Windows setup unable to install windows 10 on new hard drive - total size 0 - free space 0

Question

I am trying to replace the hard drive on a Lenovo Ideapad 100s. The new disk is a WD3200BUCT and is seen in BIOS, however when starting install, windows set up shows Drive 0 Unallocated space Total size 0 and free space 0 "windows cannot be installed on this drive" (the partition is too small).

I have used Windows Explorer / Computer Management / Diskpart in Windows 10 (laboureous as this is the drive I want to replace), windows 7 desktop and windows 7 Netbook to format, convert to GPT, partition, delete partition, create volumes, delete volumes and so on. I have used Linux Mint 18.3 to do the same and every time the disk is visible, accessable and correct with 298GB of unallocated space / free space as a single volume, 2 partitions and unallocated space and any other variation that I could think of trying. But as soon as i place into the Lenovo laptop, I always get the same result. This is also seen in the command prompt Diskpart at this stage of the installation, but I cannot make any changes to the drive as I get the error "File not found". It allows me to clean the drive, saying clean successful, but a new command list disk shows no changes, still size 0 free space 0

I have booted the laptop (to commence the windows installation from USB) in UEFI and Legacy with the same result.

My understanding is that SATA interfaces are backwards compatible, so if the drive is SATA I (laptop has SATA II Interface) then it should still work (I think the replacement drive may actually be SATA I).

Then I thought it must be the driver but I successfully installed Mint 18.3 on the new drive in the Lenovo laptop and the device is recognised by the BIOS, so that cannot be it?

I have checked on Lenovo Support Website and this drive is listed as a suitable replacement.

Does anyone have any idea what this problem is and what can I do to resolve? Is is simply no more complicated than I should replace like for like and replace the old drive with the exact same model and capacity?

Many thanks in advance

Answer 1

WD disks are pretty standard and should not normally cause any problems. On the other hand, Linux succeeding in using the disk does not mean that Windows should also, since the disk drivers are different and may issue different commands to the disk controller.

It seems to me that the most likely explanation is that the disk is defective in a way that is only happening on Windows. Linux somehow avoids the problem.

As this seems to be a new disk, I suggest returning it and getting a replacement disk. If the same problem happens with the new disk, then you might have a hardware problem in your disk controller (but that is much less likely).