Can't Install Windows 8 on Replacement Hard Drive from Dell

I got the replacement hard drive from Dell that I was told would come with Windows 8 and drivers preinstalled. Well I installed the hard drive and it tells me that NO OS can be found. I didn't have a chance to make backup discs of my own but Dell sent a Windows 8 Recovery Media CD with the laptop and now with the replacement hard drive.


When trying to install Windows 8 onto the new hard drive I get to the part where it tells me to choose a partition to install Windows 8 on and none of them will let me. There are 5 to choose from and I don't know what to do to get past this. The biggest partition which is 5 has about 934GB of space left out of 1TB but as I mentioned I can't choose it or any of the other ones for installation.

I haven't done anything to any of the partitions except try to install Win 8 on the last one only to be told I can't. The Dell tech guy on their forums says they don't support multiple partitions on the hard drive and want screenshots to show what partitions are on here. It came with all those partitions and if they don't support that then they shouldn't send them out that way.


The partition descriptions are as follows.


Drive 0 Partition 1: ESP 500.0MB / 447.0MB System


Drive 0 Partition 2: DIAGS 40.0MB/ 35.0MB OEM (Reserved)


Drive 0 Partition 3: 128.0MB/128.0MB MSR (Reserved)


Drive 0 Partition 4: WINRETOOLS 492.0MB/238.MB Recovery


Drive 0 Partition 5: 930.4GB/930.2GB (Primary)

 

Can you delete or edit the partitions?

 

I just got the laptop as a refurb in April of this year. I bit the bullet and deleted all the partitions and reinstalled in Legacy mode and all went fine. I got freaked out for nothing because of how picky Win 8 can be.I got Win 8 re-installed fine but ran into a key issue. I chatted with them over the tech chat, they took control of my computer and said since my key wasn't being recognized that I needed a new motherboard. The key was recognized as shown and I had a screenshot to prove it but it said that the key had exceeded how many times it could be used. I don't have time for anyone to come out and install a new motherboard with so much other stuff going on.

I finally just did the contact Microsoft support thing, called the toll free number (all automated), entered the installation id, it gave me a code to put in all those boxes and got the activation thing taken care of. I had completely forgotten that I had to do this once before a few years ago with a previous Dell because the code on the sticker at bottom of that laptop had worn off and the product key did too.

Once my Mom has her surgery next week to remove the masses on her kidneys next week and we're back home I'll get a couple USB drives. I have a portable hard drive and will make a backup image. The previous Win 8 installation had something wrong where flash was all screwed up but I did backup all my files, videos, music and etc. that I wanted before attempting to re-install Win 8.