.
Close the command prompt window.
Click Refresh in the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen.
You should now be able to install windows on the disk that was GPT formatted.

***NOTE*** The clean command will destroy ALL data on the disk you run it on!!! This includes any OEM specific hidden recovery partitions etc. Be absolutely SURE there is NOTHING you need to keep on that disk before running any of these commands. Also this typically converts the disk from GPT back to MBR, you may alternativly use the convert command in diskpart. To read the help in diskpart, type "help commandnamehere" for more info...

Thanks Jowie. I had the same problem and diskpart did the trick.

after ive selected disc and i hit enter then type clean and enter, should i be able type exit straight away or do i have to wait. please can someone help as i have been without an os for 3 days now

Originally Posted by Jowie

Originally Posted by Xopher

Please forgive me for not being very knowledgable, but I'm doing the best I can. I've got a laptop and I'm trying to install Vista Home Premium on it (I have no idea whether or not it's x64 or anything like that). I put in my product key and it works fine, but when it asks where I want it installed, it says "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style." No matter what I do, I cannot get it to work. I keep getting that same message. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

At the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen hit Shift+F10 to bring up a command prompt.
Type "diskpart" and hit enter.
Type "list disk" and hit enter.
Type "select disk x" replacing x with the number of the disk you want to install Windows to.(Typically you will see a * under GPT for the disk you are having a problem installing to.)
Type "clean" and hit enter. (SEE NOTE BELOW!!!!!)
Type "exit" and hit enter.
Close the command prompt window.
Click Refresh in the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen.
You should now be able to install windows on the disk that was GPT formatted.

***NOTE*** The clean command will destroy ALL data on the disk you run it on!!! This includes any OEM specific hidden recovery partitions etc. Be absolutely SURE there is NOTHING you need to keep on that disk before running any of these commands. Also this typically converts the disk from GPT back to MBR, you may alternativly use the convert command in diskpart. To read the help in diskpart, type "help commandnamehere" for more info...

You are a lifesaver this worked great. Except in my case I didnt have a DO YOU WANT TO INSTALL WINDOWS, I had to go into the install then select advanced then command prompt but the rest worked great!