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I have a Lenovo G40 laptop, operating (unfortunately) on Windows 8.1, with a HDD which is slowly dying and doesn't read any usb drives nor CDs/DVDs. What I managed to do was copying everything, buying a similar HDD and making it a bootable drive with contents of Windows 8.1 ISO on it.
Now, the actual question: How should I partition the drive the way it would be possible to install the system while the Windows install files are directly on it (if it's possible in the first place of course)?
Should I set a small partition with setup files on it and leave the rest of the drive's space unallocated?
Az.
Posted 2018-11-04T23:58:09.547
Reputation: 101
You should make a USB stick with an ISO downloaded directly from Microsoft using the official Media Creation tool and boot from it to install. – None – 2018-11-05T00:06:24.503
1You should never make partitions on a disk Windows will be installed on. Windows should always be installed on unallocated space on a drive. – Ramhound – 2018-11-05T00:10:38.580
It's not impossible but a little tricky, it's definitely less complicated to use a different installation media (e.g. a stick as Gabriela suggested). I don't remember if I actually did it, but you'll find several guides on the internet. Let us know if you need more help. – Albin – 2018-11-05T00:32:28.630
@GabrielaGarcia I'm aware I should make a bootable pendrive but as I've pointed it out - the usb ports dont's work although the drivers are installed correctly. Any device connected via USB while the computer is running on the old HDD is "unknown" and any attempt to boot from a pendrive is impossible, because it's not listed in BIOS – Az. – 2018-11-05T00:39:26.340
@Ramhound does "should never" mean "mustn't"? I'm have not much options left, but you partially answered my question by saying that new OS should be always installed on unallocated space, thanks – Az. – 2018-11-05T00:43:02.817
(1) The USB ports not working for booting is a hardware problem. It has nothing to do with the old OS or the old HDD, it happens before any OS. It's probably the motherboard dying out, not the other components. Perhaps you should consider replacing the laptop instead of just parts. Software does not fix hardware. – None – 2018-11-05T00:46:19.497
@GabrielaGarcia That's what my friend, who is a IT Manager, said as well. But he also said that he would start off by replacing the HDD. Considering the fact it's my mother's-in-law laptop, I have do to "something", so I will give it a shot anyway. Thank you very much for your help – Az. – 2018-11-05T00:58:04.847
(I'm not IT, I just use logic and reason) Trying something like replacing the HDD is a good suggestion. Sometimes a bad HDD can prevent booting but AFAIK it's all it would do. With a new HDD and the same problem with USBs and the optical drive then certainly there's something else defective. Knowing that almost all notebooks are just the motherboard and considering devices are failing simultaneously, reason tells me (1) it's the motherboard, (2) the old HDD may not have a problem and (3) you're probably wasting your time. – None – 2018-11-05T01:09:12.057
@Az. I mean what I wrote. – Ramhound – 2018-11-05T01:23:00.890