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Converting GPT to MBR - changing the disk layout. How to convert GPT disk to MBR without losing data? Converting disk partitions in various ways

And it replaced the old MBR format. New motherboards usually come with UEFI support. This is logical, because the system boots faster, and the GPT partition table provides support for large-capacity drives. MBR allows you to address no more than 2.2 TB of address space.

Despite the obvious advantages of GPT, sometimes it is necessary to install an operating system on an MBR disk. If you have a disk with GPT partitioning, it can be easily converted to MBR.

Attention! All information on the drive will be destroyed after converting the disk from GPT to MBR format.

When installing the system on a hard driveA disk with a GPT partition table may receive the following error: Windows cannot be installed on disk 0 partition 1. More details: Windows cannot be installed on this disk. The selected disk has GPT partition style.

Method 1 - the easiest and fastest

When installing the system, you need to go to Disk setup, delete all partitions on the disk and create again. In this case, the disk will be created with an MBR table.

If your hard drive is larger than 2.2. TB, then this operation will again create a GPT table on the disk. There is a workaround to solve the problem, given that the system will see no more than 2.2 TB.

If this solution does not help, then you need to try the second method and manually create the necessary partition table.

Method 2 is difficult, if method 1 does not help

You need to boot from the installation disk or flash drive with the operating system:
Select the desired language -> Next -> Install -> I accept the license terms -> Next -> Complete installation.

— Press Shift + F10(or Fn + Shift + F10) - the command line will start.

— Run a console utility on the command line for working with disks, partitions and volumes in Windows.
diskpart
- Browse the list of drives to find the one you need to convert.
list disk
— Select the required disk.
select disk 0
— Clear the drive of other partitions.
clean
— Convert GPT disk to MBR.
convert mbr
— Quit Diskpart
exit

Please pay attention to the team in the picture list disk. Before converting the disk to MBR, the disk was marked * in the GPT column. After conversion there is no such mark. This means the disk was successfully converted to MBR.

This completes work with the disk. You can continue installing Windows on the disk with the MBR table.

Additional Information

Only 64-bit operating systems can be installed and booted on drives with a GPT partition table - Windows Vista x64 SP1, Windows 7 x64, Windows 8 x64, Windows Server 2008 x64 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012.

Windows XP x64 and all x86 Windows operating systems cannot boot from a drive with GPT partitions, but they can read and write data.

Windows XP x86 cannot work with GPT disks at all.

In order to be able to boot from a GPT drive, you must boot through the UEFI bootloader.

Nowadays, most laptops and computers are sold with the Windows 8 operating system pre-installed. But not all users like it. Many people uninstall the new operating system and install the familiar Windows 7 instead.

However, during the installation process, the following message appears: “Windows cannot be installed on this drive. The selected disk has a GPT partition style."

The thing is that new computers have hard drives with a GPT partition table, instead of the usual MBR. This is a new standard developed by Intel, which is part of UEFI BIOSa. Unlike the MBR table, which supported drives with a capacity of no more than 2 TB, the GPT partition table supports hard drives with a much larger capacity.

But, despite all the advantages, sometimes you need to install an operating system on a disk with an MBR partition table. Let's look at how you can convert your hard drive from GPT to MBR.

During Windows installation

Delete all partitions

ATTENTION!!! All information stored on the hard drive will be deleted.

During installation of the operating system, in the window where you need to select the partition to install, click on the button "Disk Setup". Then delete everything and create them again. If the volume of your hard drive is less than 2.2 TB, then the new disk will be created with an MBR partition table.

Converting via the command line

This method also involves completely deleting data from all partitions. That is, if you had partitions C:, D:, E:, then the information will be deleted not only from C: on which the system was installed, but also from D: and E:.

In the window where you need to select a partition to install the operating system, press Shift+F10.

A command prompt window will open. We will convert GPT to MBR using a special utility built into Windows. Enter the command diskpart and press “Enter”.

The list disk command will open a list from which you can select the one you need. Please note that if the disk has a GPT partition table, it will have a “*” next to it.

