I can't install windows 8 pro

3740qm 2.7 ghz, new m17x r4 about 2 weeks old, 500gb 7200rpm w/ 64gb mSata.

Summary : i tried to install win8 pro earlier, i did express install, and it crashed every 20-30 mins getting kernel security check failure, i called a dell service rep and they told me to run on safe mode which bricked my pc, then i had to re-install win7. Then i went on microsoft support, and they said i'd have to pay $100+tax for support to fix this, when win8 itself cost $40 ..

Then i tried custom install, when i get to the screen that says where do i want to install windows, there's no options, when i click on load drivers, it shows me boot x: and the cd drive that i burned the microsoft win8 iso to for the clean install.

Microsoft support is saying that to fix the problem i have to remove the partitions on my hard-disk. i don't know how to do this.
Any help please?

 

So you were able to reinstall Windows 7 with no issue?

I'm assuming you are trying to install to the mSATA drive. I'm also assuming that's where Windows 7 currently is.

Since the laptop is fairly new, get the Win8 trial: Download Windows 8 Enterprise Evaluation

See if it installs on the mSATA. If it still blows up, try the hard drive as the install target. This is just for testing.

 

SubZero, i don't think win7 is installed on the MSata, also, i've already purchased windows 8 pro. I tried to call up dell support, they're like "lines are currently closed", while the other support number is offline. There are no solutions online, i contacted microsoft who said it was a problem with my HD partitions and the way it's set-up by Dell.

Sub, i can't use the HD as install-target because it doesn't detect to start with. that's the problem. and Microsoft support is like they'll help me with it for $100. like . i paid less than that for the software itself. and i'm trying to get it on this ASUS laptop, same problem, this one doesn't have an MSata though.

I managed to go into disk management on my m17x and apparently my idsk 0 is partitioned into 3 parts. a 39mb healthy OEM partition, 14.11gb for recovery and 451gb on c:

In the microsoft install thing, i tried to copy it to a usb stick but i have an external HDD so it didn't work. (as the microsoft win8 thing wasn't detecting it as a usb), so i burned it to a dvd-r which should work but doesn't because then it doesn't detect my drive.

Also, another fix i managed to find was to put the HD driver on my external HDD (got it from the dell drivers website, extracted it from ZIP and copied it), and insert it on the right side closest port to the CD drive. my Drive 0 shows up then, but then i get an error that says "Windows can't be installed on Drive 0 partition 1. "Setup does not support configuration of or installation to disks connected through a USB or IEEE 1394 port." (Though, i kind of get the feeling that Drive 0 Partition 1 is the external HDD itself, so it might've not worked to begin with)

Ugh, i'm going to go buy a usb later today to see if it works, if that doesn't work, then i'll probably just end up buying an SSD, trying to install win8 on it, and then reformatting the HDD that has win7 on it (which'll hopefully work)

 

Wait, i managed to figure something out, i went on load driver, and then went on my external HDD and loaded up the driver files for my internal HDD. now i see Drive 1 with 3 partitions.

 

You want to install Windows 8? Why would you want to do such a horrible thing to your PC??????

 

Okay, by deleting my "Reserved" and "Primary" partitions, the 15gb "System" one got increased to 465.8gb which is now called "Drive 1 Unallocated Space". Not sure if i should click "New" or "Next" because atm the only primary is the Drive 0 Partition 1 which is my external HDD.

I'm going to go ahead and press next on Drive 1 and hope it goes well.