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2. Use a USB 2.0 flash drive

If you’re installing Windows 10 from a USB drive, you might experience this problem if you’re using USB 3.0 flash drive.

According to users, it seems that there are problems with USB 3.0 flash drives, and many users advise to use USB 2.0 flash drives when installing Windows 10.

Alternatively, you can also create Windows 10 bootable DVD and use it instead of USB flash drive.

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3. Disconnect any additional USB drives

If you’re planning to install Windows 10 from a USB flash drive you might encounter We couldn’t create a new partition error message if more than one USB drive is connected to your PC.

In order to avoid this problem, we strongly advise that you disconnect any additional USB drives and leave only your Windows 10 USB flash drive connected.

4. Reconnect your USB flash drive

To fix We couldn’t create a new partition error message while installing Windows 10, some users are suggesting that you unplug your USB flash drive.

When you get the error message, unplug your USB drive and connect it to a different port.

Check if you’re able to create a new partition. If the process fails, unplug the USB drive again and connect it to the original USB port. Try to create the partition again.

5. Set your hard drive as the first boot device

When installing a new operating system from a USB flash drive, you are probably going to set that device as a first boot device in BIOS.

Unfortunately, sometimes it happens that your USB flash drive is mistaken as a hard drive during the Windows 10 installation thus giving you the We couldn’t create a new partition error message.

In order to fix this issue, you have to set your hard drive as your first boot device from BIOS.

After you’ve done that, connect your bootable USB flash drive and restart your computer.

While you computer boots, you’ll have to press F10, F11, or F12 (it might be a different key depending on your motherboard) and select your USB flash drive as a boot device.

Now, the installation process should work without any issues. Bear in mind that the Boot Menu might not be enabled on your PC by default, so you’ll have to enable it manually from BIOS.

For detailed instructions on how to do that, check your motherboard manual.

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6. Use Rufus or any other tool to create a bootable USB drive

According to users, problems with We couldn’t create a new partition error message might be caused by Media Creation Tool.

Users reported that the problem was fixed by using a third-party tool, such as Rufus, instead of the Media Creation Tool in order to create a bootable USB flash drive.

7. Convert the partition to the GPT format

Start Command Prompt and enter diskpart. Now enter list disk. Locate the hard drive that you want to install Windows 10 to. Now enter select disk X. Replace the X with the number that matches your hard drive. If you have two or more hard drives, it’s crucial that you select the correct drive, so be extra cautious. Type clean into Command Prompt and press Enter. This command will completely remove all files from your hard drive, so be sure to select the correct hard drive and back up your files. Now enter convert gpt and run this command.

MBR partitions have certain limitations and they can only work with drives that are less than 2TB in size.

GPT doesn’t have any of these limitations, it works better with UEFI, so it’s usually a better choice.

We have to mention that converting the drive from MBR to GPT will remove all your files, so be sure to back up important files before proceeding.

Diskpart is one of the oldest methods for converting an MBR drive to GPT, even though it’s effective, it will delete all your files.

Fortunately, Microsoft introduced two new ways to convert MBR to GPT drive without file loss, MBR2GPT, and gptgen.

Both of these are command-line tools, and if you want to use them, you need to start Command Prompt before booting to Windows 10 and run one of these commands.

We explained in great detail how to use both these commands in our guide on how to convert MBR to GPT disk, and we strongly advise you to check it out for detailed instructions and more solutions.

How can I fix the new partition error for Windows 10 SSD?

Disconnect other hard drives

Many users reported We couldn’t create a new partition error message while trying to install Windows 10 on a SSD.

According to users, in order to fix this issue, you’ll have to disconnect all other hard drives and leave only your SSD drive connected.

Alternatively, you can try disabling all other hard drives except for your SSD from BIOS.

After you’ve disabled or disconnected all other drives, the SSD should be recognized by the installer. Now, all that you have to do is to delete all partitions on your SSD and Windows 10 should install without any problems.

We couldn’t create a new partition error message can prevent you from installing Windows 10, but as you can see, you can easily fix it by following one of our solutions.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2018 and has been since revamped and updated in September 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.