[Solved] 0x8004242d Error: We Couldn't Format the Selected Partition

Error 0x8004242d - Failed to Format the Selected Partition

"I just can't get past the formatting attempt when trying to format my HDD for a clean install of Windows 10. Windows says 'Failed to format the selected partition. error: 0x8004242d', how to fix it?"

We Couldn't Format the Selected Partition

Besides the error message 'Failed to format the selected partition with error code 0x8004242d', there is another similar trouble that prevents people from installing a Windows operating system from scratch. It's 'we couldn't format the selected partition 0x80070057'.

What are the causes? Be clear that such format failure usually suggests your setup disk has corrupted, Windows is incompatible with a mass storage controller or a mass storage driver, a mass storage controller or a mass storage driver is outdated, a data cable in the computer is loose, hardware issues have occurred, or it's only because the hard disk on which you want to install Windows OS is a dynamic disk.

Fix for Failed to Format the Selected Partition 

If you see error code like 0x8004242d or 0x80070057, you are faced with the formatting failure.

After figuring out the reasons that stop people from formatting the disk partition for Windows 10/8/7 installation, it's time to find the best solutions that can help fix the formatting error 0x8004242d/0x80070057.

Solution 1: Convert Dynamic Disk to Basic Disk

Since Windows cannot be installed on the dynamic disk, it sends error when trying to format the partition to install. Luckily, you can download EaseUS at the first attempt to convert dynamic disk to basic disk, and then format the selected partition without any trouble.

 

Step 1: Install and open EaseUS Partition Master on your Windows computer by clicking the download button.

Step 2: Select dynamic disk which you want to convert to basic. Right-click it and choose "Convert to Basic".

Step 3: Click "OK" on the pop-up window and you will add this conversion to the pending operations.

Step 4: Click the "Execute 1 Operation" button at the top-left corner and "Apply" to begin to convert dynamic to basic disk. After that, you can also use this partition manager to resize/move, clone, merge, format, and delete the partitions. 

After changing the dynamic disk to a basic disk, you can proceed with the formatting process with EaseUS Partition Master, or just go back to install the Windows OS.

You may also interested in: How to format a partition with EaseUS Partition Master to fix the 'failed to format the selected partition' error.

Solution 2: Clean Disk with Diskpart.exe Utility

Cleaning disk using Diskpart would solve the format error. However, all the partitions and data on the disk will be permanently removed. Back up the drive if the data is useful.

Step 1: Launch a Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2: Type the command: diskpart into the Command Prompt window, and press "Enter".

Step 3: Type the command: list disk and press "Enter".

Step 4: Examine the output of the command to identify the number of the disk you want to clean. Once you feel certain about the disk number, type the command: select disk # (replace the # with the number of the disk you are going to clean).

Step 5: Type: clean and press "Enter“. This will erase all data on the selected disk!

Step 6: When 'diskpart succeeded in cleaning the disk' appears, you've wiped the disk partition. Close the Command Prompt to continue installing Windows OS on the disk.