MBR partition table? Windows 7 won't install on hard drive that previously had win7.

Anonymous

(long story) Alright, so I have had this same exact harddrive for a while, and out of nowhere, I get a message: Microsoft Windows has stopped responding. I think, oh ****! I gotta restart it! And so I hard-restart it and now windows won't load. I get the bios, but not the OS. So I try to save my files and reinstall windows7 by using a linux usb to save my stuff, except that doesnt work. So I accept my fate, use GParted to format the partition to NTFS and then I restart and boot up from the windows install disc. And I go to install windows on the empty partition (also I guess I should mention there is another partition that's 100mb and says sytem reserved, I never touched that one) and I get this and I quote "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks." and thats it. And the weird thing is, I installed win7 on that SAME harddrive before with now problems. So did my Hard drive poop out on me? Is windows just being a butt? Help pls, I NEED my computer, I am in a programming for game design class and I need my PC in order to make my end of the year project. (Oh, I guess I should also mention I am currently using a Lubuntu usb stick to type this... if that is relevant at all...) Oh, and the windows version is 7 ultimate.

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Greg Carmack 24,780 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2016-02-15T22:38:31+00:00

Is this the key on the COA sticker that came on PC?

Are you saying it now installs with new ISO?
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Anonymous

2016-02-15T22:59:06+00:00

No. I have a physical copy of win7 ultimate. A set of dvds one 64 bit and one 32 bit. On microsofts website they have the iso available for download amd to get the download, you need a valid product key, and i put in the key from my physical copy and i can download it. I have not made the disk yet.
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Anonymous

2016-02-16T13:17:38+00:00

wait, im sorry, first, i dont have an issue with the gpt mbr **** anymore...

So the Windows setup program can now create and format partitions on the disk? What was the fix for this? Change the BIOS SATA/AHCI/Compatibility settings?

John
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Anonymous

2016-02-17T00:33:25+00:00

Well, I tried again a bit later after I wrote that, and the error that says my computer's hardware may not support booting from this disk reappeared... so I believe it's my installation disk. So I'm trying to make a new one. So I need the iso, Microsoft allows the download of the iso as long as you have a product key, so i input my product key and now i have to select a language... And for whatever reason, english isnt an option. And so after a couple hours of BS tech chatting, I find out that they are currently fixing this and I have to wait... Unless I get the iso elsewhere, but I'm not too keen on taking a chance that it might be infected with something. If anyone here could point me to a reliable source, that would be greatly appreciated.
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Greg Carmack 24,780 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2016-02-17T01:32:34+00:00

I wonder if this has to do with the language coded into the URL being wrong.

For example the URL I'm showing and which I've linked in Wiki's and threads is:

https://www.microsoft.com/**en-us**/software-download/home

Yours may differ. Can you check now what language is in the URL you're using?

The highlighted code may need to be changed to your language and locale (if applicable). Check now.
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