Converting a hard drive from GPT to MBR. Converting a GPT partition to MBR and how to fix the GPT format error when installing Windows

The GPT hard disk partition style offers more benefits than the legacy MBR standard to both the commercial sector, which uses equipment to store huge amounts of data, and ordinary users. The advantages of GPT disks for ordinary people are better performance and a greater likelihood of recovering accidentally or accidentally destroyed data. If the computer motherboard supports the operating mode (an indispensable condition for working with GPT disks), but for some reason the hard drive with the formed partition structure and stored data has the MBR partition style, everything can be changed. Not without harm to the operating system, but with preservation of the disk structure and files on non-system partitions. Windows will still have to be reinstalled. Of course, there is a way to do without reinstalling Windows, but it is complicated by the process of restoring the ability of the current operating system to boot. After all, you will have to manually create a recovery partition and an encrypted EFI partition (used instead of the “System Reserved” boot partition on the MBR disk), and then restore the UEFI system bootloader. When you reinstall Windows, all these issues will be resolved automatically. Plus, we will get a clean operating system without old operating errors.

So, below we’ll look at how to install Windows on a disk converted from MBR to GPT without losing data on non-system partitions. But first, let's talk about how Windows is installed on a GPT disk with the loss of markup and stored data.

1. Installing Windows on a GPT disk with data loss

Preserving the partition structure and data of an MBR disk does not always make sense. For example, when connecting a hard drive purchased on the secondary market. What to do in this case? Since BIOS UEFI only works with GPT disks, it is therefore necessary that this firmware operating mode is active, and the Windows installation process is carried out from a UEFI bootable USB flash drive. We will return to these points when we consider how to install Windows on a GPT disk without losing data and partitions. But if the hard drive was initially initialized as MBR, then during the Windows installation process with the BIOS UEFI interface enabled, we will receive the following notification.

What can I do to make it possible to install Windows on a GPT disk? You need to completely delete all partitions on your hard drive...

And install the operating system on unallocated disk space. Or, using the “Create” button, create several partitions on the disk in order to indicate only one of them as the installation location for the system, and use the rest as file storage.

During the Windows installation process, the hard drive will be automatically converted to GPT.

This is a way to install Windows on a GPT disk, losing the partition structure and stored data. But what if the MBR disk is filled with information, and there is a lot of it? Even if there is somewhere to temporarily transfer important data - to another hard drive or removable media, with large volumes, the procedure for transferring files back and forth will take time. If there is nowhere to temporarily place the data, there is only one way out - converting the disk from MBR to GPT and then reinstalling Windows on the system partition.

2. Preparatory stage

Before you begin the conversion process, you need to check a few things and prepare your working tools. Need to:

Make sure that the BIOS actually supports the UEFI interface;
Burn a bootable UEFI USB flash drive with the installation process of 64-bit Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 (done using the Rufus program or the utility for downloading the distribution kit for versions of the system 8.1 and 10 Media Creation Tool);
Save important data of the current Windows, in particular, files in user profile folders, export settings of important programs, extract license keys and perform other actions as before the usual process of reinstalling the operating system;
Download from the official website and install the AOMEI Partition Assistant program on your computer (in the current Windows on an MBR disk), with the help of which the process of converting the hard drive from MBR to GPT will be carried out. The program can be downloaded in the free Standard Edition; among other functionality, it provides the ability to convert disk partition styles.

3. Converting a disk from MBR to GPT

Having carried out all the steps listed above and prepared the necessary tools, launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. In our case, in the program window we will see two computer hard drives: one of them has already successfully completed the conversion procedure from MBR to GPT, and the other, an MBR disk, has yet to undergo it.

On the MBR disk, call up the context menu, select the “Convert to GPT disk” command, then in the confirmation window for starting the operation, click “OK”.

A software window will appear with advice before starting the operation to make sure that the motherboard supports the BIOS UEFI operating mode. This window also informs you that if the converted disk is bootable and has an operating system installed on it, the latter will no longer be able to boot after the operation is completed. That is why it is important to take the preparatory stage of the operation seriously and carry out all the actions recommended in the previous paragraph of the article. Click “Yes”.

At the top left of the window, click the “Apply” button.

Clicking “Yes” is the point of no return, the current Windows will no longer be able to boot as the hard drive will be converted to GPT upon completion of the operation. The completion of the operation will be notified by such a program window, in which the only possible action will be to click “Ok”.

