The existing partitions probably contain an operating system. If you try to install Windows over top of an existing Windows installation, it is called an “upgrade install” and you can’t do that if you run setup from the boot disc. An upgrade installation can only be performed by starting setup from within the running operating system.
To install windows from the boot disc, you will have to choose the free space or erase the existing partitions and allow Windows setup to create new ones. In this case, you should simply erase ALL partitions and then click Next. Windows will automatically create the necessary partitions at maximum size and continue.
Obviously, if you erase existing partitions it will also erase all the data on them.
I need to be able to select the partition in order to format it. The wizard should display the error instead of force selecting the unallocated space. And no, I am not trying ‘Upgrade Install’.
Do you, or did you have Linux installed on any of those partitions? If Windows setup can’t recognize the file systems it won’t let you do anything with them. You can try deleting the partition from the command line by pressing
SHIFT-F10. Once at the command prompt you can use diskpart to manage the partitions. Once you delete the problematic partition, you might need to reboot and start the Windows setup again. A better solution might be to use a partition manager boot disc that can re-organize the data and give you one chunk of free space you can use.I should also point out something I overlooked. One of those partitions is a logical partition, and I don’t think you can have a logical partition without a primary partition. So, this might also have something to do with it and is likely to keep you from removing the primary partition. Instead you can just try reformatting it NTFS from the command prompt, but first you’ll have to force mount it to a drive letter with diskpart.
Very strange, I was able to select the partition this time. 😮 WHYYYYY?
I feel like a dumb now. It was related to sticky space key. 😐