Win7 and GPT on an SSD

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I have a downloaded copy of the install for Win7 64 and am finally at that stage of loading the OS on the SSD boot drive in a completely new machine. The question is that after going through diskpart to get one partition only and converting it to GPT format in a command window, the install hangs saying that it cannot read the the format.
What say ye, o lords of Cumput:confused:ish Stuff? Go back to MBR? Is there a fix I’m missing in getting the install to work under GPT? Is th MBR vs GPT question an issue?

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Windows 7 cannot boot from a GPT disk. It can read GPT without any problems, and be installed on GPT, but it has to have a small FAT32 boot partition to boot from. You didn’t mention UEFI, but that is the usual scenario for booting Windows x64.

There is some info on this thread that may or may not be helpful.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Windows 7 cannot boot from a GPT disk. It can read GPT without any problems, and be installed on GPT, but it has to have a small FAT32 boot partition to boot from.

This is true :clapping:

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Okay. Here is another source of great, maybe a bit too detailed, information on the MBR/UEFI/WIN7/GPT imbroglio: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn640535(v=vs.85).aspx

On the basis of input from here and from ASUS (mobo) and from Samsung (SSD for boot) I have a path forward.
SSD (boot) will be MBR
Any other SSD will be GPT
The two 4TB drives will be GPT
The two 2T and under drives will be MBR
And I have a recipe for which should go with which controllers on the Mobo.

If I were installing WIN 8 there would be differences.

I will say that the Lounge, SAMSUNG, and ASUS have excellent support people but in the case of the latter two, the paper and on-line text & drawings are not complete or are misleading. That said, it has been a trip! Let’s see if I now fetch up at a tranquil destination. For a guy who has built all his PCs himself since 1986, this has been a humbling experience. A whole lot of changes since the last build only 6 years ago.

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MBR always for your primary drive. Set the controller in BIOS to AHCI prior to installation.

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MBR always for your primary drive. Set the controller in BIOS to AHCI prior to installation.

Every OEM Windows 8/8.1 desktop/laptop has GPT for the primary drive. It will have a small EFI partition (FAT32) and a small MSR partition, but Windows and everything else will be installed on GPT.

Windows 7 supports GPT and EFI. I dual boot Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 8.1 Professional on my laptop, which I converted to UEFI/GPT.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Oh yes. And I’ve found out a bunch of other things, too.

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For a high cost option ($40), you could get Bootit from TeraByte Unlimited.

You could, however, try it for free (30 days).

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