Before clicking “Ok”, check whether the UEFI bootable USB flash drive with the Windows installation process is connected. After clicking “Ok” the computer will reboot.

4. BIOS UEFI setup

The next time you start your computer, you must immediately enter the BIOS to set the UEFI operating mode. In the BIOS of the Asus motherboard, this is done as follows. In the main menu, press either the “Advanced settings” button or the F7 key.

By clicking “Ok” we confirm entering the advanced mode. Go to the “Download” tab, then select the “CSM” section (it must be enabled, that is, the value “Enabled” should appear opposite it). In the “Boot device parameters” column, set the value to “UEFI and Legacy UpROM” - a compatibility mode that allows booting in both UEFI and Legacy modes. Then use the “Back” button to exit the section settings.

If you are installing Windows 7 on your computer, you also need to (Secure Boot) - go to the “Secure Boot” section and in the “OS Type” column set the value to “Other OS”. And go up a level with the “Back” button.

In the list of boot devices, select the UEFI bootable USB flash drive.

We save the changes made to the BIOS: press the F10 key and select “Yes”.

In the BIOS of other motherboards, the settings will be different. But their essence will be the same as described for the Asus motherboard:

Setting the UEFI operating mode (or compatibility mode, if supported, as in the example discussed);
Disable secure boot for operating systems that do not comply with UEFI standard certificates;
Setting boot priority from a UEFI flash drive;
Saving settings.

5. Installing Windows on a GPT disk

After saving the BIOS UEFI settings, the computer will boot from the USB flash drive. We go through the initial stages of the installation process and will linger a little on choosing the installation location. In order for the data on non-system disk partitions to remain safe and sound, it is necessary to delete only two partitions that on the MBR disk were responsible for starting Windows - the first boot partition with a capacity of 350 or 500 MB (depending on the version of Windows) and the second partition on in which the operating system itself was installed. To avoid mistakes, especially if there are several hard drives connected to the computer, it is better to focus on the size of the partitions. In our example, the disk just converted from MBR to GPT is identified by the Windows installation process as Disk 0. We first delete the first partition using the “Delete” button.

Then we repeat the procedure with the second section.

Click on the unallocated space created as a result of deleting partitions and click the “Next” button to continue the Windows installation process.

Have a great day!

In the previous article, we learned how to determine the GPT or MBR hard drive partition used on your computer. Today it’s time to figure out how to convert a GPT disk to MBR and vice versa, without losing data.

When converting GPT to MBR and vice versa, the data on the disk will be destroyed. Therefore, before performing such a conversion, make a backup copy of all data on the disk. The conversion process clears the disk of all data, including old partition table information, then converts to the new disk partition standard and re-partitions the disk.

Technically, this sequence of actions is the only one when converting partition tables. It is worth noting that some third-party developers of disk partition management programs have now already learned how to convert partition table standards from MBR to GPT and back without data loss. But these programs are not officially supported by Microsoft. Therefore, listen to our advice - before using third-party programs, make a backup copy of your data, just in case.

In any case, we recommend that you make a backup copy before converting, then perform the conversion with data loss, and then copy the necessary information back to the disk. Of course, this will take more time, but this is the official tactic and guarantees the safety of the data and the absence of problems with the partition table.

Method one: Convert GPT to MBR using Disk Management utility

Warning: Save all your data before proceeding. This utility will erase everything on the disk you are converting!

Once you have converted a GPT partition to MBR or vice versa, you can start creating partitions on the disk. Just right-click on the unallocated area of the disk in the graphic window and create one or more partitions on the disk through the context menu. After which, you can write the previously copied data to one of the partitions.

Method two: Convert using the Diskpart console command

In order to convert a GPT disk to MBR or vice versa, you can use the regular console command “diskpart” entered in the command line window. This method may be useful to you when the disk is locked for some reason or is not available for conversion through the graphical window of the Disk Management utility.

Let us remind you once again that before converting a disk, you should make a backup copy of all data. After all, during the conversion process, all data on the disk will be lost!

