When you start a Windows installation and go through the process of choosing a place to store it, the installation may suddenly stop with a notification: “Could not create a new or find an existing system partition during Windows installation”. In earlier versions with a similar incident, it was enough several times to try to start the process again, and the fault disappeared by itself, but now this method does not work. In most cases, this happens after the physical replacement of the hard drive or the mutual integration of elements from one placement standard to another.

Troubleshoot Windows Installer errors.

Error reason

The essence of the message: “We were unable to create a new or find an existing system partition” is reduced to the fact that the solid-state drive or the existing structure does not give “space to create” for another section where Windows will be. Pay attention to four situations:

1. Look at the window under the heading “Where do you want to install Windows?”: If it contains only “Disk 0”, which is not divided into sections, then this is exactly the reason for the error. Memory is not properly shared, and the installer understands this.
2. The disk was cleaned and divided into volumes manually, and, in the calculation did not take the amount of memory required to form another volume under the OS. The Installation Wizard perceives this as a lack of space for implementing the necessary elements and stops the process.
3. Immediately look at which disk is in the priority of BSVV / UEFI, and make sure that the non-system drive is not highlighted there, and change the order if necessary.
4. If you start the installation from removable media, it may be displayed instead of the internal memory of the PC. In BSVV, determine the device in priority as the source of the boot (if it does not have the old OS). This will not cause any confusion, but will remove the obstacle.

Correction of error in the absence of important data on the disk / partition

If you do not risk losing the necessary files, you can quickly solve the problem "The installation program, unfortunately, could not create a new or find an existing system partition." Act in this order:

1. At the stage “choose a hard disk partition”, select the desired one and delete it (button below), click “Continue”.
2. You will be offered "to create a new partition" - to compensate for the remote, agree.

All installation will continue, as if nothing had happened. Of course, your choice should fall on one of the volumes of “Disk 0”, and not any other.

How to fix a disk error with important data

If the drive previously served only as “disk for data storage”, and there is only one volume in it, you need to reduce the amount of memory occupied by files, thereby freeing megabytes for creating a system partition. To do this, it is best to use themed applications - everything is automated there and there is less chance of confusing something and deleting important information. But in some cases, you can get by the built-in commands.

Troubleshoot using the diskpart command

The “Windows” diskpart option can also be useful when the pop-up window persistently repeats: “Could not create a new one and / or find an existing system partition”. However, the order of the elements of the OS will be unusual, although workable. If system regeneration is required in the future, you will have to take this into account and personalize the instructions. So, get down to business:

1. Open the installation window "Windows" and press Shift + Fn + F10 (if it does not work, press only the first and last key).
2. In the appeared window under the cursor we enter without quotes “diskpart” and press “Enter”.
3. Now enter the "list volume" and click "Enter". Here, remember the number that marks the last volume (if there are several).
4. And, at last, we drive in "select volume number_tome". It is necessary that there was 0.7 GB of free space.
5. We leave from the Command Line.

We return to the installation window and select the required volume for OS storage. The error will disappear. Wherein:

• boot storage configuration files (BCD);
• folder boot;
• Recovery folder;
• system boot manager (bootmgr file)

will be in the last volume instead of the first.

Using the Minitool Partition Wizard Bootable to make room for system partitions.

To avoid the inconvenience of using the first method, you need to bring to the business of clearing the free space under the OS third-party utilities. You can choose any function that fits, in this case we will explain how the Minitool Partition Wizard works. She is able to arrange all the elements in the usual manner. This is one of the best solutions when a new system partition cannot be created or is not found. The utility is distributed free of charge in the form of an optical disk image. In order to properly write it to removable media, use the appropriate program, specify the partition scheme (MBR or GPT) that is appropriate for your hard drive and the type of file system.

1. Start the image and in the appeared window immediately click “Enter”.
2. Select the first volume and press the button "Move / Resize" at the top.
3. Next, specify the required amount of memory - 0.7 GB (megabytes can be taken as a unit of measurement in the program, calculate from the ratio 1 GB = 1000 MB).
4. Agree to the changes by clicking the "Apply" button.

Restart the installation and select the necessary section - this time the error should disappear. Just do not specify the unallocated area of ​​free memory as the desired OS storage, otherwise it will not work again.