Convert Existing Windows Installation from MBR/CSM to GPT/UEFI!

Convert an existing Windows 10 Installation from Legacy BIOS to UEFI

One of the critical system requirements for Windows 11 is having a GPT partition scheme for installation, which must be based on UEFI. This article explains how to convert existing Windows 10 Installation from the Legacy MBR partition scheme to the more modern GPT UEFI partition scheme, using Microsoft's MBR2GPT.exe tool; all without losing any data or settings!

Convert MBR to GPT Without Data Loss

Windows has an in-built tool, called MBR2GPT which can help to convert a Legacy Windows 10 Installation(also called MBR), to modern UEFI, based on a GPT partition scheme. There are multiple steps involved in the process and some pre-requisites, discussed below:

Pre-requisites:

1. The MBR disk must have at most 3-partitions.
2. The OS must be 64-bit.
3. Bitlocker or encryption must be turned off.
4. There should be an Operating system on the disk.
5. One of the partitions must be active (typically the system partition; you confirm that from disk Management).
6. No dual boot is currently being used.
7. Windows 10 version must be at least version 1703.

How MBR2GPT works.

MBR2GPT tool works by first validating the disk. An EFI system partition is created if the disk is validated and UEFI boot files are installed. After that, layout and Boot configuration data are updated, matching with the new values.

Step 1: Boot to the Recovery environment

1. To boot to WinRE, from where Windows can trigger the MBR2GPT tool, please see the steps below:
2. On the Lock screen, press and hold the Shift key while choosing Restart from the Power menu. Continue pressing the shift key until you see the Windows Recovery environment, asking you to select an option.
   
   
3. Click Troubleshoot>Advanced options>Command Prompt.
4. The computer will restart.
5. Login to your account.

Step 2: Validate if the MBR2GPT tool can convert your disk

1. On the Command Prompt Window, our next step would be to check if the tool can convert the disk to GPT. To do this, execute the following command:
   
   mbr2gpt.exe /disk:0 /validate
   
   *You may need to use 'diskpart' to identify the disk number of the drive your Windows Installation is on.
   
   
2. The output should tell you if the validation is successful. If the disk is validated, conversion is possible.

Step 3: Convert the disk.

1. The next step is to convert the disk. For that, use the /convert switch.
   
   mbr2gpt.exe /disk:0 /convert
   
   
2. The process would take some minutes and tell you the output.

Step 4: Change Motherboard/BIOS Settings & Boot Order

Now to boot from the newly converted GPT drive, the settings in the BIOS/Motherboard firmware need to have a few things changed. Boot to the PC's Motherboard BIOS settings, and make sure of the following settings changes:

• Boot method: UEFI from Legacy
• CSM: Disabled
• Secure Boot: ON
• TPM: Enabled
• Edit the boot order, so the boot order shows 'UEFI: Windows Boot Manager' at the top
• Save the changes and exit the BIOS

The device should now have a UEFI boot method with a GPT disk layout and should be ready to boot via UEFI now!!

Troubleshooting

If the MBR2GPT tool is failing to convert your installation, here are some steps you can try.

1. Make sure the existing MBR disk has only three partitions or less: If the qualifying hard disk has more than three partitions, this tool would not work. To confirm the number of partitions, you can invoke the disk management tool from the Start menu. The three-count includes System partitions as well. If that is the case, decrease partitions using the Disk Management tool by merging and try again.
2. Run a disk check: If there is corruption on the disk, the tool may fail. To fix this, run a full disk check, preferably from the Recovery environment. See the steps here.
3. Try running from a USB Installation media: Another option to invoke the MBR2GPT tool from a USB Installation media. After the computer has booted from the Installation media, click Repair your computer>Troubleshoot>Command Prompt.
4. Return codes: If the conversion failed, the tool would return a code, which would tell you what went wrong. 
5. Investigate Log files: If nothing has helped, it may be wise to look at the logs to see what went wrong. By default, the MBR2GPT tool creates Setupact.log and Setuperr.log in the C:/Windows directory, which records the process. Setuperr.log contains all the errors encountered during the conversion, which may give a hint. In addition, /logs switch can also redirect logging to a custom path if you need, like for an external drive which helps investigate later. The command for logging to a custom path would be like this(replace D:\Work with your desired path). mbr2gpt.exe /convert /logs:D:\Work
6. If nothing has helped, perform a clean installation of Windows 10 using the GPT partition scheme. You must back up the data before, as a clean install would remove everything. As the Media Creation tool makes the media according to the existing method, which is likely MBR, use Rufus to create Installation media and choose GPT partition scheme for UEFI. My colleague Shawn has a good tutorial on this on Tenforums.

Appendix 1:

Return Code / Details
0 = Conversion completed successfully.
1 = User canceled.
2 = Internal error occurred.
3 = Disk initialization error.
4 = Command-Line parameters were incorrect.
5 = MBR2GPT could not read the disk layout.
6 = One of the volumes was encrypted on the disk.
7 = The disk does not meet the requirements.
8 = EFI Partition could not be created.
9 = Error installing boot files.
10 = Error while applying GPT layout.

Resources:

• MBR2GPT - Windows Deployment | Microsoft Docs
• Also Check:Check Windows 11 compatibility using these tools - Your Windows Guide
• Create a Windows 11 USB Flash drive - Your Windows Guide
• Clean Install Windows 11 - Your Windows Guide
• How to: Troubleshoot Windows 11 upgrade and Installation errors - Microsoft Community

Original Article:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/convert-an-existing-windows-10-installation-from/aa8c2de3-460b-4a8c-b30b-641405f800d7
Original Article Written By:
Sumit D - VM
Article Author

What Specs Do You Need In A New Computer!?