First, open a CMD command line utility window with administrator rights. How to do this, read our article about what is used in your computer?
Next, in the Command Prompt window, run two commands in sequence:
After that, a list of computer disks will open in the command line window. Remember the number of the disk that needs to be converted. In order to correctly identify the drive, pay attention to its capacity in the “Size” column.
Now type new commands, sequentially, one after another. To perform each of them, press “Enter” on the keyboard. Replace the “#” symbol with the number of the disk you want to convert:
Note that it is the “clean” command that deletes all data on the disk, including partition table information. Which means that when selecting a disk using the “select disk #” command, you should not make a mistake in its serial number!
Now you can proceed directly to converting a GPT partition to MBR or MBR to GPT, depending on what exactly you need.
To convert from MBR to GPT type:

To convert from GPT to MBR type:

At this point, disk conversion can be considered complete and you can move on to using the more convenient Disk Management utility to create partitions. Advanced users can use additional diskpart commands to “partition” the disk into partitions. If necessary, transfer the previously copied data to one of the created partitions.

And finally, I would like to remind you that the procedure of converting a GPT disk to MBR without erasing data is quite dangerous. Next time we will test the capabilities of third-party programs that can do this, and we will talk about this in a separate article, but for now we recommend using official conversion methods with deleting and backing up data.

For many users, converting GPT to MBR when installing Windows 7 is a necessary procedure.

Recently, it has not been as easy to reinstall a hard drive as it used to be.

The fact is that simultaneously with the start of production, hard drives with a new style of partitions began to appear on the market.

The difficulty is that to install such a disk, the style must be converted to the usual MBR.

This can be done quite simply in several ways.

general information

In fact, this conversion procedure can be useful in various situations. But – the most common and popular of them.

Often, having purchased a laptop with a pre-installed G8, the user wants to exchange the updated and changed OS for the familiar G7.

And he is faced with the fact that it is impossible to do this.

How are these formats different?

MBR– standard and familiar hard disk format. All users worked with it until the Windows 8 operating system was released, which became fundamentally different. Therefore, previously there were no problems with reinstallation;
GPT– a fundamentally new and unusual format for placing partition tables on a hard drive. For the first time, disks of this style appeared during the transition to a new type of BIOS - UEFI. The format is used on relatively new operating systems - “eight”, “ten”. Therefore, reinstalling and replacing with an older OS can be difficult.

The need for such a conversion arises at several stages of working with a hard drive. But during reinstallation - most often.

The GPT format is much preferable in work. If it is present, the operating system loads faster, and even very large external and internal drives can be supported. The system works faster. However, some users still need to convert the disk format. It should be taken into account that all the positive aspects of GPT will be lost.

Problem

What is the essence of the problem? At the initial stages of installation, the user does not detect any differences from the standard procedure.

He inserts a disk into the drive or inserts a memory card, and boots from them. After this, the language selection menu appears, where you can also freely select the system language.

The user then specifies the partition where he wants to install.

The standard user reaction to such a notification is to delete partitions and format the disk. But these actions do not bring results.

The essence of the problem

This problem can be solved only in one way - by converting the outdated format to a new one. This is not difficult to do. No additional software or special abilities are required. The only thing you need for this is an installation disk with a new operating system.

Command line

One of the easiest conversion methods. In order to carry it out, follow the following algorithm:

Run the installer again;
Insert the installation disc;
Boot from it;
Select the system language;
When the window for selecting partitions for installing a new OS opens, hold down Shift and F10 at the same time (without selecting a partition);
This action launches the command line;
Enter the command diskpart, this utility helps to cope with many problems that arise during OS installation;
Enter the command list disk, as a result of which a list of disks will open, each of which will be assigned a number;
Remember the number of the disk you want to convert;
Now enter the command into the command line select disk#, where # is the number of the hard drive (according to the list) that will be converted;
The next step will delete all existing data on the hard drive - something to keep in mind!
Type into the command line clean command, which will completely clear the specified disk of any information;
You can save data from the disk only on an external drive, but if they are moved, for example, to disk D, this will not bring results (they will still be deleted);
Wait a while for the cleaning to complete and proceed directly to the conversion;
Dial convert mbr on the command line;
The process of converting the outdated format to the updated one will start;
Wait for the notification about the end of the process (usually it appears almost instantly).

As soon as this process was completed, the hard drive acquired its usual format. You need to exit the converter utility. To do this, type exit on the command line. It is not advisable to go out in another way, for example, by turning off the computer.

After that, connect the installation disk again. Complete the installation as usual. Now there will be no problems at the partition selection stage.

Working with the command line

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No data loss

In some cases, losing data stored on your hard drive is unacceptable. At the same time, transferring them to removable media and then back to the computer takes a long time.

Sometimes data volumes do not allow this, or removable storage of a suitable size is not available at all.

Buy bootable Live CD|DVD. Carefully study its assembly, since conversion will require the Paragon Hard Disk Manager utility. Not every disk assembly has it, but without it it is not possible to convert partition formats;
Install a boot disk or memory card into your computer. Boot and run the system from it. Wait until the desktop appears in front of you;
In the standard way, open the Start menu and find the section there HDD and USB utilities. Click on it and select Paragon HDM 2010 Pro from the list;
Launch the program;
After launch, a program window will open, which will display all hard drives. Select the base GPT and click on it once with the left key;
Now click on the “Hard disk” button, which is located at the top, in the header of the program window;
A small menu will open in which you need to select a section "Convert to MBR". Click on the command. After this, we confirm the process by clicking on the green checkmark in the pop-up window;
A window with parameters and settings will open conversion. You cannot change anything in it (sometimes this option is present). Just click on the button "Convert" at the bottom of the window;
The conversion process has now started. In the window that opens, you can observe the progress of the process by filling the gray bar with green. The process is not as fast as in the first case. Typically, this type of conversion takes a few minutes.

After the release of Windows 7, a new type of hard drive partition was released, as a result of which users must perform a number of additional actions when reinstalling the operating system, namely, converting GPT to MBR, which must be performed precisely when installing Windows 7. An interesting fact is that you will be faced with the need You can also convert by performing other actions with the OS, but most often this happens during installation. We are going to walk you through the process of moving from GPT to MBR step by step using the most well-known methods and list the most suitable tools for this.

The average user may understand that he needs to change the disk conversion when installing Windows newer than version 7. Often the problem is the lack of UEFI on the computer (instead there is an outdated BIOS), which is necessary for the new version of the OS. The user encounters a problem when going to the disk partitioning screen, encountering a message that interferes with the further process. The message warns that a GPT disk is being used instead of the required MBR. In this situation, all that is available to you is the “OK” button and the menu for interacting with existing disks. The “Next” button will not be available to you in this situation. The opposite situation may also happen, in which the installation will require you not to use GPT, but MBR. Be that as it may, we will tell you about the process of changing the type of hard drive, and in the future any of you will be able to convert Windows 7 disks in both directions, both from GPT to MBR and in the opposite direction.

Conversion during Windows installation via command line

The command line is an integrated tool in any Windows that can organize local disks and change GPT to MBR. It is capable of converting GPT to MBR and vice versa, provided that the disk to be converted is not partitioned.

The usage scheme is as follows:

Click “Start” > enter “Command Prompt” and run it with administrator privileges;
Enter “diskpart” and press “Enter”;
Enter “list disk” and press “Enter”;
Enter “select disk N” and press “Enter”. Instead of “N” you must put the number of the disk to be changed (for example, “Disk 0”);
Enter “clean” and press “Enter” to delete partitions or volumes on the disk that was selected;
Enter “convert mbr” and press “Enter”, after which the change from GPT to MBR will be completed.

The method is quite controversial because it entails deleting all information on the media. That is why, before the conversion procedure, we strongly recommend that you reserve the information you need on removable media and then restore it.

Convert using Windows Disk Management

Disk Management is a tool integrated into Windows 10 that allows you to make changes (create, delete, increase, shrink) partitions, convert them to GPT or MBR.

Here's how to use it:

Programs for conversion without data loss

There are also a number of utilities that allow you to convert disks without losing data. To use them, you do not need to delete all partitions. But it is worth saying that the possibility that the data will be erased is still present and you should be prepared for this, since this possibility is present during all operations with a partition and/or disk. In this regard, we highly recommend that you back up the necessary data on removable media before using any of the programs.
So, if you have made all the necessary preparations, then let's look at three programs that are most suitable for manipulating disks.

AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition

A wonderful and freely distributed utility that allows you to manipulate media. With its help, in a couple of clicks you can change the file system, partition size, cloning, etc. And the main thing is that most operations are performed while saving your data (this is the main advantage over standard system utilities).

Unfortunately, just recently the ability to convert MBR to GPT starting from version 7 of the utility became paid (it is free in version 6.6, so you can install it as an option).

There is no need to dwell on how to download and install the program; everything is standard here. Having launched the utility, in its start window you will see information about which of your partitions are converted to GPT and which to MBR (see picture).

