Ssd gpt to mbr without data loss. Why is it necessary to convert a GPT disk to MBR? Another proof of the wide capabilities of the command line

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) MBR structure disk in 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 disks MBR.

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-ins Windows utilities, but then you will lose all your data.

However, there is a simple free tool for management 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.

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

IN 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.

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

If you are used to doing things the old fashioned way, i.e. good old BIOS plus regular hard disk with MBR table, then when installing operating Windows systems 8 and Windows 8.1 on modern computer with UEFI BIOS you may encounter this error: “Installing windows on this disk impossible. The selected disk contains an mbr partition table. IN EFI systems Windows can only be installed on a GPT disk."
There are two ways to solve this difficulty.

First— switch UEFI to Leagcy Mode compatibility mode. But it is not the best way out due to the fact that UEFI system more productive and perfect. In addition, now there are disks with a capacity of 3-4 TB, and MBR cannot work with partitions larger than 2 TB. By the way, if you have a regular BIOS, you won’t be able to install Windows on a GPT disk at all.
Second— convert the partition table from MBR to GPT and install the system on it. This is a more correct solution, which is why we will now consider it. In principle, none additional tools we don't need it - everything is there installation disk. The instructions below are relevant for both Windows 8 and Windows 10. The only note is that you need bootable USB flash drive for UEFI.
We insert a bootable USB flash drive into the connector, boot and begin installing the system. In principle, all actions are performed as usual until you get to the point where you select a partition to install the system, where you receive the error “Windows cannot be installed on this disk.”
Now, to change MBR to GPT you need to run the conversion. To do this, use the Shift+F10 buttons (on laptops sometimes you also need to press function key Fn, i.e. Fn+Shift+F10) launch the command line. You need to type the command in it diskpart to call the built-in utility for working with disks and partitions.

Recruiting a team list disk to view available drives:

Select the disk that we will convert using the command select disk. In my case this is Disk0, so the command would look like this:

We clear it using the directive Clean:

To convert the partition table from MBR to GPT, type the command convert gpt:

If the conversion is completed successfully and the disk is converted, close the DiskPart utility with the command Exit:

Press the button Update and continue installing the system further. I would especially like to note that with using Diskpart you can repartition the whole HDD, but most often this is easier and much more convenient to do using graphic menu Windows installer.

Correct work software depends directly on the equipment installed on the PC. If tables HDD partitions will not meet the developer's requirements, then the OS will not be installed. This is where knowledge of methods for converting hard drives from GPT style to MBR and vice versa will come to the rescue.

GPT is new format for hard drive, used in conjunction with UEFI - BIOS.

MBR – familiar standard format HDD.

Convert GPT to MBR

There are often cases when a regular system reinstallation does not work. At HDD definition For “filling” Windows, the information appears - “Installation on this disk is not possible. The selected disc has a style GPT partitions", after which the process stops. The reason is that there is no possibility or there is a UEFI BIOS.

There are several solutions for changing the HDD image from GPT to MBR. Let's look at the three most common variations GPT conversion in MBR.

Via command line

If installed, there is no risk of losing information. Therefore, we cope with the task using a line of commands:

Advice! Thanks to the application discussed, they create partitions on the screw. Note create partition primary size=n will take you to system partition n MB. Note format fs=ntfs label=”System” quick reformats the device to NTFS, active– activates the device.

Using Windows Disk Management

This method is used exclusively for physical non-system hard drives and converts GPT to MBR without losing data on other HDDs:

Advice! The “Delete volume” operation must be performed with each partition of a non-system HDD.

No data loss

There are several programs to solve the problem of converting GPT to MBR without data loss:

• Paragon Hard Disk Manager and others.

Let's look, for example, at the latest version of “Paragon HDM 2010 Pro”:

1. 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 actions taken by clicking on green tick.
2. In the window that appears, click “Convert”.
3. At the end of the process of transition from GPT to MBR, Paragon will display the “All operations completed” window. After this, close the program.

Many users are faced with a situation where Windows installations, the installation wizard does not skip through the drive selection screen. We point to a blank partition, but a window appears stating that the selected disk has a GPT partition style and installing Windows on this disk is impossible. See how to solve the problem?

Hard drive can be formatted in GPT or MBR style. You may have already heard about these structures, especially the last one. These formats are responsible for the way information is stored in partitions - they determine where partitions begin and end on the disk.

During Windows installation, a message may appear that specified drive formatted in GPT format and installation of the system in this partition is impossible. Why does the error message appear? What to do?

What is the difference between the formats and why do they affect Windows installation?

Both of these formats store information about how the disk is divided into partitions, set their boundaries, and manage them in completely different ways. MBR is an old format, until recently it was used on every media in Windows 95, 98, XP, Vista and 7. GPT is a new style, which overshadows the MBR, popular on new computers with Windows 8 and support for UEFI (BIOS successor).

MBR supports drives with a maximum capacity of up to 2 TB. They can be divided into a maximum of 4 sections - more is possible, but then the system can be “deceived” using so-called extended partitions.

