• Translation

Have you ever wondered how your computer boots? Regardless of the equipment and operating system, all computers boot using either the traditional BIOS-MBR method or the more modern UEFI-GPT implemented in latest versions OS.

In this article we will compare structures GPT partitions and MBR; GPT stands for GUID Partition Table and MBR stands for Master Boot Record. Let's start by looking at the download process itself.

The following chapters highlight the differences between GPT and MBR partition styles, including instructions on how to convert between the two styles and advice on which one to choose.

Understanding the Boot Process

If there are two types of partition structures: MBR and GPT. The partition structure on a disk determines three things:

1. Data structure on disk.
2. The code that is used during boot if the partition is bootable.
3. Where does the section begin and end?

MBR boot process

• Self-test at power-on.
• Detection and initialization of the video card.
• Displays the BIOS start screen.
• Perform a quick memory (RAM) test.
• Plug and play device configuration.
• Boot device definition.

• First stage of the bootloader (446 bytes).
• Disk Partition Table (16 bytes per partition × 4 partitions) - MBR only supports four partitions, more on that below.
• Signature (2 bytes).

A VBR usually contains an Initial Program Loader (IPL), this code initiates the loading process. The program's boot loader includes a second boot loader stage, which then loads the operating system. On Windows NT family systems, such as Windows XP, the bootloader first loads another program called NT Loader (NTLDR), which then loads the operating system.

For operating systems based on the Linux kernel, the GRUB (Grand Unified Bootloader) bootloader is used. The download process is similar to that described above, the only difference is the name of the loaders at the first and second stages.

In GRUB, the first stage of the boot loader is called GRUB Stage 1. It loads the second stage, known as GRUB Stage 2. The second stage load retrieves a list of operating systems on the hard drives and provides the user with a list to select an OS to boot.

GPT boot process

After turning on your computer, UEFI first performs system configuration functions, just like BIOS. This includes energy management, setting dates and other system management components.

UEFI then reads the GPT - GUID Partition Table. GUID stands for Globally Unique Identifier. GPT is located in the first sectors of the disk, just after sector 0, where the master boot record for the Legacy BIOS is still stored.

GPT defines the partition table on the disk that the EFI boot loader recognizes system partition EFI. The system partition contains bootloaders for all operating systems installed on other partitions of the hard drive. The bootloader is initialized by the manager Windows boot which then loads the operating system.

For Linux kernel operating systems, there is an EFI-enabled version of GRUB that loads a file, such as grub.efi, or an EFI boot loader, which loads its own file, such as elilo.efi.

You may notice that both UEFI-GPT, And BIOS-MBR transfer control to the bootloader, but do not directly load the operating system. However, UEFI does not require you to go through multiple bootloader stages like BIOS. The boot process occurs at a very early stage, depending on your hardware configuration.

Differences between GPT and MBR partition structures

If you want to know more or are planning to install a new operating system on your computer, then read on. We've already looked at differences in boot processes that are worth keeping in mind when partitioning a disk or choosing a partition structure.

GPT is a newer and more advanced partition structure, and it has many advantages, which I will list below. MBR has been in use for a long time, it is stable and has maximum compatibility. Although GPT may eventually replace MBR as it offers more advanced features, in some cases only MBR can be used.

Master Boot Record

The MBR also contains executable code that scans partitions for the active OS and initiates the OS boot procedure.

An MBR disk allows only four primary partitions. If you need more, you can designate one of the partitions as an extended partition, and you can create more subpartitions or logical drives on it.

The MBR uses 32 bits to record the partition length, expressed in sectors, so that each partition is limited to a maximum size of 2 TB.

Advantages

• Compatible with most systems.

• Allows only four partitions, with the ability to create additional subpartitions on one of the main partitions.
• Limits the partition size to two terabytes.
• Partition information is stored in only one place - the master boot record. If it is damaged, the entire disk becomes unreadable.

GUID Partition Table (GPT)

This is part of the UEFI standard, that is, a UEFI based system can only be installed on a disk that uses GPT, for example, this is the requirement Windows features 8 Secure Boot.

GPT allows for an unlimited number of partitions, although some operating systems may limit the number to 128 partitions. There is also virtually no limit on partition size in GPT.

Advantages

• Allows an unlimited number of sections. The limit is set by the operating system; for example, Windows allows no more than 128 partitions.
• Does not limit partition size. It depends on the operating system. Limit on maximum size partition is larger than the capacity of any disks existing today. For drives with 512-byte sectors, a maximum supported size of 9.4 ZB (one zettabyte is equal to 1,073,741,824 terabytes)
• GPT stores a copy of the partition and boot data and can recover the data if the main GPT header becomes corrupted.
• GPT stores cyclic redundancy checksum (CRC) values ​​to verify the integrity of its data (used to verify the integrity of GPT header data). If corrupted, GPT can notice the problem and attempt to recover the corrupted data from another location on the disk.

• May not be compatible with older systems.

GPT vs MBR

• GPT allows an unlimited number of primary partitions, while MBR allows only four primary partitions and the rest are secondary.
• GPT allows you to create partitions of any size, while MBR has a limit of 2 TB.
• GPT stores a copy of the partition data, allowing it to be restored if the main GPT header becomes corrupted; MBR stores only one copy of partition data in the first sector of the hard disk, which can lead to the loss of all information if partition information is damaged.
• GPT stores checksum values ​​to verify that data is not corrupted and can perform necessary recovery from other areas of the disk if corruption occurs; The MBR has no way of knowing if data is corrupted; you can only find out if the computer refuses to boot or the partition disappears.

Operating system compatibility

MBR protects GPT data from being overwritten.

Apple MacBooks" and use GPT by default, so it is not possible to install Mac OS X on an MBR system. Even though Mac OS X can run on an MBR disk, it is not possible to install on it. I tried this, but without success.

Most Linux kernel operating systems are GPT compatible. When installing Linux OS on the disk, GRUB 2 will be installed as the bootloader.

For Windows operating systems, booting from GPT is only possible on UEFI computers running 64-bit versions Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 and corresponding server versions. If you bought a laptop with a 64-bit version of Windows 8, then there is a high probability that it has GPT.

Windows 7 and earlier systems typically install on MBR drives, but you can still convert partitions to GPT, as discussed below.

All versions of Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 can read and use data from GPT partitions - but they cannot boot from such non-UEFI drives.

So GPT or MBR?

Check the hard drive partition type

Press the Windows + R hotkey combination to open a window for launching programs.

Type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.

Windows will scan hard disks and will soon show them. To check the partition type of any hard drive, click right click mouse on the disk plate at the bottom of the interface. You need to click on “Disk 0”, “Disk 1” and so on, and not on partitions.

In the context menu that appears, select “Properties”. A window with the properties of the selected disk will open.

Go to the Volumes tab and look at the Partition Style value.

If you prefer the command line, you can choose another option. Its advantage is that it is slightly faster, since it immediately displays drives and partition styles.

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd.exe, hold Ctrl and Shift, press Enter.
2. Confirm the UAC message about increasing system privileges.
3. Type diskpart and press Enter.
4. Type list disk and press Enter again.

All drives are listed. The Gpt column indicates the partition style for each disk. If you see an asterisk in the column, then it is GPT; if it is not there, it is MBR.

Convert between MBR and GPT during Windows installations

• Error #1: “Windows cannot be installed on this drive. The selected disk does not have a GPT partition style."
• Error #2: “Windows cannot be installed on this drive. The selected disk has a GPT partition style."

As you already know, MBR and GPT are two completely different hard disk partition structures. MBR is the traditional partition structure, while GPT is the newer one.

Error #1 occurs when you try to install Windows on a UEFI computer and the hard drive partition is not configured for UEFI mode or Legacy BIOS compatibility. Microsoft TechNet offers two options to resolve the issue.

1. Reboot the computer in Legacy BIOS compatibility mode. This option will keep the current section style.
2. Reformat the disk for UEFI using the GPT partition style. This option will allow you to use UEFI firmware features. You can do the reformatting yourself by following the instructions below. Always save backup copy data before formatting.

