Error 0x80300001 When Installing Windows Server 2012 — Cause and Fix
While installing Windows Server 2012, I ran into error 0x80300001.
In short: error 0x80300001 means Setup lost access to the installation media or can’t work with the selected partition. In my case the cause was simple: after loading drivers, the Windows ISO got disconnected — I just had to attach it again and continue the installation.
My case: the installation image got disconnected
I was installing the system on a virtual machine. To let Setup see the disk, I attached an ISO with the VM drivers — and that automatically disconnected the ISO with the Windows Server 2012 installation files. After loading the drivers, I needed to attach the installation image again and simply continue.
It’s a pity Setup doesn’t state the cause directly — a couple of lines would save time troubleshooting.
Other causes of error 0x80300001
- Damaged installation media. Re-create the USB stick or download the image again and verify its checksum.
- A partition problem. If the partition is left over from an old system, delete the partitions in the disk selection window and create a new one (careful — data on the disk will be lost).
- Missing controller driver. For RAID controllers and virtual disks, load the driver with the Load driver button, then be sure to put the installation media back — as in my case.
- Controller mode in BIOS. Sometimes switching the SATA mode (AHCI/IDE/RAID) in the BIOS helps.