Windows install error - unrecognized partition style

[maxmiaggi]

Hello. I won't say I am new to ubuntu, I have around 2 months experience in working with it.

So last week, I had Windows 7 installed in my laptop, which wasn't working as expected. So I decided to remove it and reinstall it, but this time side by side with ubuntu.

So I downloaded Ubuntu 10.04 LTS and installed it in my laptop (I actually chose to remove everything and install ubuntu, my bad). So everything was proper till here, and then I made a partition. The screenshot explains it. Since Windows cannot be installed in ext4 file system, I made it as NTFS.

Now during installation of windows from its DVD, it pops up an error:
"Windows cannot be installed to Disk 0 Partition 3"
The details:
"Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style"

Even though I format it then and there itself, the same error occurs. I even tried deleting the partition and recreating it, but with absolutely no success.

There is something called Partition Type - "Linux Basic Data Partition". I even tried changing it to "MBR Partition Scheme", "Microsoft Basic Data Partition", etc, but still no luck.

Now what am I supposed to do? How do I install windows in the partition? Please Help.

Thanks in advance.

[LinuxFan999]

Are you using 32 bit or 64 bit Windows?

[maxmiaggi]

32 bit windows 7

[LinuxFan999]

GPT is not supported by 32 bit Windows 7.

[maxmiaggi]

Well, I also have the DVD for 64 bit windows 7, but I prefer 32 bit since many of the softwares that I have are designed for 32 bit.

In that case, which partition style should I choose in order to install 32 bit windows?

[LinuxFan999]

You will need the MBR partition style (Master Boot Record).

[maxmiaggi]

I tried that, but with no luck. The same error occurs. :(

[LinuxFan999]

What motherboard do you have?

[maxmiaggi]

well, I have a Dell Studio 15 Core2duo, so dont have exact idea of the motherboard in it.
Btw, 32 bit windows used to work fine in it till last week

[LinuxFan999]

How much memory do you have? if you have 4 Gigabytes or more, you should use the 64 bit version of Windows 7. 32 bit Windows software works in 64 bit Windows.

[maxmiaggi]

i tried it with 64 bit now, but same error.. windows can't install in a gpt partition. i even changed the partition scheme to mbr.
now what to do??

[oldfred]

Often tools do not totally remove the gpt data as it has backups where MBR does not. GPT is the newer improved partition type but Window 7 only works if booting from a new UEFI system that replaces BIOS.

Fixparts - Repair broken partition tables (not overlapping issues) & delete Stray gpt data from MBR drives
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1705325
http://www.rodsbooks.com/fixparts/

Best to backup partition table first:
sudo sfdisk -d /dev/sda > partssda.txt

[maxmiaggi]

I tried using fixparts, but the following is displayed:


mayank@mayank-laptop:~$ sudo fixparts /dev/sda
FixParts 0.8.0

Loading MBR data from /dev/sda

This disk appears to be a GPT disk. Use GNU Parted or GPT fdisk on it!
Exiting!


I double checked it. The partition scheme is MBR.

:confused: :( How to fix this problem?

[oldfred]

Post this, does it look like my sda(MBR/msdos) or my sdb (gpt)?

sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print


fred@fred-MavericDT:~$ sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print
[sudo] password for fred:
Model: ATA MAXTOR STM316081 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 312581808s
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 63s 115330634s 115330572s primary ntfs boot
4 115330635s 156296384s 40965750s primary fat32
2 156296385s 312576704s 156280320s primary ext3

fred@fred-MavericDT:~$ sudo parted /dev/sdb unit s print
Model: ATA MAXTOR STM316081 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 312581808s
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 34s 16064s 16031s bios_grub
2 16065s 51215219s 51199155s ext4 MAVERICK
3 51215220s 57352049s 6136830s linux-swap(v1)
4 57352050s 312576704s 255224655s ext4

[maxmiaggi]

I get this:



mayank@mayank-laptop:~$ sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print
[sudo] password for mayank:
Model: ATA ST9320423ASG (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 625142448s
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 2048s 312498175s 312496128s ext4 Windows Main
2 312498176s 330076159s 17577984s linux-swap(v1)
3 330076160s 625142414s 295066255s ntfs Windows Main

[oldfred]

It sure looks like a gpt disk.