For example, let's look at the MBR to GPT conversion.

Notes!

If you need to convert the system disk (that is, the disk on which Windows was installed and from which you are currently working), you will not be able to achieve this in the usual way. Under these circumstances you need:

EaseUS free Partition Master

Another program for converting MBR to GPT is EaseUS free Partition Master. The program, just like the previous one, will save all your data, it is a little easier to learn for users and regularly receives updates from the publisher.

If you decide to opt for this utility, then here is the procedure for completing the conversion using it:

Paragon Hard Disk Manager

The Paragon Hard Disk Manager program operates exclusively in the operating system itself, therefore, you should not remove the OS by simply formatting the system partition. Convert the disk first, and then you can perform the necessary actions.
The utility is paid, but there is a trial version, which is basically enough for you. To download the program, simply register on the official website, the download link will be sent to your email. All that remains is to download and install it.

After launching the application, in the dialog box, select the GPT disk to be edited with one click, and at the top of the window click “Hard Disk”. In the contextual one - “Convert to basic MBR disk”, confirm the performed actions by clicking on the green checkmark.
In the window that appears, click “Convert”.
At the end of the process of transition from GPT to MBR, Paragon will display the “All operations completed” window.
After that, close the program and continue to use your PC.

Video: converting GPT disk to MBR

So which is better GPT or MBR? The answer to this question cannot be known without taking into account the requirements that apply to each technology in a particular case. MBR and GPT perform the same function - storing information about the disk structure and ensuring the operating system boots. In many ways, these technologies are similar, but there are also differences between them. Currently, MBR is supported by almost all operating systems, however, GPT has many advanced features. In addition, in some cases it is impossible for the user to do without installing GPT, for example, when using disks with a capacity of more than 2 TB.
If you have decided which technology you will use and realized that you need conversion, then here is a video that shows this entire process without data loss using the Paragon Hard Disk Manager program.

Found a typo? Select the text and press Ctrl + Enter

By default, Windows almost always uses the MBR hard drive data structure.

If you have new UEFI-enabled hardware, you may need to convert (convert) the disk's MBR structure to GPT.

How to do it? If you want to install Windows on a UEFI-based computer, your disk must be based on a GPT structure.

Otherwise, the installation will display a message that the system cannot be installed.

You may also need to convert a disk from MBR to GPT for other solutions - this can be done without losing data.

For example, if your system is installed on GPT, but also has additional MBR disks.

Then an error may occur when booting from UEFI with devices.

Method #1 – Convert MBR disk to GPT without losing data

Conversion between structures can be done using built-in Windows utilities, but then you will lose all your data.

However, there is a simple, free management tool that can perform this operation without damaging your data - Aomei Partition Assistant Home Edition.

Launch the program - right-click on the main header (for example, Disk 1), and then from the drop-down list select “Convert GPT disk...”.

After this, the conversion task will appear and will be added to the list on the left.

Click on the "Apply" button to start the process. Now the program will convert partitions from MBR to GPT without losing data.

The advantages of this conversion: all partitions remain intact and do not lose data.

Cons: You can only convert additional drives that are in your computer.

If you only have one and want to convert it, you must remove it and mount it as a second drive on another computer.

Method number 2 - converting from MBR to GPT during the installation of the Windows system

If, when you try to install Windows, the system displays a message that it can only be installed on a GPT disk, you can convert it directly in the installer.

Only then will you lose all your data, although you need to format at least one partition in all cases.

When you reach the message that installation is not possible, press Shift + F10 - a command line window will appear.

Launch the partitioning utility by entering the command “Diskpart” and confirm by pressing “Enter”.

In the next step, enter the command “List Disk”, and then confirm with Enter. After this, a list of disks installed on the computer will be displayed - each of which is identified on the left side (0, 1, 2, 3 ...).

You must select the one you want to convert. Enter the command “Select Disk #”, where # is the disk number. Press Enter.

Now that the drive is selected, you must clean it up. Enter the command “Clean” and confirm your selection by pressing Enter.

Then enter the last command “Convert GPT” and then press Enter.

The drive will be formatted and converted to GPT. Now you can close the window and refresh the list. The error message will no longer be displayed and everything will work fine.

Pros: You can do it with Windows Installer even if you don't have any system installed on your computer.

Cons: loss of all data. Converting with this method removes all data and partitions. Good luck.

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