Converting a disk from gpt to mbr. Convert GPT to MBR without data loss using Paragon Hard Disk Manager

Good day everyone!

It sometimes happens that when you try to install Windows OS on your computer, you may see an error like: "Windows cannot be installed on this disk because the disk uses an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed on a GPT disk" . Or it is possible that your system simply does not see a disk larger than 2 TB.

In these cases, you need to convert MBR to GPT partition table to fix this problem. This can be done in different ways and ways, in this article I will look at how this can be done no data loss (see method 1 and 2)!

As a remark!

Difference between MBR and GPT. MBR supports partitions up to 2 TB. If your disk is, say, 4 TB (which is no longer uncommon), then when using MBR - 2 TB on such a disk will be listed as an unallocated area (and will not be used).

How to convert MBR to GPT

Method No. 1: step by step in the AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition program

AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition

An excellent and free program for working with hard drives. Allows you to literally change the file system, partition sizes, clone, etc. in just 2-3 clicks. Moreover, many operations are performed without loss of information (which is so lacking in the tools built into Windows).

Addition (from 11/10/18): the option for converting MBR to GPT in the 7th version of the program became paid (in the 6.6th version it was free, and it was this that I relied on when writing the article).

I don’t consider downloading and installing the program - it’s standard. After launching, in the main window of the program you can immediately find out which of the available disks in the system are in GPT and which are in MBR (see screenshot below).

As you noticed, "Disk 3" is MBR and I am converting it to GPT.

To do this, just right-click on the disk itself. (where it is directly written that this is “Disk 3”, see screenshot below), and select “Convert to GPT disk” in the menu that appears.

After that, in the left corner of the screen you need to confirm all the commands that we gave to the program in the current session: click the “Apply” button.

A reboot will be required to complete the current operation. Therefore, first of all, save all your open documents, and then click on the “Go” button in the program window (see example below).

The final touch: we agree to reboot...

After rebooting the device, instead of loading Windows, a special one will be launched. conversion utility (see example below). Literally within a few seconds, my 1 TB disk was converted to GPT (I note again: without data loss).

That, in fact, is all the action.

Addition!

If you want to convert the system drive (that is, the drive on which you have Windows installed and from which you are currently booting), then you will not succeed. In this case there are two options:

1) remove the disk from the PC/laptop, connect it to another device and perform the conversion operation;

2) create a bootable USB flash drive (can be done in the same AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard), and after booting from it, carry out the operation.

Make bootable CD, master

Method No. 2: using the MiniTool Partition Wizard utility

Multifunctional program for working with hard drives. Allows you to split, format, resize hard drive partitions. The free version of the program supports conversion from MBR to GPT (which is what we need).

Perhaps one of the significant disadvantages for the majority will be the lack of Russian language.

Note: the screenshots in the article were made from version 10.3.

After launching the program, you will see a list of all drives connected to the system (HDD, SSD, USB flash drives, etc.). Please note that next to the disk name its partition table (MBR, GPT) is indicated.

To convert from one to another: just right-click on the desired disk and select “Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk” from the menu (example in the screenshot below).

Then another warning will pop up, after confirming the operation - the disk will be converted. If you are converting a non-system disk (that is, not the one on which you have Windows installed), then the operation takes 1-2 minutes. (see screenshot below).

Method number 3. From the command line or disk management

Important! This method will delete all your data on the disk!

If you encounter an error "On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed on a GPT disk" when installing Windows: then in order to open the command line, press the button combination Shift+F10.

In other cases, to launch the command line, open the task manager (key combination Ctrl+Shift+Esc) , press "file/new task" and enter the command CMD(check the box that the task must be completed as an administrator!).

Windows also has another good tool for working with disks. That's exactly what it's called - disk management .

To open it, you need:

press a combination of buttons Win+R ;
enter the command diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.

To find out what partition is on the disk (MBR or GPT), just right-click on the disk (in the place where it says “Disk 0”, “Disk 1”, etc., see the example below), and open properties .

"Partition table with GUID..." is GPT;
MBR markup will be explicitly stated.

To convert MBR to GPT - you must first completely delete all partitions on the disk (important! when deleting a partition, you will lose all data on the disk!) . If the partitions are not deleted, then the “Convert to GPT” button will simply not be active (as in the screenshot below).

