Vista - Help with Vista Install?

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.

Repurchase Vista..are you joking? Whats that got to do with this problem? Sorry to be so blunt but that advice is complete bollox mate.

Poster heres info on GPT drives from MS:

Using GPT Drives

Note: Installing a Windows x64 Edition operating system on a GPT disk is not supported. Attempting to do so yields an error. Although Setup allows you to choose a GPT disk partition on the partition selection screen during Text Mode Setup, doing so displays an error message. To assist users in avoiding this error, the partition selection screen clearly indicates whether the partition is configured as an MBR drive or a GPT drive.

I think its basically saying you cant use a GPT drive or format it to NTFS to use Windows, so looks like a new hard drive.

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