Instructions for converting a hard drive from MBR to GPT

WITH using Windows Setup

1. Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows will detect that the computer is booted in UEFI mode and will automatically reformat the drive using the GPT partition style. The installation process will begin immediately after this.

1. Turn off your computer and insert a bootable Windows drive (USB or DVD).
2. Boot from it in UEFI mode.
3. Clean the disk: clean .
4. Conversion to GPT is done with the convert gpt command.

Instructions for converting a hard drive from GPT to MBR

"Windows cannot be installed on this drive. The selected disk has a GPT partition style"

Booting from GPT is only supported on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 and corresponding server versions on UEFI systems. This error message means that your computer does not support UEFI, and therefore you can only use a BIOS that works with the MBR partition structure.

Microsoft TechNet offers two options to resolve the issue.

1. Reboot the computer in BIOS compatibility mode. This option will keep the current section style.
2. Reformat the disk using the MBR partition style. Always back up your data before formatting. Although there are third-party utilities that can convert disks to GPT while preserving the data, it is still safer to make a backup copy in case the utility fails to complete the conversion.

Using Windows Setup

1. Turn off your computer and insert a bootable Windows drive (USB or DVD).
2. Boot from it in UEFI mode.
3. Select "Other" (Custom) in the installation type.
4. A screen will appear asking “Where do you want to install Windows?” Select all partitions on the disk and click Delete.
5. After successful removal, the disk will be a single area of ​​unallocated space.
6. Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows will detect that the computer is booted in BIOS mode and will automatically reformat the drive using the MBR partition style. The installation process will begin immediately after this.

1. Turn off your computer and insert a bootable Windows drive (USB or DVD).
2. Boot from it in BIOS mode.
3. From the Windows installation, press Shift+F10 to open the console. After each next command, press Enter.
4. Run the diskpart tool with the diskpart command.
5. To select the disk to convert, type list disk .
6. Specify the disk number to convert: select disk # .
7. Clean the disk: clean .
8. Conversion to GPT is done with the convert mbr command.
9. Type exit to exit diskpart.
10. Close the console and return to the Windows installation.
11. When choosing an installation type, select "Other". The disk will be a single area of ​​unallocated space.
12. Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows will begin installation.

A hard drive as a storage device is useless without special settings. Without it, it is impossible to install an operating system on the hard drive and launch it. It is impossible to record, store and read information in the usual way.

Hard drive partitioning

For interaction between a computer and a hard drive, markings must be applied to the latter. With its help, the computer, its BIOS, is found on the hard drive places where the OS starts loading. Using this marking on the hard drive, it is indicated which space is used for what.

For user convenience, manufacturers produce hard drives with markings already applied, and the average user does not have to deal with initial setup disk. But when working on a computer, situations arise when the user needs to know about the hard drive partitions, their types and purposes.

Currently used There are two main ways to partition a hard drive:

• MBR is a popular markup that was used previously and is still used today.
• GPT – partition style – modern markup designed to work with modern equipment.

MBR

Disk partitioning began to be widely used in the 80s of the last century, as the only one used on PCs. At that time life included personal computers, they worked under the DOS operating system, which required booting from third-party media. Windows appeared a little later.

To boot the system on the hard drive boot sector is created. When the computer starts up, it accesses it, bootstrap. The initial boot items are loading. Then control is transferred to the main bootloader, usually the installed operating system.

Essentially, when you turn on the computer, the master boot record is accessed. This is exactly how it is translated English abbreviation MBR – Mster Boot Record.

When this markup appeared and was widely implemented, its capabilities more than satisfied the equipment requirements. But with the introduction of new technologies, the standard has exhausted itself. Limitations of using MBR, incompatible with modern equipment:

1. Use of hard drives with a capacity of no more than 2 TB.
2. A hard drive can contain no more than four main partitions, as a result there is a limit on the number of simultaneously installed working operating systems (B Windows case 7.8 – no more than two).
3. Low reliability of markings. If damaged boot sector, the OS cannot start.

Despite its advanced age and limitations, MBR will remain the most popular boot record style. The main advantage for users is the ability to simply and quickly install any combination of operating systems.

