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Windows installer will create 3 volumes from unallocated space but errors on installation. iirc the partitions are EFI, wsr(?) - each a few 100mb only max, and the main data volume which takes up the rest of the space.

When I try to install Windows onto the largest volume on the drive I get an error We couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one.

I tried following this guide https://appuals.com/fix-we-couldnt-create-a-new-partition-or-locate-an-existing-one/ . The last time I tried I got an error about the drive having a MBR partition table.

I've used the same USB drive to install Windows 11 previously on the same machine so I'm a bit stumped as to what the problem is.

The drive had a working Windows 11 install on it until I wiped it under linux. I've recreated the partition table and zero'd out the disk but so far the issue hasn't changed.

I see there's a similar issue Windows installation: Couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one but it doesn't resolve my problem.

Motherboard is a Gigabyte Z490 Vision-D

Setup Logs: setuperr.log setupact.log 1/2 setupact.log 2/2

Step 1 - Install to Unallocated Space Install process: beginning with unallocated space

Step 2 - During installation error occurs Error encountered trying install to unallocated space

Step 3 - Installing on the newly created volume gives an error Installer creates partitions but errors when trying to install to them

Partitions created by Windows 11 Installer This is the partition map created by the windows 11 installer when beginning from unallocated space

enter image description here The partition table has been recreated as GPT but the issue remains

enter image description here This is the output of diskutil list disk

Scottmeup
  • 159

4 Answers4

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During the installation, delete the partitions whose space you wish to use for the installation. Once that space is converted into Unallocated, install Windows into this space.

If you have deleted multiple non-contiguous partitions, use a third-party bootable partition editor to move the partitions on the disk so that the Unallocated space becomes one unique space.

harrymc
  • 498,455
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From the Setup log files it appears that Windows is searching all around for the EFI System Partition (ESP) but somehow doesn’t find it even though it’s there. Maybe some other drive is confusing Setup.

Earlier, Windows Setup was notorious for placing the boot partition (the ESP predecessor, if you will) on whatever drive, which often enough was not the drive the Windows system partition was installed on. This lead to confusion and boot errors when removing or replacing seemingly unrelated drives. It appears this behavior still exists.

My suggestion to ensure the installation is “self-contained” is to remove/disconnect all other drives, so only the target drive and the installation USB/DVD drive remains.

The target drive would ideally not contain any partitions or at least no existing EFI System Partition.

If no (zero) partitions are present, Windows will also automatically create a GUID Partition Table (GPT, UEFI Boot) or MBR Partition Table (Legacy Boot) as needed, no fiddling with diskpart, convert gpt or convert mbr required.

Once the installation is finished, you can put back the other drives and assign drive letters as usual.

user219095
  • 65,551
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What just solved this for me was to delete some leftover "System" partitions (from former Windows/Linux installs) on OTHER drives. Once there was only one System partition left, the one created by the installer itself, the installation started just fine, no further errors.

Gabor R
  • 11
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I had this error with the USB I prepared using instructions in How to Make a Windows 10 USB Using Your Mac - Build a Bootable ISO From Your Mac's Terminal. I created a USB recovery drive from another Windows machine and it worked fine.

Jason Miller
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