Install error "non W2K-compatible partition"

[Eric]

**********************************************************
I was about to post this as a question, but I *finally*
figured out how to get W2K to install. I figured I'd post
it anyway in case someone else has the same problem, or
someone can tell me why W2K wouldn't install to a logical
partion. I finally got W2K to install by making the first
partion a primary partition of it's own.
**********************************************************

I'm trying to install W2K on a 80GB disk I've got for a IBM
ThinkPad laptop. The disk has some data on it already that
I don't want to lose, so I partitioned it off into 3
logical partitions of around 36GB, 30GB, and 10GB with the
data on the last two.

I then booted using the CD and tried to install W2K on the
first partition and got this error message:

----------------------------------------------------------
To install Windows 2000 on the partition you selected,
Setup must write some startup files to the following disk:

76317 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi

However, this disk does not contain a Window
2000-compatible partition.
----------------------------------------------------------

I've done just about everything I can think of to this
partition. Tried starting with "unpartioned space", tried
formatting it NTFS and FAT32 using W2K disk management
tool. Tried formatting it NTFS and FAT32 using Partition
Magic. Tried partitioning it and leaving it unformatted.
I get the same error every time.

--Eric

 

[David Bullock [MSFT]]

Hi Eric,
As you noted, Windows 2000 will only install to a primary partition.

Some reference material that may help:
138364.KB.EN-US Windows NT Partitioning Rules During Setup
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;138364
227707.KB.EN-US Windows 2000 Setup Does Not Allow Selection of Partition
Type
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;227707

--

David Bullock, MCSE, MCSA, A+
Windows NT/2000/2003 Setup Support

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