That's all for me today.

Quite often, users are faced with what they think is a big problem when it becomes necessary to convert the partition style from GPT to MBR. This may be due to many factors, among which the main one is the impossibility of installing some OSes in such partitions and compatibility with the new standard of the UEFI primary input/output system, which replaced the BIOS. There are several ways to convert partitions with more modern GPT markup to MBR and vice versa. But you can replace one style with another either with or without saving the data. Let's consider each of these options, since some actions may be useful even when installing the operating system on your computer for the first time or re-installing it.

Difference between GPT and MBR styles

First, let's look at what exactly is the difference between these styles, and what each of them can be used for. The MBR (with boot record) partitioning is considered to be obsolete today, and has been replaced by the new GPT style. This type of partitioning on a hard drive is mandatory if the hard drive has a capacity of 2 TB or more. But to ensure correct work with such partitions and use of their full capacity, you need an updated version of the primary system, designated UEFI.

If MBR and BIOS are used, installing disks of this size on modern computers becomes simply pointless, since the BIOS does not support them, and if the UEFI mode is disabled, despite the media being detected in the primary system, the full disk space will be inaccessible. So, think a hundred times to what extent it is advisable to perform the actions described below.

Problems with operating systems

But the main problem is that outdated operating systems like Windows 7, which are still popular among many users, are not installed on partitions with GPT partitions, and do not even support the main UEFI operating mode. To carry out the installation, some users suggest disabling UEFI to use Legacy mode, as for a regular BIOS. On the other hand, if you purchase a new computer with the primary UEFI system already installed instead of the BIOS, G8 will not install with UEFI disabled either. Thus, we get two mutually exclusive factors. However, you can get around such obstacles using fairly simple methods, but you will have to work a little.

Conversion during Windows installation

First of all, let's focus on whether to install Windows or vice versa. In this case, the safety of the data on the disk is not guaranteed, since it will have to be formatted during the installation of the operating system. Despite the fact that these questions are only indirectly related to the main topic, it does not hurt to have knowledge on them.

At one stage after starting the installation process, the installer of the same “seven” displays a message stating that installation to the selected partition is impossible. In this case, the simplest solution is to delete absolutely all partitions on the disk and install Windows in the unallocated area.

You can also create a system partition for Windows yourself, and use the rest of the space for logical volumes. However, this will not automatically create a special reserved partition, which will affect the fault tolerance of the installed OS. The installation section will be automatically converted to the desired style.

Thus, if we are talking about how to change GPT to MBR, you need to use the command line tools (Shift + F10), in which the following commands are written, shown in the image above. After this, you can continue installing the system as usual.

How to change GPT to MBR: creating a bootable USB flash drive and selecting the start mode of the primary I/O system

Now let's go back to the starting point and determine the steps that may be required to convert styles from an already installed OS (for example, Windows 8/1). To do this, you will initially need to create a bootable USB flash drive with Hard Disk Manager version 15 from Paragon or a similar utility from Acronis (Disk Director). The media itself is simply created in a small Rufus application, and then placed first among boot devices.

Immediately in the settings of the primary system, you must immediately change the boot mode (Boot Mode) from UEFI to Legacy and disable Secure Boot. Such actions are only necessary if a regular bootable flash drive was created for MBR, and not EFI.

Partition conversion process

Now you need to boot from the created media. The essence of how to change the GPT style to MBR comes down to deleting all partitions in the program at the first stage, including those reserved by the system for recovery, leaving only the one on which the installed OS is located.

When deleting backup partitions, in the confirmation window, be sure to check the box to not request a volume label next time. Once these steps are completed, only the base GPT partition will remain. How to convert GPT to MBR at this stage?

To do this, you need to select the appropriate conversion item in the additional menu via RMB and confirm your actions. Since the operation will be transferred to the deferred category (as well as in other utilities like Acronis Disk Director), you need to click the “Apply” button, after which the conversion process will start.

Additional steps to create a backup partition

But that is not all. The fact is that after changing the style, the system simply will not boot, and besides, you need to create a backup partition for it with boot data of the installed OS itself with a volume of about 300 MB. This can be done through the RMB menu on an unallocated area and selecting the option to create a partition, after which you will need to specify its size and file system (NTFS), and after completing operations through the same menu, make the partition active.

