GPT to MBR

lolibas · Feb 1, 2024

Hi,

I have Image of Windows 11 but this is GPT image of Windows 11. I cannot make bootable USB stick (Rufus). I want to make bootable usb with MBR but I don't know if it is possible and how to do it if it is.
Can someone help me to solve this. Thanks in advance to everyone for any suggestions and help.

Berton · Feb 1, 2024

Can't answer for Rufus but the Microsoft MCT/Media Creation Tool will create a bootable USB Thumb drive of at least 8GB but no larger than 32GB. The limit of FAT32 is partitions of 32GB and single-file size limit of 4GB.

My Bootable USB drive:

andrew129260 · Feb 1, 2024

lolibas said:
I want to make bootable usb with MBR but I don't know if it is possible and how to do it if it is.

Why would you want to make a usb with mbr? MBR is legacy which windows 11 does not "officially" support. I would highly recommend using uefi, secure boot, and gpt modern methods

Having said that.......

Installing Windows 11 in Legacy (MBR) Mode using DISM

I have successfully installed Windows 11 (v21996.1) on the new computer with SSD with MBR partition table. The installation was performed from the command line using install.wim file and dism command. The machine is new and supports both UEFI and Legacy boot, but I like to have each version of...

www.elevenforum.com

lolibas · Feb 1, 2024

I already have Windows 11 MBR on my computer and I just wanted to update it using this pendrive, but this image is GPT. I don't want to lose my data. When I checked if I could convert my HD with the MBR partition of the Windows 11 operating system, no one gave me any advice on how to do it without losing everything what I have on my computer.
P.S.
This is why I thought that it will be easier to convert GPT image of Windows 11 to MBR than convert whole disk with MBR partition to GPT partition

Berton · Feb 1, 2024

There's always a risk when manipulating a drive. If one is running Win10 or Win11 and have either the USB drive or a DVD disc it's possible in File Explorer to run the setup.exe file on it to do an Upgrade. I did it yesterday with the Win10 USB Thumb drive to Upgrade a Win8.1 Notebook to Win10, didn't have to boot to it. After setup finished and I connected to the Internet, did the updates and it Activated, so far no issues.

bobkn · Feb 1, 2024

lolibas said:
I already have Windows 11 MBR on my computer and I just wanted to update it using this pendrive, but this image is GPT. I don't want to lose my data. When I checked if I could convert my HD with the MBR partition of the Windows 11 operating system, no one gave me any advice on how to do it without losing everything what I have on my computer.
P.S. This is why I thought that it will be easier to convert GPT image of Windows 11 to MBR than convert whole disk with MBR partition to GPT partition

There is a Microsoft utility, mbr2gpt.exe, to convert an MBR drive to GPT without data loss. Convert your Windows 10 boot drive from MBR to GPT | Scottie's Tech.Info I haven't used the stuff at that page, but it purports to have a prepared ISO that avoids the difficulty of creating a Windows PE drive from scratch. It's about a 300MB download.

Imaging your OS drive is strongly recommended before trying it, though.

On another tack: I'm not a Rufus user, but it really can't prepare an MBR bootable USB drive from a standard Windows ISO? Disappointing.

spapakons · Feb 2, 2024

If you want to upgrade you can download the ISO, mount it and upgrade from there (after you bypass compatibility check of course), you don't need to create a USB flash drive. Don't forget to disconnect from the internet during the upgrade to prevent any hidden online compatibility check that will make the upgrade fail. As far as I know Rufus defaults to UEFI (GPT) but you can change that to Legacy (MBR) before creating the USB. Look carefully all the options. It should be top left.

lolibas · Feb 2, 2024

I did something wrong and everything connect with mouses disappeared I cannot do anything and I wanted update using this image of windows 11. I cannot do anything in windows and I really want to save whole setup on my computer like it is.

spapakons · Feb 2, 2024

If you cannot load Windows and you cannot repair it, then you have to backup and reinstall (clean installation). To save you the trouble to backup all your data you can install Windows 11 on the Windows partition (larger) WITHOUT making any modifications to your disk. Just click the Windows partition to select it and then click Next. This will warn you that there is a Windows installation on the disk and that it will be saved to Windows.old Reply OK and proceed. After installation you can find all your data in the folder C:\Windows.old\Users\usernane where username is your old user name.

siliconbeaver · Feb 2, 2024

No matter. either will work.

on my HP 800 Windows 10/11 computers, image MBR onto GPT disk or, image GPT onto MBR, it will boot (may need auto-repairing). Windows 11 recovery ability is strong.

However, Windows 7, you cannot do that way. On Windows 7, Apple goes Apple, Orange goes Orange. If mixed, wouldn't boot.

cereberus · Feb 2, 2024

Blimey - lots of posts and all confusing the issue.

It really is dead simple.

A Winpe usb installation drive in mbr format will boot on a uefi or legacy bios pc. If you create one from media crration tool, the usb drive is universal.

The installation of Windows on hard drive depends on whether the hard drive is formatted as mbr or gpt assuming pc can boot in mbr (many new pcs can only boot full Windows in UEFI GPT).

ThrashZone · Feb 2, 2024

Hi,
Easiest method is to buy another flash drive they are dirt cheap now days.
Format it ntfs with windows and rufus will do it's magic after that.

spapakons · Feb 3, 2024

If you have a system with many applications it is not trivial to reinstall everything from start. In that case you can clone it to a spare SSD and then boot a WinPE USB flash drive, such as Strelec's WinPE. This is a Windows 11 Live USB with many tools. In the hard disk section you can find partition managers such as Minitool Partition Manager. Load one and delete all small system partitions from your GPT disk. They are not needed for MBR style. You can even expand the Windows partition to take all the unallocated space. