Can't install Windows on this drive

[ice]

I'm working on a lowly Dell Inspiron 14, the one with 2GB of RAM and a 32GB eMMC (embedded, how fun). Since this laptop is essentially useless and I can't even believe Dell would market such a hunk of garbage (there's no way to had a real harddrive), I bought a 64GB SD card and figured I'd format the tiny eMMC, put only Windows on there, and use the 64GB card for programs and everything else.

Problem is I formatted the eMMC, put my bootable copy of Windows 10 on a flash drive and start the installation, but it tells me "Windows cannot be installed on this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure the controller is enabled in the BIOS"

Any ideas? I see it in the BIOS but it's not listed as the main harddrive and there's no way to set it as such. If I format it in the setup it just sits there and does nothing before becoming responsive again.

 

[1madman1]

Try to clean and partition via diskpart first?

 

[ice]

I thought about that but since it's the only drive I can't even get it to that point, unless disk part is command line? I can create all kinds of partitions but it keeps saying it's not enabled in the bios or something.

 

[1madman1]

Diskpart is a command line tool.

At the command line type "diskpart" to run, then "list disk" to show the disk volumes. Once you see it's assigned disk number type "select disk" followed by the number specifying the eMMC storage. Then type "clean" to completely deinitialize it. I'd try the install again at this point. If it still doesn't work you can use Diskpart to re partition it and try again.

 

[0091/2]

What did the laptop came installed with? Can you install any other OS?
What's the exact model of the laptop? Is there a BIOS update for the laptop?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dell-Blac...Memory-32GB-eMMC-and-Windows-10-Home/45823634

 

[ice]

Diskpart is a command line tool.

At the command line type "diskpart" to run, then "list disk" to show the disk volumes. Once you see it's assigned disk number type "select disk" followed by the number specifying the eMMC storage. Then type "clean" to completely deinitialize it. I'd try the install again at this point. If it still doesn't work you can use Diskpart to re partition it and try again.

Didn't work either. The issue doesn't seem to be formatting or partitioning, it just keeps saying the controller isn't enabled in the BIOS. How the **** is it visible and able to be partitioned and formatted then?

What did the laptop came installed with? Can you install any other OS?
What's the exact model of the laptop? Is there a BIOS update for the laptop?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dell-Blac...Memory-32GB-eMMC-and-Windows-10-Home/45823634

That's the one, 3452. Came with Win10 Home. There is a BIOS update but it only fixes a message after you replace the battery or something.

 

[0091/2]

That's the one, 3452. Came with Win10 Home. There is a BIOS update but it only fixes a message after you replace the battery or something.

"Error 1. During the Windows Preview installation, when you select a disk for install, Setup says ‘Windows can’t be installed on drive 0 partition 1. (show details)‘, when you click on ‘show details’, it shows the message: ‘Windows cannot be installed on to this disk. This computer’s hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure the disk’s controller is enabled in the computer’s BIOS menu’.


Fix: Enter the BIOS, check Sata Controller was set to Native IDE or AHCI, if it is set to ‘IDE’, change it to ‘AHCI’, save BIOS Settings and run the setup again, this time,Windows 10 will install without any issues."

DId you try playing with the Sata controller settings?
There's a Windows Recovery Image download on the Dell's page. Are you trying to install that one?

 

[1madman1]

Try using the Intel "F6" controller driver? (Assuming it is Intel)

 

[ice]

DId you try playing with the Sata controller settings?
There's a Windows Recovery Image download on the Dell's page. Are you trying to install that one?

Link?

Don't see any settings for SATA in the BIOS. This is all I have access to:

Try using the Intel "F6" controller driver? (Assuming it is Intel)

Been awhile, I don't even know what that means for sure. The eMMC is a Sandisk, don't know how to check what controller it is.

 

[FiggyG]

You need to set the EMMC drive as the first/default boot device. Setting it to boot from Legacy instead of UEFI might work as well. Maybe restoring the BIOS to defaults will help.

 

[ice]

You need to set the EMMC drive as the first/default boot device. Setting it to boot from Legacy instead of UEFI might work as well. Maybe restoring the BIOS to defaults will help.