GPT

The GPT markup style appeared relatively recently. For a partition on the media, a unique identifier, the partition name, is used. The character length of the name allows you to create so many names that among all the partitions of existing hard drives there will not be two with the same name.

When using GPT partitioning, the first system, boot, partition is created on the hard drive, which stores the information necessary to boot the computer. This section will replace the computer's BIOS. There can be 127 other sections. Each of them can be the main one and each can have a separate operating system installed.

Partition data is stored in several places on the HDD, which speeds up hard drive access time and information security. If data is damaged, it can be restored from another copy.

GPT imposes restrictions on the size of partitions file system and operating system capabilities. The conditional disadvantages of such disks include the fact that despite the possibility of installing an unlimited number of operating systems, in reality you can only install free or licensed ones.

Windows OS manufacturers tie the product license not to the user’s hardware, but to the unique name of the hard drive partition where the system is installed. When changing a partition or replacing a hard drive, the license must be reset.

GPT compatibility

New GPT markup style imposes compatibility restrictions:

Also worth mentioning about compatibility is the security mechanism of GPT media: the security MBR. When trying to partition a modern hard drive software for MBR partitioning, the program will see one large MBR partition and will not be able to mark up data on it. This will prevent you from losing information on the GPT media.

How to find out MBR or GPT

To find out the MBR or GPT disk partition, just use the standard using Windows. Click the "Start" button, right-click on "Computer" in the menu. In the menu that appears, select “Management”. Computer Management will open. You can also go here from “Control Panel”, “Administration”.

In the left column, select "Disk Management". A list of disks will appear in the central column at the top. Below is a visual representation of the devices. In the lower window on the media of interest, right-click and select “Properties” in the menu that appears.

The hard drive properties window will open.. The Volumes tab will show the partition style as Master Boot Record (MBR) or Table with GUID, which means GPT disk.

You can also find out the markup using system program DiskPart. To start, press Win+R on your keyboard, enter Diskpart, enter, agree to the security system question. In the program interface, enter “List disk” and press enter. In the list of disks owned by the system, disks with a GPT structure will be marked with an asterisk in the GPT column.

Creating and converting disks

When converting disks, the data contained on the hard drive will be irretrievably lost. Create a disk backup.

Creating a GPT disk comes down to converting an MBR disk to GPT. To do this you need to go to "Disk Management"(see “How to find out the disk partition”). On the disk selected for conversion, you need to delete all volumes: in the upper part of the window, right-click on all volumes and select “Delete volume”.

After deleting the volumes, from below you need to right-click on the base GPT or MBR disk, select “Convert to GPT” or “Convert to MBR”. Then follow the instructions and provide the necessary explanations.

UEFI and GPT disks

With the advent of the new GPT markup style on the market, the old BIOS became irrelevant. The UEFI boot loader is used to start the computer with all its advantages:

The style of hard drive partitioning depends on the equipment and the tasks that the user sets for the computer. Despite the moral old age of MBR partitioning, it is rightfully considered the most convenient and understandable for the mass user. The absolute introduction of devices requiring GPT tagging has not yet occurred and will not happen soon. Also, the difference for the average user is almost invisible.

Section style hard drive GPT provides 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 motherboard the computer supports the operating mode (an indispensable condition for working with GPT disks), but for some reason HDD with the formed partition structure and stored data has 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 bootloader UEFI systems. 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 hard disc 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 mode of firmware operation is active, and the Windows installation process is carried out with a bootable UEFI flash drives. 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 installation Windows hard the disk 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 to 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;
• Write down bootable USB flash drive UEFI with installation process of 64-bit Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 (done using Rufus programs or utilities for downloading the distribution kit of system versions 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 normal process of reinstalling the operating system;
• Download from the official website and install the program on your computer (in current Windows on an MBR disk) AOMEI Partition Assistant, with the help of which the process of converting a 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 above steps and prepared necessary tools, launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. In our case, in the program window we will see two hard drives computer: one of them has already successfully completed the conversion procedure from MBR to GPT, while 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. This is why it is important to take seriously preparatory stage operations and perform 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 installation installation is connected Windows process. After clicking “Ok” the computer will reboot.