The select disk 0 command will allow you to select the desired disk. Here, instead of “0”, there should be the number of your hard drive, which was determined by the previous command - it can be 0, 1, or 2, depending on how many of them are installed on the computer.

The clean command will completely clear it - remove all partitions and information from them.

The convert mbr command converts hard drive to MBR.

Type exit once to exit the DiskPart console utility, and exit again to close the command prompt.

Now on the hard MBR partition table, you can continue installing the operating system.

Conversion without data loss

If you do not want to lose the information that is on the hard drive, but convert it to MBR as needed, then we will use the Paragon Hard Disk Manager program. You can download it from the official website. The only thing is that this program is paid. Of course, there is a Demo version, but the GPT to MBR converter is not active in it. Therefore, you only need to install the full version.

We launch the program on the computer using a Live CD or bootable USB flash drive. Then select with the mouse the hard one that needs to be converted. Here you can see what partition table is on it.

If such a list does not open for you, find the item in the program window "List of disks and partitions" and click on the small black arrow opposite it.

Right-click on the one you want and select "Convert basic GPT to basic MBR disk".

In the next window, click on the button "Convert".

To apply the changes, click on the green checkmark in the upper left corner.

A confirmation window will pop up, click “Yes”.

After the process is completed, click “Close”.

Now the name in the list will change - "Basic MBR hard drive".

We open the disk through Explorer and see that all the files remain in place.

Conversion on a computer with two hard drives

Let's consider this option. The computer has two hard drives, divided into partitions. Your main OS is on the first, you want to install a new system on the second. In this case, you can convert GPT to MBR using Windows itself, or using Paragon Hard Disk Manager.

With information removed

Let's consider the first option. In this case, information from the selected hard drive will be deleted. To do this we go to "Disk Management": press the Win+R combination and in the “Open” field type diskmgmt.msc, click “OK”.

The window we need will open. I only have one hard drive installed. You will have “Disk 0” and “Disk 1”. Select the one on which you are going to install the new OS. Now right-click on any partition and select “Delete Volume” from the context menu. Repeat this for all others on this hard drive.

Now right-click on the hardest one and select "Convert to MBR disk"(you will have it).

After this, the partition table will be MBR. You can split the disk into the necessary partitions.

With preservation of information

The second option is to use the Paragon Hard Disk Manager program. Run it on your computer in a working operating system. All information will be saved. Then select the hard drive that needs to be converted, the main thing is not the one on which the working OS is installed, and repeat all the steps with the program that were described in the paragraph above.

As you can see, there are various ways to convert a disk with a GPT partition table to MBR. You can convert the disk to MBR when installing the operating system, or use the Paragon Hard Disk Manager program and save all the data.

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Sometimes when switching from Windows 8 to Windows 7, a problematic situation arises. This most often happens on new laptops. If you came to this article, it means you want to find out how to convert GPT to MBR, and this screen is familiar to you.

When you decide to change the operating system, when you select a partition for installation, Windows displays the following message "" and installation of the system is not possible in the selected partition.

In order to install the OS on this particular partition, it must be converted to a partition style called MBR. And in this article I will tell you how to do this without using the command line, and also without losing data on your hard drive.

First way
To convert GPT to MBR without losing information, we will need some kind of multiboot disk that will contain a very valuable program - Paragon Hard Disk Manager. Not all multiboot discs have such a program, but I know for sure that Alkid Live DVD and Lex Live CD definitely have it. Personally, I'll use a Live CD from Lexa.

Before we start, I'll show you that on drive D I have a folder called Music.

Well, let's go. We boot the PC from a multiboot disk and select our Paragon Hard Disk Manager program.

The program has started and now we need to select a Basic GPT disk.

We go to the “Hard Disk” section and in the menu that appears, select “Convert to basic MBR disk”.

After that, find the green checkmark on the left side of the program and click on it.

The conversion process has begun. This usually takes about 3-5 minutes.

When the conversion process is completed, click on “Close”.

This is how we converted GPT to MBR in a couple of clicks. Now you can repeat the process of installing Windows 7 on this hard drive.

And now we see that Windows 7 OS can be installed easily and without problems.

