In this article, you will learn what you can do in order to fix Windows 10 and get rid of the error message Setup was unable to use the existing partition because it does not contain the required free space. Usually, the error message appears when you have additional hard drives connected to your device or the partition you are trying to install Windows 10 on is not completely blank. First of all and most importantly, you will need to create a backup copy of your current files, folders, and any other important documents to prevent any future issues before attempting the steps below.

How do I fix an existing partition that cannot be used?

1. Format the problematic partition

1.1 Format the partition using the installation media As explained, after you made the necessary backup copy of your important data, you will need to completely format the partition you wish to install Windows 10 on. If you don’t know how to create Windows installation media, we have an excellent guide that will help you do that. You can also use dedicated software to format your partition, just like the one recommended below. Using this tool will be far much easier than following all of the steps mentioned above. SPONSORED 1.2 Format the partition using a dedicated drive management tool Ultimately, with this specialized partition management software, you get the opportunity to manage your hard drive securely before performing a restore or backup action, thus keeping all the information intact.

2. Unplug all peripherals

Although it seems unusual, the connected peripherals can lead to this issue so unplugging them is a smart decision.

3. Remove all partitions

Some users confirmed they quickly solved this problem by removing all partitions on the drive and unplugging the USB drive so follow the steps above to do so.

4. Create a new boot partition

If nothing worked, try creating a new boot partition manually. Although this method may seem a bit complicated, follow the instruction below and you should be able to solve the problem in just a few minutes. That’s it, the error message Setup was unable to use the existing partition because it does not contain the required free space should no longer appear on the screen. As this issue can be easily solved by correctly partitioning your drives, check out the best partitioning software tools that can help you quickly manage your drives. If you need additional help, you can use the comments section below and we will help you further as soon as possible.

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