You then need to use gdisk to convert it.
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/mbr2gpt.html#gpt2mbr

[maxmiaggi]

It sure looks like a gpt disk.

You then need to use gdisk to convert it.
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/mbr2gpt.html#gpt2mbr

Well, I went through the details, and downloaded GPT fdisk from SourceForge as described here:
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/download.html

The downloaded file is a rpm file, inside which there is a tarball. Now how to proceed and run it? The instructions on the site are way too much complicated for me. I couldn't comprehend them.

Thanks.

[oldfred]

If you go the the bottom of this page it has .deb downloads.

http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/download.html#sourcerpm

From a .deb you can just click on it and install. Ubuntu also has a older version in the repository that you can download.

[maxmiaggi]

Hello oldfred

I have used the gdisk to convert my gpt disk into mbr. Now, it looks somewhat like this:


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print
Model: ATA ST9320423ASG (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 625142448s
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 2048s 312498175s 312496128s primary ext4
2 312498176s 330076159s 17577984s primary linux-swap(v1)
3 330076160s 625142414s 295066255s primary ntfs
But there is one problem. During reboot, it shows


error: no such partition.
grub rescue>And thus I am not able to boot up. Right now, I am using a LiveUSB. How to proceed now?

[oldfred]

After a partition change like that you almost always have to reinstall grub2's boot loader to the MBR. And sometimes you have to chroot into your install and do a full reinstall of grub.

#Comments are anything after the #, enter commands in terminal session
#Install MBR from LiveCD, Ubuntu install on sda1 and want grub2's bootloader in drive sda's MBR:
#Find linux partition, change sda1 if not correct:
sudo fdisk -l
#confirm that linux is sda1
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda
#If grub 1.99 with Natty uses boot not root.
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sda
#If that returns any errors run:
sudo grub-install --recheck --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda

# If no errors on previous commands reboot into working system and run this:
sudo update-grub

#More info here
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#Copy_LiveCD_Files
#How to restore the Ubuntu/XP/Vista/7 bootloader (Updated for Ubuntu 9.10)
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1014708
#Reinstall grub2 - Short version
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#Reinstalling%20GRUB%202

[maxmiaggi]

Hello oldfred

I reinstalled the grub and now I am able to boot into ubuntu. But there is one more problem. The windows still doesn't recognize the partition type. I have attached the screenshot when I open up 'Disk Utility'.

It shows EFI (FAT-12/16/32) (0xef) as the partition type. When I change it to HPFS/NTFS (0x07), then it shows the following error (screenshot attached).

Now what to do?

Thanks

[oldfred]

The efi is legitimate only for a 100 to 200MB efi boot FAT32 partition. Usually in gpt.

Backup partition table to text file & save to external device.
sudo sfdisk -d /dev/sda > PTsda.txt

copy & paste PTsda.txt to here.

Is it sda3?

sudo sfdisk --print-id /dev/sda 3

Then you can change sda3 to type 83

sudo sfdisk --change-id /dev/sda 3 83

[maxmiaggi]

id 83 corresponds to linux. linux is installed in sda1. so I should also change it for sda1?

btw, I want to install windows to sda3. So, should I change the id to 83 (linux) or 07 (NTFS) ??

[oldfred]

OOPS, if sda3 is NTFS then you are correct it should be 7.

sudo sfdisk --change-id /dev/sda 3 7

[maxmiaggi]

Thank You oldfred! Thanks a lot! You are great! That did it :):)

I owe you one! :)

[oldfred]

Glad you got it working. :)