When I installed the OS, I go back to my D drive and see the same “Music” folder that was there before converting the GPT hard drive to MBR. This is how you can quickly and easily fix a seemingly complex problem. You can also convert your hard drive using the popular Acronis program.

Second way

There is another way to fix the error " Installation on this disk is not possible. The selected disk has a GPT partition style"We don't need multiboot disks here. However, using this method, be aware that all data on the hard drive will be erased. Therefore, move your personal files and documents to some external media in advance.

When selecting a partition, we need to launch the command line. This can be done by pressing "Shift+F10" at the same time.

Now in the command line that opens, you need to type diskpart in order for the program to work with hard drives to start.

That's all, now you can install any operating system on this hard drive.


GPT and MBR are partition styles that are slightly different from each other. Accordingly, for some purposes the use of one of the formats may be unacceptable. Most often it is necessary to convert GPT to MBR in Windows 7, since this particular system only works with MBR. Accordingly, if you have the GPT style installed, you need to change the format in MBR.

The problem manifests itself as follows: during the installation of Windows 7, more precisely before starting the installation, after determining the language and partition, a message is displayed that the procedure is not available because “The selected disk has a GPT partition style.” A problem that often occurs is when a laptop has Windows 8 pre-installed and there is a desire to replace it with Windows 7.

MBR itself is a universal style on which all systems can be installed. GPT is a more modern standard that has not yet gained sufficient popularity, but it imposes some restrictions. Perhaps, over time, inverse transformations will be used more often.

There are 3 key options that can help convert a GPT disk to MBR and vice versa, if the need arises:

  • Using programs, we will look at the example of MiniTool Partition Wizard;
  • The standard option is via the console, can be performed from the OS installation window;
  • When using Disk Management, you need access to the system.

It should be noted that the built-in tools do not allow you to convert GPT to MBR without losing data. This implies cleaning the HDD. The main functional advantage of utilities is data storage. There are simply no clear recommendations regarding the choice of method; it depends on the situation.

Data Preserving Conversion

The only available method that can be used so that you don’t have to delete everything is software. For the most part, the applications are paid, which also leaves an unpleasant imprint, but there are several free solutions. One of the best programs of this nature is MiniTool Partition Wizard. It has full functionality and costs nothing.

The utility can be used at two levels: in LiveCD format and the standard method with Windows. There are no special differences in normal use and from a flash drive, so let’s consider a more convenient option. To complete the procedure, you need to have a flash drive and access to the Internet from your computer.

So, let's convert GPT to MBR:

  • Download the program;
  • Using any LiveCD burning program, we mount it. For example, you can use UltraISO, where in the “Boot” section select “Mount HDD image” and restart the computer;
  • During the startup process, usually when the BIOS window appears, press F. Here you need to specify startup from media or change the priority in the BIOS - UEFI;
  • In the main application window, select the logical drive that needs to be converted;
  • Then click on the menu item “Convert GPT Disk to MBR Disk” and “Apply”;

It may be necessary to remove the System Reserved item first to complete the action, but only if errors are being raised. Also, if you have any difficulties using the application, you can use a similar one - Aomei Partition Assistant. It is also free and functional, and the interface is quite clear.

This will change the style of the partitions and you can safely install Windows 7 or perform another procedure of interest, while saving the data.

How to convert GPT disk to MBR via command line?

The procedure is simpler and does not require preliminary preparation, but the information will be erased. It can be accepted both during the Windows 7 installation process and from the system itself. When following the instructions with Windows, take care of the appropriate rights.

To perform the procedure directly from the system installation window, you must:

  • Press Shift + F10 from any installation window, this will open the console;
  • Now we find out the system names of the partitions: diskpart, then list disk;
  • Select the target disk: select disk 1, here the number corresponds to the information received from the previous stage, indicate yours based on the disk capacity;
  • We clean the partition using clean;
  • Change the style: convert MBR;
  • We exit the object using Exit.

Now the GPT hard drive will be changed and its style will become MBR, although the price for such a procedure is high - deleted data. But you can easily install the system on such a disk.

Convert using Disk Management

By and large, this procedure performs similar actions as through the console, but only through the graphical interface. Also, to carry out a style replacement, you must have a fully working Windows so that you can enter the desired section.

