---
title: "Fix: “Windows Setup Can’t Find or Create a Partition”"
description: "This can happen on clean installs, new PCs, or systems with existing partitions, and is usually resolved with a few quick steps."
url: https://help.thesoftwarekings.com/en/articles/50-fix-windows-setup-can-t-find-or-create-a-partition
collection: "Windows Troubleshooting"
updated: 2026-03-06
language: en
---

# Fix: “Windows Setup Can’t Find or Create a Partition”

This can happen on clean installs, new PCs, or systems with existing partitions, and is usually resolved with a few quick steps.

If you’re seeing the message **“We couldn’t create a new partition”** or **“Windows Setup can’t find or create a partition”** during installation, it usually means that Windows is having trouble configuring the target drive.

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### 🔍 Why This Happens

This issue commonly occurs due to:

-   A USB installer confusing the Windows setup process
    
-   Existing partitions or drive formatting errors
    
-   Drive not being listed as the first boot device
    
-   BIOS settings like RAID/AHCI interfering with detection
    
-   Drive is not correctly initialized or previously used in a different OS (e.g. Linux/Mac)
    

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### ✅ How to Fix It

#### 1\. **Unplug All Other Drives and USB Devices**

-   Leave only the **drive where Windows will be installed**
    
-   Disconnect other internal or external storage devices
    
-   Also unplug secondary USBs, hubs, or dongles
    

Then restart the installer.

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#### 2\. **Use Shift + F10 to Manually Clean the Drive**

💡 _This will erase all data on the drive. Be sure to back up anything important first._

1.  At the “Where do you want to install Windows?” screen, press **Shift + F10** to open Command Prompt
    
2.  Enter the following commands:
    

diskpart

list disk

select disk X ← (replace X with the disk number)

clean

exit

1.  Close Command Prompt, click **Refresh**, and try again
    

Windows should now be able to create a new partition from the unallocated space.

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#### 3\. **Use the Media Creation Tool to Rebuild the USB Installer**

A faulty or outdated installer can also cause this error.

-   Use the official **Media Creation Tool** to recreate the installer:  
    [Windows 10](https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10)  
    [Windows 11](https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11)
    

Make sure to use an **8GB or larger USB stick** and format it cleanly before re-creating the installer.

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#### 4\. **Try a USB 2.0 Port Instead of USB 3.0**

Using a USB 2.0 port helps avoid driver issues that could interfere with disk detection during setup.

* * *

### 📩 Still Not Working?

If the issue persists, send us:

-   A **screenshot or photo** of the error
    
-   Your PC model or motherboard brand
    
-   The version of Windows you’re installing
    

📧 Email: [**help@thesoftwarekings.com**](mailto:help@thesoftwarekings.com)  
We’ll walk you through a working solution.

* * *

### 💬 Want Help Now?

Ask **Kingbot** in the corner of your screen or message our support team