4. BIOS UEFI setup

The next time you start your computer, you need to immediately enter the BIOS to set the mode UEFI work. In the BIOS of the Asus motherboard, this is done as follows. In the main menu, press either the “ Additional settings", 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 entered into BIOS changes: 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 BIOS settings The UEFI computer will boot from the 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, you need to delete only two partitions that were responsible for Windows startup– the first boot partition with a capacity of 350 or 500 MB (depending on the version of Windows) and the second partition on which the operating system itself was installed. To avoid mistakes, especially if hard drives There are several 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!

Recent versions of Windows and other operating systems may use one of two standards to store information about hard drive partitions. This is the old standard - Master Boot Record MBR and the new standard - GUID Partition Table or simply GPT. Today we will tell you how to find out whether a GPT or MBR disk is used on a computer to store information about disk partitions.

As we have already noted, only a few standards are used to store data about disk partitions. GPT partition table is the most advanced and new standard. It is required for downloading Windows systems V UEFI mode. Earlier operating systems can only work with an MBR master boot record. For example, Windows 7 can boot without any restrictions from a disk with partitions partitioned according to the MBR standard. Windows 7 can also boot from a GPT partition, but under certain conditions: the OS must be 64-bit, and the motherboard, instead of an outdated BIOS, must be equipped with a modern UEFI software interface that links the operating system and the platform’s hardware firmware.

In order to determine which partition table your disk uses - GPT or MBR, there are two simple and accessible tools. The first of them, standard Windows utility with a graphical interface called Disk Management tool. The second, more complex and incomprehensible for a beginner, are commands entered on the command line.

Method one: analysis in the Disk Management tool

You can find out information about the hard drive partition standard using the Disk Management tool.

1. To launch the utility in Windows 7, right-click on the “Computer” shortcut on the desktop and select “Manage” from the context menu:

• Next on the list system utilities Select "Disk Management" or "Disk Management".
• In some cases, launching the utility can be easier - just press the Windows Key + X key combination and select “Disk Management”.
• Another launch option. Press simultaneously Windows keys Key and R to launch the Run dialog box. In the input line, paste or type “diskmgmt.msc” and then press “Enter”.

Method two: Using the Diskpart command on the command line

1. To evaluate which partition table is used on a disk - GPT or MBR, you can use the standard "diskpart" command through the Windows command line. To do this, you first need to open a window command line with administrator rights. You can do this in one of the following ways:

• Click on the “Start” button and in the list of programs that opens, enter the name of the command line utility “CMD” in the search bar. In the list of found objects, select the program called “CMD”, right-click on it and select from the list context menu"Run as administrator." This method is suitable for both Windows 7 and Windows 8.
• Press the Windows and X keys simultaneously and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin). This method is only available for Windows 8.

1. As a result, a list of all drives connected to the computer will open in the command prompt window. If the disk has a partition table in the GPT standard, then it will be marked with an asterisk “*” in the “Gpt” column. If there is no asterisk in this column, then it is a disk with MBR partitioning.

In our case, the screenshot below shows that two disks Disk 0 and Disk 1 have partition layouts according to the GPT standard, and Disk 2 is an MBR disk.

So, now that you know how to identify a GPT or MBR disk, you can move on to the question of how to change from one standard to another. This is what our next article will be devoted to.

Development computer technology This implies not only an increase in computing power, but along with increased productivity there are also improvements in the stability, security and convenience of modern computers. One of the most significant changes that have occurred in recent years has been the replacement of the old BIOS with a more advanced UEFI, as well as the transition from MBR to GPT disk partitioning style.

The advantages of the latter style are obvious. Unlike MBR, GPT partitioning allows you to create an almost unlimited number of partitions and assign them unique identifiers, names and attributes. GPT also supports duplicating the boot code and partition table, and works without any restrictions with media larger than 2.2 TB. However, the GPT partition style also has its drawbacks, the most significant of which is the lack of support for this technology on computers with an old BIOS.