The action is quite simple, you need:

  • Click Start and Control Panel;
  • Then go to “Administration” and “Computer Management”;

  • Find Disk Management and select it;
  • Select the target hard drive, then delete all partitions on it, for this, RMB and “Delete Volume”;

  • On a single disk element, right-click and “Convert to MBR disk”.

The methods for achieving the desired result are different, but they all allow you to bring your hard drive to a standard style format. The MBR is universal and all versions of Windows work with it, so converting in the opposite direction is rarely done, but in the same way.

If you still have questions on the topic “How to convert GPT to MBR?”, you can ask them in the comments


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In one of the previous articles in the section with instructions for Windows 10, we discussed which of these markup standards is best to use on a modern computer with a modern operating system. In short, it is better to use GPT, as it is a newer and more convenient standard for hard drive partitioning. If after reading the article you set out to convert MBR to GPT on your wonderful computer, this article is exactly what you need. Here you will find instructions on how to convert MBR to GPT without third-party programs (system tools), as well as how to convert MBR to GPT without data loss.

For reference: All procedures described in this article must be performed on behalf of the Administrator. Therefore, your account must have the appropriate rights. If there are none, you will need to enter the Computer Administrator password.

How to convert MBR to GPT without third party programs

To begin with, we must immediately note that changing the layout of a hard drive inside the system is only possible if it No sections in general. In other words, you need to completely delete all existing sections and then convert. This in turn equals deleting information from the disk. Make sure to back up all the data you need.

Also note that this method cannot change the markup system disk on which the operating system is installed. If you need to change the MBR to GPT of the system disk, you will have to reinstall Windows and change the partition during the installation process. This procedure is described a little below.

Once the backups are created, proceed with the procedure:

By the way, so as not to return to the interface Disk management, you can complete the conversion procedure directly on the command line.

  1. Enter again listdisk, and then selectdisk X. Traditionally, X is responsible for the number of the disk to be changed.
  2. Now enter the command convertmbr. Click Enter and wait for the procedure to complete.

After this, you can mark. This procedure can be performed in the Command Line, but the interface will be much simpler and clearer Disk management.

How to Convert MBR to GPT During Windows 10 Installation

This procedure must be done not only at the moment when you purposefully change the layout of the system disk, but also when you encounter the error Installing Windows on this disk is impossible. The selected disk contains an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed on a GPT disk. In other words, when you try to install Windows on a UEFI system, you will have to change the markup from MBR to GPT. And yes, you will lose all information on this disk.

The process of converting MBR to GPT during Windows installation is essentially the same as in the case of conversion “from under Windows”. Its essence is to call the command line and enter a couple of commands. This is all done very simply:

  1. When the Windows installation interface loads (or when the above error appears on the screen), click Shift+F10 to launch the command line.
  2. In the window that appears, enter the command diskpart.
  3. Then comes the command Listdisk to display all connected drives. Look for the drive on which you want to install the operating system. Eg, Disk 0.
  4. Enter the command selectdissk X. Replace X with the disk number. For example, the command might look like this: select disk 3.
  5. The following command will erase the MBR table. Enter clean and press Enter.
  6. Now all that remains is to convert the blank disk to GPT. To do this use the command convertgpt.
  7. After the successful conversion message, enter the command exit to exit the command line. Then continue installing Windows as usual. When the computer is ready for use, you will see the utility in the interface Disk management that the system partition now uses GPT format markup.

If the disk is not partitioned and you are installing the system on an EFI computer, Windows will automatically select GPT partitioning during installation.

How to Convert MBR to GPT without Data Loss

As you probably already understood, Windows does not have built-in mechanisms that allow you to convert Master Boot Record to GPT without first completely wiping the disk. Fortunately, there are a large number of free applications that do an excellent job of this task. One of them is called AOMEI Partition Assistant.

Warning: There is always a risk of losing information on your hard drive during such procedures. It's best to always back up your important data to the cloud or other storage. And remember that only you are responsible for the safety of your information.


As you can see, the whole procedure is quite simple and is much easier to do than it might seem to a novice user or simply an inexperienced user.