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Level 1

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Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style

I have an iMac (Mid-2007) 24” aluminum iMac, shipped with 4GB RAM and the Hitachi 1 TB HDD when I originally purchased it.

I purchased and installed the latest same family Hitachi drive at now 3TB in size. Installed Snow Leopard successfully and have a 3 TB HDD HFS+ (GUID partitioned) disk available and working.

I have now moved on to setting up BootCamp to reinstall my Windows Vista (32bit) BootCamp setup. I installed latest MacFuse, and latest opensource NTFS-3G first. Then I initiated the BootCamp Assistant in the Utilities.

I selected 170GB partition through the BootCamp Assistant, I then popped in the Vista Ultimate DVD and restarted through BootCamp Assistant to install Vista. Vista installer booted up and after entering in my activation key, came to the point where you select the partition. I selected the Bootcamp partition and it reported: Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style. There was a format option button available and so I tried to format the FAT32 partition to NTFS using the button but after running the format option I still received the Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style.

I restarted to OSX and then cleared out the partition and re-initiated the bootcamp assistant to rebuild a partition, again same size and this time I quit out of the BootCamp Assistant and then using Disk Utility and the Erase selection for the BootCamp partition I changed the Partition from FAT32 to NTFS (3G) Partition. I then went back to Bootcamp, initiated the windows setup again and restarted into Vista Ultimate install. Again I can see the Bootcamp partition but again I see the same GPT error message for the new NTFS partition stating: Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style.

I have trolled through hours of discussion boards and links and can’t seem to figure out the way to fix this.

Summary:

3 TB HDD, GUID Partition, HFS+

with 170 TB BootCamp partition, Disk Utility modified from Fat32 to NTFS (MacFuse/3G)

Using BootCamp Assistant to install Vista Ultimate (32bit)

Install cannot move past the Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style. error message.

Have I missed something basic?

Thanks, sorry to rehash, however I could not find this exact issue.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.7), Vista Ultimate (32bit) Bootcamp

Posted on Jun 2, 2011 1:45 PM

20 replies

Eati7

Level 1

0 points

Sep 26, 2014 10:05 AM in response to schoney

This is what worked for me...

1. Create a windows bootable USB WITHOUT using boot camp...I made mine using Rufus on windows... You could use the windows USB tool... Not sure how to do this step on Mac...

2. Use boot camp to download the drivers... Untick the other two boxes for now... Save the download somewhere else... Maybe on another USB or the desktop...

3. Use bootcamp to install Windows... Choose the position size... Computer will restart after a while and windows installation should start automatically...

4. Select the required bootcamp drive and format it again...

5. Continue with the installation...

6. After everything is done find the folder where you downloaded the drivers and run the setup...

7. If this works... Awesome... Send me a million dollars... Of it didn't... I'm sorry... All the best...

Eati7

Level 1

0 points

Sep 26, 2014 10:11 AM in response to Eati7

Sorry about the typos in the above post... Stupid auto correct...

I meant partition size... Not position... In step 3... Make sure you have only install Windows 7 ticked...

Dec 6, 2014 10:07 AM in response to Mecdot

When I ran into this issue and it said I couldn't install Windows because the partition was of the GPT part, I chose format and it seemed to do something and then failed. So I quit the install and pressed 'option' while it rebooted. I chose the EFI to boot from (not the USB or DVDROM) and it let me install it. Weird.

sinerge

Level 1

0 points

Dec 25, 2014 12:16 PM in response to guiltriddenPCtraitor

Thanks guiltriddenPCtraitor. Choosing EFI instead of Windows to boot from let me install. Doesn't make much sense but works.

b9bot

Level 1

8 points

Dec 11, 2016 10:33 PM in response to schoney

I ran into this problem myself and was able to fix it. So if you have already ran Bootcamp and partitioned your drive for windows you will first need to run Bootcamp again and uninstall and remove the Windows partition.

Then restart your Mac and reset PRAM. Yes that's right reset PRAM.

Then go through the Bootcamp process creating your installer and partitioning your drive.

Restart into the Windows installer go through the steps until you reach the part where you pick Bootcamp partition. Select that and format it. You will no longer get any errors and Windows should proceed with the install.

Tier 2 support was notified and will forward this to there engineers for Bootcamp to hopefully fix this soon.

Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style