We Couldn't Create a New Partition or Locate an Existing One in Windows 11, How to Fix?

Windows installer will create 3 volumes from unallocated space but errors on installation. Each of them is only a few 100 MB at max and the main data volume which takes up the rest of the space. When I try to install Windows onto the largest volume on the drive, I get an error: We couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one. How to fix it?

Best Answered by

Roxanne· Answered on Jul 31, 2023

In Windows 11, one of the most common setup errors is "We Couldn't Create a New Partition or Locate an Existing One." It may be caused by interference from the connected peripherals. So the first action you should take is disconnecting all external storage devices. If this does not work, you can try the following methods to resolve the problem. Here is a list of the methods:

  • Run EaseUS Partition Master
  • Set the Drive as the First Boot Device
  • Active your partition Using Diskpart
  • Format the Drive with Diskpart
  • Covert the target drive to GPT

Continue to follow the specific tutorials in the following part:

Fix 1. Run EaseUS Partition Master

To fix this problem quickly, you can turn to a third-party tool - EaseUS Partition Master, which can mark your partition as active. Moreover, this tool is easy to operate and experienced in partition problem-solving.

Free Download 

Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

Learn how to set your partition active using EaseUS Partition Master as follows:

Step 1. Run EaseUS partition manager software. Right-click the target partition and select "Advanced."

Step 2. Click the drop-down menu and choose "Set Active." Click "Yes" > "Execute 1 Task(s)" > "Apply" to finish.

Fix 2. Set the Drive as the First Boot Device

The second way is to set the target drive as a boot device in BIOS settings. Below is a step-by-step guide:

Step 1. Reboot your computer and press F12, F10, F1, F2, or CTRL + ALT + ESC to enter BIOS settings during booting.

Step 2. Under the boot device menu, move the target drive to the top.

Step 3. Restart the PC to see if the problem is solved.

Fix 3. Active your partition Using Diskpart

Apart from the above methods, you can run command lines in Diskpart to set the target drive as active:

Step 1. Close the setup and choose the "Repair" button after you get the "We couldn't create a new partition" error message. 

Step 2. Open "Advanced Tools" and then click on Command Prompt to enter the following CMD:

  • list disk
  • select disk X(Replace X with the target drive number)
  • list partition
  • select partition X
  • active

Step 3. Type exit and hit "Enter" to quit.

Refer to the related article below to find details of fix 4 and 5:

More Information: Fix "We Couldn't Create a New Partition or Locate an Existing One"

People Also Ask

I Have 3 Partitions but I Want to Create a New Partition on the Same Drive, Help

If you feel like the number of your existing partitions is not enough and want to create a new partition on the same drive, follow this guide to realize it.

Roxanne

Aug 08, 2023

Why Should I Create Partitions on a Portable Hard Drive? And How?

There is an increasing need for creating partitions on a portable hard drive. People usually ask why I should create partitions on a portable hard drive and how. This post will contain everything you need to know about the two questions.

Roxanne

Aug 08, 2023

Can I Shrink and Extend the Partition on My Hard Drive in Windows 10?

Can I shrink and extend the partition on my hard drive in Windows 10? Yes, you can. Refer to this article to see how to do with a practical tool.

Roxanne

Aug 08, 2023

Is That Okay to Extend the OS Partition to Contain This Free Space?

If you have free space and want to make use of it, you can extend the OS partition to contain this free space. This page will show you how to do that with detailed instructions.

Roxanne

Aug 08, 2023

Are the Files Stored in Another Partition Safe When the Windows Partition Collapses?

Are the files stored in another partition safe when the Windows partition collapses? Your answer is here! Follow this article and get more details about this question.

Roxanne

Aug 08, 2023

Is There Any Way to Create More Partitions If I Already Have 4 Drive Partitions in Windows 7?

Is there any way to create more partitions if I already have 4 drive partitions in Windows 7? This short page will offer two proven ways to help you create more partitions in Windows 7.

Roxanne

Aug 08, 2023