In addition, novice users may have difficulty installing Windows on a GPT disk. So, due to incompatibility software BIOS or its individual settings with modern drives, when you try to install the system on a disk with a new partition style on initial stage The error "Installing Windows on this disk impossible. The selected disk is in GPT style."

To users inexperienced in computer subtleties, the error may seem serious; in reality, there is nothing here that could prevent the installation of the system.

The message “Windows cannot be installed, the selected disk has a GPT partition style” usually occurs on new computer models with large disks or, conversely, on older PCs after replacing the disks with newer drive models. In this case, the version of the operating system does not play a special role; an error can occur when installing both Windows 7 and Windows 10, although, according to numerous evidence, the error is more often encountered when installing Windows 7. Currently, there are two main solutions to this problem - changing the appropriate settings in the UEFI BIOS and converting the GPT style to MBR.

Setting up UEFI and installing Windows on a GPT disk

This method is only applicable to computers with UEFI firmware, so the first thing you need to do is make sure that it really is present. If when entering the BIOS you see GUI With mouse support, it's more likely that your PC is running UEFI firmware, hence you can install the system on a GPT drive. You can get into the new BIOS in the same way as into the old one - just hold down the F2 or Del button during boot.

Next, in the BIOS Features or BIOS Setup section, you need to find and enable UEFI boot instead of CSM, and in the Peripherals section, select AHCI instead of IDE for the SATA operating mode. If you are installing Windows 7 or higher earlier version system, you must also disable the Secure Boot feature (usually located in the Boot section).

After these manipulations the message “Windows cannot be installed. GPT Partition Style" should no longer appear.

Important: The system installed on a GPT disk must be 64-bit, these are the terms of Microsoft policy. If you want to install 32-bit Windows version, the markup will have to be converted to MBR. If the system is installed from a flash drive, it is recommended to recreate it so that it supports UEFI. To do this, you can use the command line, or even better - special utility Rufus.

Converting GPT markup to MBR

If your PC is using a regular BIOS, installing Windows on a GPT drive will not be possible. In this case, the most correct solution would be to convert the GPT style to MBR immediately before installing the system. If you receive a notification that Windows cannot be installed, close the wizard window and click Shift + F10. In the command line that opens, run the following commands sequentially:

diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
clean
convert mbr

The first command launches the utility Diskpart, the second displays a list of all physical disks connected to the PC, the third command selects the desired disk(V in this example this is disk 0), the fourth one is running it complete cleaning(all created partitions are deleted), the fifth command converts the GPT partition style to MBR. When executing the list disk command, pay attention to the asterisk in the GPT column, it just indicates that the disk has the GPT style.

To make sure that the conversion was successful, you can display the list disk again - the asterisk in the GPT column should disappear. That's all, use the exit command to exit the Diskpart utility, close the command line and continue installing Windows, after restarting the computer. After cleaning, the partitions will have to be created again, but this time no notifications about the impossibility of installing on the selected partition should appear, since the disk will already have MBR partitioning.

Using third party programs

It is unlikely, but it may happen that you will need to convert the GPT partitioning style to MBR on a disk with data already on it. The method described above using Diskpart is not suitable in this case, since the clean command removes all partitions from the disk, and along with them the data they contain. In such a situation, you can use third party applications, for example, boot Minitool disk Partition Wizard Bootable Paragon Hard Disk Manager or AOMEI PE Builder.

All these programs allow you to convert basic disk GPT to MBR and vice versa, while the conversion procedure is simple and accessible to users with any level of training.

Installing the system in unallocated space

In some cases, you can do without using the command line or additional applications. If at Windows installation 7/10 the wizard writes “installation on this disk is impossible”, and the disk size does not exceed 2.2 GB, it’s worth trying this method. Using the installation wizard, delete all created partitions and try installing Windows into a single unallocated space.

If no error occurs, the system itself selected the MBR style and converted the disk to it. However, in this case, you will have to create the user partition D separately after installation. Also on disk you will not have hidden section“Reserved by the system”, which will somewhat reduce the fault tolerance of Windows.