Tried setting it back to defaults, and I can't even see the eMMC in the list of devices. It won't boot there anyway, there's literally nothing on it right now. It can see the drive when I boot the Win10 setup from my flash drive, but it won't let me install there because it says it's not enabled.

 

[0091/2]

Link?

Don't see any settings for SATA in the BIOS. This is all I have access to:

.

Sata Operation.

Dell Drivers for your model
http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/inspiron-14-3452-laptop/drivers

Your BIOS is really old. There's one before the latest one(Version 4.0.3, A09). I assume the newest will include things from the previous.
Version 4.0.1, A08

Fixes & Enhancements
Fixes
- Enable DPTF for fanless config.
- Remove ePSA Fan test item for fanless config.
- Modify values by DPTF control table V01.

Enhancements
- Update KBC WISBS15.bin.
I have no clue what KBC is.
Edit: Keyboard controller

 

[ice]

Sata Operation.

Dell Drivers for your model
http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/inspiron-14-3452-laptop/drivers

Your BIOS is really old. There's one before the latest one(Version 4.0.3, A09). I assume the newest will include things from the previous.
Version 4.0.1, A08

Fixes & Enhancements
Fixes
- Enable DPTF for fanless config.
- Remove ePSA Fan test item for fanless config.
- Modify values by DPTF control table V01.

Enhancements
- Update KBC WISBS15.bin.
I have no clue what KBC is.
Edit: Keyboard controller

The only option in sata is ahci, maybe the new bios will five me another option. I'll try that.

 

[ice]

Flashed BIOS to latest version, looks like it changed nothing in the menus. My first screenshot, where it says "First HDD: None" has to be the issue, it's like it's not even looking at the eMMC during install and expecting there to be a normal harddrive. I don't know what else to do with this piece of ****.

 

[0091/2]

Flashed BIOS to latest version, looks like it changed nothing in the menus. My first screenshot, where it says "First HDD: None" has to be the issue, it's like it's not even looking at the eMMC during install and expecting there to be a normal harddrive. I don't know what else to do with this piece of ****.

Can you install anything? Win8? What's the Windows image on Dell's download page?
Why did you format Win10? Any chance there's something wrong with your Windows 10 boot USB.
If it came with windows 10 home chances are Dell got it on with the BIOS setting you never touched. How did they do it?

Does the laptop still have a warranty? Maybe send it to them for repair.

Go make an account and ask in this thread.
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/t/19662726
I think it's the best way to get answers. Ask someone to compare your bios settings.

 

[ice]

Can you install anything? Win8? What's the Windows image on Dell's download page?
Why did you format Win10? Any chance there's something wrong with your Windows 10 boot USB.
If it came with windows 10 home chances are Dell got it on with the BIOS setting you never touched. How did they do it?

Does the laptop still have a warranty? Maybe send it to them for repair.

Go make an account and ask in this thread.
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/t/19662726
I think it's the best way to get answers. Ask someone to compare your bios settings.

Guess I could try another OS, though I don't have any license for those. I tried to format it because it's useless out of the box, it's filled with so much crap that you can't even use the damn thing because of how pathetically spec'd it is. Windows 10 home was on it from Dell.

I did just make a thread there, just waiting on admin action so it shows up. The fact I even have to do this is ridiculous, I've never had an issue installing a friggin OS. This laptop shouldn't even exist, you c an get more done using a smartphone.

 

[0091/2]

Guess I could try another OS, though I don't have any license for those. I tried to format it because it's useless out of the box, it's filled with so much crap that you can't even use the damn thing because of how pathetically spec'd it is. Windows 10 home was on it from Dell.

I did just make a thread there, just waiting on admin action so it shows up. The fact I even have to do this is ridiculous, I've never had an issue installing a friggin OS. This laptop shouldn't even exist, you c an get more done using a smartphone.

Doesn't the laptop have a CD key label?

 

[1madman1]

Doesn't the laptop have a CD key label?

They don't do that anymore. The product key is embedded in BIOS.

 

[elrenato91]

hola amigo. i have the same problem. i cant install on my dell inspiron 14 with emmc. do you solved?

 

[ice]

hola amigo. i have the same problem. i cant install on my dell inspiron 14 with emmc. do you solved?

I did, the eMMC was bad and I had to return it to Dell for them to fix. Eventually the laptop wound up telling me a component had failed during its startup scan that it was doing.