Please help me get Windows.

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varun706

varun706

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Apr 26, 2011
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Hello everybody,

I'm in neck deep trouble. So, I'm seeking your help.

Here's my problem:

I installed Linux Mint 15 on my laptop (Lenovo Ideapad Z500) alongside Windows 8. Atleast that was my plan. During the installation, the Windows installation got botched up.
I didn't realize that until the moment I wanted to boot into Windows. I couldn't make out what the error was.

Then I got a copy of Windows 8.1 Pro. I wanted to remove Linux for now and put on Windows.
But during choosing which drive to install, I accidentally deleted the partition containing Windows OS. Now I don't have any partition to install Windows. The installer says that I can't install Windows because that partition was in GPT format. I don't know what to make out of it.
I can't even install it on any other partition because they are reserved. Then I deleted the partition containing Linux and I dont even have Linux now. I don't know what to do.

I tried to use Linux on my pendrive and format that partition in NTFS, still of no use.
Now, I'm left with a perfectly working laptop with a botched up hard drive. It has like 7 or 8 partitions. 2 of them which I can't install windows on and the rest being reserved for OEM, EFI etc..

Please help me get through with this situation. I want to have Windows 8 Pro or 8.1 Pro. I'll think about linux later.

I didn't know to which category my problem fits into, because installing linux landed me into this I'm posting my problem here.

Thank You for reading through. Any help is highly appreciated.
I'll be ready to clarify any doubts. I'm in need of urgent help.
 
Solution
M
Probably best to delete all partitions & MBR first

Note removing partitions is not enough as frequently windows has problems with removing or recognising unix/Linux MBR & boot loaders

Depending on bios /Uefi settings you can set to only boot to signed operating system which includes windows 8.x and recent Redhat Linux
Good for security but limits what rescue disks you can use

Just another thought is your windows 8.1 pro a upgrade or full version ?difference is in very small print. My W8.0 upgrade has 32 & 64 bit DVDs
Use 64 bit version with Uefi gpt

Regards
Mike Barnes

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mbarnes86

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Sep 16, 2010
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Hi

Use a live Linux cd or USB to recover all your data

Find a utility which wipes the partition cylinder or MBR
MBR wizard or hitachi dos hard disk diagnostics
(Assuming hitachi or get equivalent for your brand of hard disk
In advanced options there is usually wipe /erase whole disk or MBR

Then start again with win 8 pro (assuming full or oem rather than retail upgrade AND you have correct unused key)

I don't think you need gpt boot sector unless disk greater than 2TB
But take whatever the OS thinks is the default

If you are going to install Linux again read up on which to install first and what boot manager to use otherwise installing Linux is likely to break windows boot manager

Regards

Mike Barnes
 
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varun706

varun706

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Oh man, thanks for your quick reply.

BTW, if I delete every other partition which is reserverd for like, EFI, OEM or whatever will it not be a problem in getting help from lenovo in the future???

I have a big partition of 900 odd GB on which I can't install Windows because as per the installer, they are in GPT format.

And I've been thinking of giving my laptop to service by lenovo to replace the hard drive. Will that work?
 
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Someone Somewhere

Someone Somewhere

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Sep 23, 2012
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GPT/MBR isn't a per partition thing; it's the whole drive. Deleting every partition lets Windows replace the partition table.

The OEM partition has your factory install stuff in it, but if you've got a disk, you should be fine. They shouldn't care about you wiping your HDD.

Lenovo could replace your drive, but it would be a waste of money and time - you can fix it easily.

The other easy way to fix the GPT error is to boot off the disk in UEFI mode, not legacy.
 
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varun706

varun706

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I'm using Linux Mint 15 on my pendrive right now, but I don't think I can recover any data because the Windows partition was deleted and formatted atleast a couple of times. And I don't think I want to recover any software I was using because I wanted Windows 8.1 pro to be like a complete start over.
Yeah, the hard drive now has a number of reserved partitions. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't deleting those will be a problem for getting help from lenovo later?
I have a retail version of Win 8.1 pro. Is that a problem? I don't think I'll be using Linux on this laptop any time soon, I have *nix on my home PC.
 
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varun706

varun706

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Ok I'll delete all the partitions, will I be then alloed to install windows?
I'll try booting from UEFI.
 
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mbarnes86

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Sep 16, 2010
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Probably best to delete all partitions & MBR first

Note removing partitions is not enough as frequently windows has problems with removing or recognising unix/Linux MBR & boot loaders

Depending on bios /Uefi settings you can set to only boot to signed operating system which includes windows 8.x and recent Redhat Linux
Good for security but limits what rescue disks you can use

Just another thought is your windows 8.1 pro a upgrade or full version ?difference is in very small print. My W8.0 upgrade has 32 & 64 bit DVDs
Use 64 bit version with Uefi gpt

Regards
Mike Barnes

 
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Solution
varun706

varun706

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Apr 26, 2011
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So, I'll delete all the partitions and then boot the disc off from UEFI mode and try to install windows. I'll update you up about that in two hours, gotta have diner now.

Thanks to you guys for bearing with me.
 
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varun706

varun706

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Thanks to you guys, you have been very helpful to me.

I just deleted every other partitions and just allowed me to install 8.1 pro. I'm using it right now and I'm loving it.
All this wouldn't have been possible without the help from mbarnes86 and Someone Somewhere. I was having one of the worst weekends and you two have made my Sunday evening.

Once again, Thank You.
 
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