When trying to install Windows operating systems on a computer, a lot of users are getting stuck on the partition screen where there see an error message – Windows cannot be installed to this disk, This computer’s hardware may not support booting to this disk, Ensure disk controller is enabled in BIOS while installing Windows 11/10. If you face this issue, then this post will help you.
Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This computer’s hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk’s controller is enabled in the computer’s BIOS menu.
The error message neither disappears after clicking on a different partition, nor it goes away after formatting the drive. One needs to end the installation process then and there.
In this post, we will talk about this and will ensure that the disk controller is enabled in BIOS.
This computer’s hardware may not support booting to this disk, Ensure disk controller is enabled in BIOS
After probing for a while, we concluded that one needs to enable AHCI mode for SATA before installing an operating system. This option is available in your BIOS and with some minute changes, we will be able to install the operating system easily.
There are the following two scenarios and ensure that the disk controller is enabled in BIOS.
- When installing Windows on top of an existing copy
- When doing a fresh installation
Let us talk about them in detail.
1] When installing Windows on top of an existing copy
If you already have an existing copy of Windows installed, there are some registry changes that should be made before enabling the option from BIOS. To do the same, boot normally to your OS, and launch Registry Editor. In Registry Editor, reach the following location.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStorV
Look for Start from the left section, double-click on it, and set it to 0. Now, go to the following location.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStorAV\StartOverride
Set the value of O to 0.
Now, navigate to the following address in Registry Editor.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\storahci
Set the value of Start to 0
Finally, change the value of 0 to 0 at the following location.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\storahci\StartOverride
You can now reboot the computer and check if the issue is resolved. Hopefully, this will do the trick for you. In case, you still get the same error message while making a partition, move to the next solution.
Note: In case, you can’t see storachi\StartOverride, do reboot your computer, but it is very likely that you have to move to the next solution.
2] When doing a fresh installation
If you are installing a fresh copy of Windows, make use of this guide. It is worth noting this solution works for both scenarios, so, if for some reason, the above method fails, go for this. Here, we will enable AHCI mode from the BIOS of your computer. So, follow the steps given below to do the same.
- Turn on your computer and boot into BIOS.
- Go to Advanced.
- Look for SATA Mode Selection and change its value from IDE to AHCI.
- Save the settings and exit the BIOS.
Note: Options in BIOS depend on the OEM, so, if you are confused check your OEM’s website.
You can now install the Operating System without any error message. Do keep in mind that on some systems, changes made to the BIOS take a little longer than usual to save. So, if you are one such user, after making the changes, wait for a few minutes (5 to 10) and then check if the changes made are saved or not. Hopefully, this will do the trick for you.
We hope that you can resolve the issue using the solutions mentioned in this article.
Read: Windows cannot be installed to this disk, Disk is of the GPT style
How do I fix Disk controller enabled in BIOS?
When your computer says that the Disk Controller is disabled and it needs to be enabled, it means AHCI mode that needs to be enabled from the BIOS. There are two methods mentioned in this article, you can use any one of them depending on your scenario and resolve the issue. You will pretty easily resolve this problem.
Related:
- Windows must be installed to a partition formatted as NTFS
- The selected disk has an MBR partition table
- Setup does not support configuration of or installation to disks connected through a USB or IEEE 1394 port
What is Disk controller in BIOS?
Disk Controller is a physical device inside your system that helps it to control the drives or partitions. It accessed multiple disk drives, communicate with them, and starts and ends the connection to the client. In case, the Disk Controller is not enabled in the BIOS, the system will not be able to ask disks or partitions to install the operating system or make any alterations.
Read: Windows cannot be installed to this disk, The disk may fail soon.