CPUs:

Both Intel and AMD employ a numbering system to classify their CPU models based on their respective performance.

AMD Ryzen Series:

• Ryzen 3: Entry-level processors suitable for basic tasks.
• Ryzen 5: Mid-range CPUs with good performance for multitasking and light gaming.
• Ryzen 7: High-performance processors designed for demanding tasks, including content creation and gaming.
• Ryzen 9: Top-tier CPUs for power users, professionals, and enthusiasts.

Intel Core Series:

• i3: Entry-level processors for everyday computing needs.
• i5: Mid-range CPUs offering a balance of performance and affordability.
• i7: High-performance processors suitable for gaming, content creation, and productivity.
• i9: Premium CPUs with exceptional performance for intensive workloads.

Higher model numbers generally indicate better performance, but it’s essential to consider other factors like clock speed, cache size, and core count. We usually recommend CPUs be 2Ghz or higher.

VHD & RMD IODD Drive Setup

IODD Encrypted External Drive; 

VHD/RMD Creation

1. Use the VHD_Tool+ that you can download from the IODD website:
   http://iodd.kr/wordpress
   
   
2. Open and run the VHD Tool+, and click on the "Create" tab. That will switch the program to its VHD "Create" function, where you will be able to create a blank/empty VHD on your IODD drive that you will later apply/"burn" a disk image to.
• When you click on the folder icon to "browse for a VHD" you actually just need to type in the name of the VHD that you would like to create, and then continue like you are going to "open" that new VHD; even though it is not actually there. Trust me, it will work.
  
  
3. Next, you want to make sure the VHD file that you are creating is larger than the ISO that you will be applying to that VHD. The ISO has to be able to fit fully decompressed. So if your ISO is still in a ZIP file, decompress it and go 1GB above its folder properties listed size.
   
   
4. Once the VHD is created on your IODD drive, you need to actually mount that blank VHD to your computer. 
   
   
5. With the IODD drive connected to your computer, navigate to where the VHD is stored using the screen/menus on the IODD itself, and mount the empty/new VHD file through the drive, and your computer will detect and pop-up that it has found a drive that needs to be formatted.
    
6. Don't format the drive! Just close out the notification and close any explorer windows that may have opened.
   
   
7. Now, using a program such as Rufus, you can "burn" or apply an ISO disk image to the new/empty VHD that you just mounted to your system!
   
   
8. Burn the disk image just like you are creating a bootable USB or DVD; nothing special needs to be done to make things work.
   
   
9. Lastly, to create an RMD of the VHD you just created, simply make a copy of the VHD file (so you have two) and simply change the copy's file extension from *.vhd to *.rmd
   
   
   That's it!

IODD Help Site:

https://help.iodd.kr/bootable-virtual-drive/drive-setup

IODD Help Page for VHD Creation:

https://help.iodd.kr/bootable-virtual-drive/virtual-drive-vhd/convert-iso-file-to-uefi-bootable-drive

IODD User Manual:

http://dir.iodd.kr/vhd_tools/iodd_virtual_USB_drive_guide_0425.pdf

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

www.pacificnwcomputers.com

M.2 SSD Not Detected by Windows 11/10 Installer

If you experience that the Windows installer cannot find your M.2/NVMe drives when installing Windows 11/10, try this process of loading the Intel IRST driver to gain access to your SSD drive!

For the Intel CPU platform, you need to manually install Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver during the Windows installation process. You can also refer to the Intel document of How to Configure RAID or Intel Optane Memory with Intel RST on an Intel VMD Capable Platform.
Note: The following pictures are a reference, it may be varied depending on the different versions.

Manually install Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver

• Download Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver Download Link.
• After downloading the driver, right-click [V18.0.4.1146_IRST_VMD_20H1] compressed file① and select [Extract All]②.

• Select a Destination③ (such as a USB thumb drive) and click [Extract]④.

• After the extraction is completed, please copy the entire folder (V18.0.4.1146_IRST_VMD_20H1) to a USB flash drive.
• If you used a USB flash drive to create the Windows 11/10 installation media as well, please copy the entire folder to the same USB flash drive which is created as the Windows 11/10 installation media.

• After the copying is completed, make sure the folder includes the following files.

Install Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver

• Connect the USB flash drive which includes the Windows 11/10 installation media and Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST) driver (V18.0.4.1146_IRST_VMD_20H1 folder) to the target computer. (If you used a DVD to install Windows 11/10, please insert the DVD and consist of the above files USB flash drive to the target computer together.)
• Restart the Windows 11/10 installation process, here you can learn more about How to use installation media to insatll Windows 11/10.
• On the screen of Where do you want to install Windows and Windows cannot find any drives, please select [Load driver]①.

• Select [OK]②.

• Click [OK]③.

• Select [Browse]④, then find the [V18.0.4.1146_IRST_VMD_20H1] folder⑤ and select [OK]⑥.

• Select [Intel RST VMD Controller 9A08 (TGL) ]⑦, then select [Next]⑧ to install the driver.

• After the driver installation is completed, the drives will appear normally.

That's it!

The Windows installer should now see your M.2/NVMe drive!

Original Article:
https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1044458