sony vaio can't clean install windows

Nixo

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Jan 22, 2013
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10,510
Hello!
I have a Sony VAIO sve14a3v2es which came with window 8 pre-installed. I had a bad day with windows so I decided to install linux mint. Stupid as I am I erased the entire disk, deleting the recovery partition. I was happy with linux and still am but I have software that requires windows. (Don't tell me to use wine)
Enough with the background story.
My main problem is when i try to install windows 7 or windows 8, at the section where you choose which hard disk to install the os on. I first get an error that windows cannot be installed on this drive. Deleting the pre existing partiton so that the disk is completely empty gives me the error that the installer cant create or detect a system partition.

I have tried using diskpart by following some tutorials i have found but no success. Can anyone help me with this.

Thanks
 
You ARE stupid! Just kidding. Been there, done that myself. Try going into the BIOS and checking the settings for AHCI and IDE. It may be that what you're doing requires one or the other and won't allow installations or recognize the drive with the current settings. Maybe try resetting the BIOS to default or Optimal settings and retry the installation.
 

Nixo

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Jan 22, 2013
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10,510
Thanks for the reply. How do I change AHCI and IDE? I know how to access the BIOS but the sony BIOS is extremely restricted. There is no way of getting into some advanced mode or anything like that. I can toggle boot order, virtualization, legacy/uefi and change the date and time.
 
Try toggling the legacy/uefi and see if you can install that way. I know laptop BIOS are skinny on options and the AHCI is usually on by default but legacy mode might let you do it. It really should install windows with UEFI enabled though. Before that though, when you try to install, make sure you choose the custom option and then delete and recreate the partitons and allow windows to format the drive. If you choose the other option that may be the issue because Linux may have installed an MBR and you might need to have a gpt partition instead of an mbr. Read this, it explains it better than I can but try the custom option first and then go from there.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn336946.aspx

 

Nixo

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Jan 22, 2013
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10,510
I can't start the windows 7 dvd with uefi enabled. Legacy works but it won't install. I created an "upgrade" usb for windows 8 but it had problems with the key I gave since it was for my other laptop. I suppose i have to get an oem or retail windows 8 or 8.1, boot into uefi and hope it lets me install.
 
You should be able to start it with uefi enabled if you start hitting F8 right away and then choose from the menu to boot from the optical drive, or whatever needs to be done to change boot order
instead of looking for a hard drive with the uefi partition on it which is what it is likely trying to do.
 

Nixo

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Jan 22, 2013
7
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10,510
Windows 7 dvd is probably not uefi compatible, because when I try to boot from it, the laptop says that no operating system detected. However Ubuntu on usb which supports uefi can boot. But being able to boot my windows installation in uefi mode should let me install the system?
 

Nixo

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Jan 22, 2013
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10,510
Well after telling it to to boot from the optical drive the computer says that it can't boot because of secure boot. So i guess my oem dvd of windows 7 is not compatible. And i need a dvd or usb that supports uefi boot. I have to spend over 100 euros on windows 8. To see if it works some day. For now I will have to stay with linux since I don't have that kind of money to spend.

But it would be nice to know if someone else was able to clean install windows on this specific model of the vaio
 
There are firmware updates available as well as other updated drivers, and, a BIOS update, all of which may directly relate to your problem. I would recommend updating the BIOS if it's a newer version than yours and for sure updating the firmware on the dvd or blue ray drive if you can. Since it shows windows 7 as an option in the installed operating system selections it must support it for the purpose of installation. Whether it supports it in UEFI mode or not, or whether you need to install it in legacy mode, is another matter. But it does not require Windows 8 on this unit.

http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/content/cnt-dwnl/SVE14A3V2E/list#os1
 

Nixo

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Jan 22, 2013
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All of these updates are .exe. how can I apply them to my system? At windows installation I should choose look for drivera or whatever it is called and use the exe from there?
 

Nixo

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Jan 22, 2013
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10,510
By having secure boot disabled it starts to load the windows 7 installation dvd but gets stuck at starting windows. I have contacted sony but I doubt I will get any help from them. Thanks for all your help!