Creating a configuration to boot the installed system

At the final stage, it remains to create a configuration so that the same “eight” could boot with the new partition style without problems. In this case, you need to restart the computer, boot from the installation media and call the command console. In it you need to determine which letter is assigned to the active boot partition. To do this, first enter and then - lis dis, which will display all active sections.

We remember the drive letter on which the system is installed, execute the exit command for the main tool, and after it enter the line bcdboot N:\Windows, where N is the letter of the system partition. After that, we reboot the computer again, but in normal mode, setting the UEFI boot to normal, and rejoice. You can check the changed style directly through the partition properties on the volume tab.

Windows Tools

In principle, speaking of how to change GPT to MBR, one of the solutions for running OSes can be their own tool in the form of the disk management toolkit (diskmgmt.msc).

Here, too, you can delete unnecessary sections, and then through the RMB menu on the unallocated space, select the conversion from one style to another. True, the only and main limitation is that such actions can only be performed for non-system disks or logical partitions, that is, it will be impossible to change the style of a Windows disk directly in the system.

Changing section style using third-party programs

And finally, a few more words about how to change GPT to MBR. As more convenient tools than those available in Windows, you can use special disk programs from Acronis, AOMEI, Paragon and other developers. The operations performed, in general, do not differ much from those just described for Windows tools and boil down to converting unallocated space into the selected style. However, the conversion is much faster and more efficient. The interface of such programs is very similar to the Windows disk management section, but some operations (for example, redistributing disk space) are performed much easier by using the most common fader (slider), by moving which you can select the required size of each partition.

Brief summary

That's all briefly about style conversion. As is already clear, if we are talking about performing transformations while preserving a working system and data that may be located in the system partition, you need to use exclusively disk utilities with the preliminary creation of bootable media. If saving the information is not required, you can convert it at the stage of reinstalling the OS, using Windows tools, or using third-party programs. But you won’t be able to change the main partition in a running system even with their help, no matter how much you might want it. It will be impossible to remove it!

It's no secret that in order to write and read files on a hard drive, the latter must be marked up. Partitioning is a standard for placing partition tables on physical media. It determines the structure of the disk, so the user can create logical partitions on it, format them into the desired file system, write and read data. There are two markup standards - MBR And GPT. The first is usually used on computers with a regular BIOS and relatively small disks, the second is more common on PCs with a modern BIOS UEFI interface.

Compared to MBR disks, GPT disks have a number of advantages; in particular, GPT partitioning allows you to work with media larger than 2 TB. On such disks, the boot record and partition table information are backed up, which increases OS fault tolerance; in addition, a GPT disk can contain as many logical volumes as desired. Currently, disks with GPT partitioning are actively replacing MBR media, which often causes various problems for users, the most common of which is the inability to install Windows on a GPT disk. The cause of the error is usually a discrepancy between the HDD layout standard and the requirements of the software, in this case the operating system. The error is not fatal; it can be resolved by converting GPT to MBR.

Changing markup when installing Windows 7/10

There are several ways to convert GPT to MBR, including saving it on the target storage medium. First, we will consider the option of converting the markup at the initial stage of Windows installation with loss of data on the disk.

The first option is simpler, but in this case the “System Reserved” partition will not be created on the disk, which will reduce Windows fault tolerance. If this scenario does not suit you or the installation still fails, change the markup manually. Click on your keyboard Shift+F10 and sequentially execute the following commands in the console that opens:

diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
clean
convert mbr
exit

The first command is to launch the utility Diskpart, the second we get a list of physical disks (GPT media will be marked with an asterisk), the third we select the desired disk (if there is only one, leave 0), the fourth command we clean it up, the fifth we convert the partitioning style from GPT to MBR. The sixth command terminates Diskpart. Done, now close the console and continue installing Windows as normal. We remind you once again that when using the described method, all data on the disk, including logical partitions, will be deleted. If there is important data on it, it must be copied to removable media, or third-party programs should be used to convert the disk from GPT to MBR.

If you are going to install 32-bit Windows, before converting GPT to MBR, you must enable Legacy mode in the BIOS and disable Security boot protection.

