Windows cannot be installed to Disk 0 Partition 1

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I've gone through a few questions with the similar issue, but found none with a working solution.

Got a Toshiba laptop for "repair", model "PORTEGE R830-1FT", and I was asked to install Windows on it as it wasn't booting. Specs are i5, 4GB ram, 320gb HDD, with a W7 Pro sticker on the back; no disks provided.

When I try to install either W7/W8/W10 (x64), I get this issue at the disk/partition selection step.

Windows cannot be installed to Disk 0 Partition 1. 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. Setup was unable to create a new system
partition or locate an existing system partition. See the setup log
files for more information.

The hard disk is the laptop's original, a 320GB Toshiba.
I tried with another disk, a 60GB one, and with that one it works.

Things to consider:

 - The only disk setting in the BIOS is a performance/compatibility AHCI    mode.
 - Tried formatting the disk and deleting partitions.
 - Tried making a partition on it with my desktop PC.
 - Tried a full disk format.
 - Tried a low-level format.
 - Tried a full disk surface scan, no errors.
 - Tried setting the disk as the 1st boot order.
 - Tried starting the installer from USB and DVD, no difference.
- Trying to install W7 with the disk on my desktop PC: exactly same issue.

Dumping the w7 install files in the root of the disk = no boot.

It's as if the disk is not bootable at all, but there isn't any apparent issue with it when plugged to my desktop.

Any ideas?

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Best Answer

I also went through good part of what you did, and found that the solution is quite simple:

Leave things in BIOS as default and at the point when Windows installation shows you the partitions, delete them ALL untill there is only one shown as “not allocated,” don’t create any new partition, and click “Next” so Windows will take care of the rest.

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