The GPT format has no such restrictions - you can install hard devices with a capacity of 3, 4 and 6 TB and divide them into any number of partitions.

Users often ask why not format all hard drives installed in the PC to GPT format. Unfortunately, there is one catch that is very difficult to get around - if the computer does not have UEFI support on the motherboard, then do not install the OS on a hard drive formatted in GPT (GUID) format. Of course, these drives will be visible in a system that does not support UEFI (using BIOS), but only if they are connected as an additional one. That is, as a drive for storing data, and not as a system drive on which the operating system is installed. Without UEFI support, Windows can only be installed on an MBR-formatted drive.

Therefore, if a message appears while Windows Installer is running that the system cannot be installed on a GPT partition, this means that there is no UEFI support or it is disabled in the computer settings. There are two ways to solve this problem - enable UEFI (if the PC supports it) or convert the disk from GPT to MBR to install the system.

Make sure your computer/laptop has UEFI support

If we have new computer or a laptop, then maybe motherboard has support for the new interface and it can be disabled in the PC settings.

To enable it you need to go to the BIOS/UEFI settings. Unfortunately, the procedure for entering settings is not the same for all devices, since each computer or laptop has its own UEFI/BIOS depending on the manufacturer. When you turn on your computer, pay attention to the first screen. Information about the key that is responsible for entering settings (SETUP) is displayed here. For example, the information “Press F2 to enter SETUP” or “Press DEL to enter settings” may be displayed.

So, when the login information appears on the first screen, press the corresponding key. Then in the BIOS/UEFI settings you need to find the parameter responsible for EFI or UEFI. It should be in advanced settings under " BOOT Mode”, in which there are three options to choose from. Set it to "UEFI".

In other versions, this item may be named “EFI BOOT” or similar. In this case, there is no choice as such, only an ON/OFF switch. Enable it so that the system boots with support for this standard. Now you can install without any problems operating system to a GPT formatted partition without having to convert it to MBR.

How to convert partitions to another format?

If your computer or laptop is not equipped with the above function and has old BIOS, it will be impossible to install the system on a GPT partition. In this case, you need to convert the disk to MBR format. This can be done in two ways - with complete loss of data on the entire disk (and not just on the selected partition) and without losing it. The second option requires the presence or access to another PC with Windows installed, to which you will need to connect the hard drive and convert it AOMEI program Partition Assistant.

Conversion via Windows Installer

Before we begin, we warn you that using this method will delete all data. To convert to MBR, simply delete all partitions in the installer so that only unallocated space remains. We mark the partitions on the disk, and then with available functions select “Delete”. We do this for each partition (if you have several disks, you should be careful not to accidentally delete partitions of other drives).

When there is no partition left, only "unallocated space" will be displayed. Mark it and click “Next”. The system will independently format the corresponding media in a compatible MBR format and create a system partition for installing the system.

Pros: You can do the conversion directly when installing Windows, even when the OS is not installed on the computer.

Cons: We lose all data. With this method of conversion to MBR, all data and partitions on the hard drive are lost.

How to convert to MBR without data loss

What to do if you have a lot of information stored on your PC? important information and you don't want to lose it. To convert GPT to MBR without data loss, we will use the AOMEI Partition Assistant program.

After installing and logging into the program, with right side a list of all will be displayed hard drives. Right click Click on the GPT disk and select “Convert to MBR”.

The action will be added to the list of operations to be performed, which is displayed on the left side of the program window. Then click on the “Apply” button. The drive will be converted without losing data and now we can install the system.

Advantages of this method: All data and sections will remain intact and, thus, we will not lose any information.

Cons: There is no way to convert the currently used disk to GPT - we can only convert other drives installed in the computer. In other words, if you only have one drive installed, then in order to convert using this program, you need to remove it and install it as a second drive on another computer.

How to convert when installing Windows using Diskpart

Let's look at the reverse conversion using the wizard Windows installations using the Diskpart function.

If during OS installation a message is displayed that Windows can only be installed on a GPT partition, and there is no way to switch to old version OS and use the above or another similar program, it is possible to convert it directly during the installation wizard. But in this case, we lose all the data on this hard drive.

Press combination Shift keys+ F10 to go to the command line. Note that this key combination brings up the command prompt anywhere in the process Windows installations. Launch the disk partition tool using the “diskpart” command.

Then enter “list disk”. A list of hard devices installed on the computer will be displayed - each of them is assigned a number (0, 1, 2, 3...).

Now select the one you want to convert. Enter "Select Disk #", where # is the disk number.

Then it needs to be cleaned. Enter the “Clean” command. Finally, enter “Convert GPT” to start the conversion.

Now we can close the window. When trying to install Windows error won't appear again.

Sometimes when switching from Windows 8 to Windows 7, problems arise. problematic situation. 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 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 program Hard Disk Manager.

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 eliminate the seemingly complex problem. You can also convert your hard drive using popular program Acronis.

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 enter diskpart in order for the program to start working with hard drives.

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