Converting GPT to MBR using Windows

Above, we looked at how to convert GPT partitions to MBR at the initial stage of installing Windows 7/10, now let's try to change the partition using the system from running Windows. True, this method is only suitable for non-system physical hard drives. As in the previous case, partitions and data written to the disk will be lost. To transfer a disk from GPT to MBR, you can again use the command line, but in this case it will be much easier to resort to the standard disk management snap-in.

Run it with the command diskmgmt.msc or through the context menu of the Start button.

Then click on the schematic image of the partition of the converted disk RMB and select “Delete volume”.

If the disk has multiple logical partitions, remove them as well to get a single unallocated space. Now bring up the menu for the disk and select the “Convert to MBR disk” option.

Done, now you can create partitions on the disk, install a second operating system on it, and so on.

Using third party programs

Both of the above methods have one significant drawback, namely the inevitable loss of data stored on the disk. Fortunately, there are programs that allow you to convert a GPT disk to MBR without losing data. The most well-known commercial software are applications Acronis Disk Director And Paragon Hard Disk Manager Professional, among the free ones - AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition. The sequence of actions in all these programs is approximately the same.

In the case of working with non-system physical disks, just select the media with the mouse and select in the menu the option to convert the disk from GPT to MBR, and all this while running Windows.

You can also convert a disk from GPT to MBR using bootable media created in these programs. Their advantage is the ability to convert the markup style on a PC with one physical disk, since the program requires exclusive access to it to perform the operation.

Let's take an example of how to convert GPT to MBR without losing data using the AOMEI Partition Assistant boot disk. After the computer is booted from it, select the desired disk and select “Convert to MBR” from the menu on the left.

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.

The 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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Newer versions of Windows (Vista, 7), like older ones (XP, 2000), use the outdated M.B.R. boot record. or an updated GUID partition registry (G.P.T.), like a plan for parts of hard drives.

In other words, these are various methods of placing and saving plans of parts on computer hard drives. The "GUID" part table is a more advanced method that is used for Windows systems running UEFI. For example, starting from Windows 8 and higher.

Master Boot Record - used on earlier Windows systems that operate on a BIOS basis, but Windows 7 with 64-bit bits can also boot from a GUID.

How to Find Out What Parts Table Your Drives Use

Click on the combination Win+R and type cmd in the field and press “Enter” to launch the command line. Then, in the command line, type diskpart , press enter, then type the request list disk , confirm the command with the “Enter” key. A display will appear showing a list of working information repositories.

The "Gpt" string will be marked with an asterisk if it is used on disk. An unchecked line means that the MBR scheme is used.
For example, in the image below, "Disk 0" and "Disk 1" operate with "G.P.T" and "Disk 2" operate with "M.B.R" circuit.
Save the information from the disk and start formatting. Before converting a hard drive from gpt to mbr or vice versa, you need to format it, completely deleting everything stored on it. Therefore, copy the data to a backup if you need the information.
When the system is converted to a new scheme, all data with partition tables will be deleted in order to load the new scheme.

Convert partition schemes via command line

Be sure to copy all your data before you begin the conversion. Remember, the system will clean the disk completely!

It is better to convert partition schemes through the command line, because the “clean” option used opens closed or locked partitions and disks from the graphical disk management partition for modification.

At the command prompt, enter diskpart and list disk . The window will display a list of computer disks. (They differ in number and volume) Write down the serial number of the object being converted.

Type select disk# , where we replace the hash mark with the number of the storage to be formatted. Then type clean, each command is executed by entering using the Enter key. After this, all information and parts will be completely erased from the disk.

Then type convert gpt if you want to convert from M.B.R, and convert mbr if you want to convert from G.P.T.

This way you repeat a set of commands to convert all the necessary drives.

How to convert gpt to mbr without data loss

There are several options for reformatting partition table schemes while saving data on disks. There are programs that can perform this task. You can take a chance and use them.

But such programs have a significant drawback - these are unofficial products, and their compatibility has not been confirmed by Microsoft. So it is possible to convert to gpt without losing data, but according to Microsoft, this is “unsafe” for your computer.

But if such a need arises, this can be done using a boot disk, for example “LIVE CD/DVD”, which contains a utility PARAGON HARD DISK MANADGER

We load Windows through this disk, through the “START” menu, select the desired program. We launch it, and then begin converting storages through it.

This is how you can easily convert mbr partitions to gpt when installing Windows, without losing the necessary information.

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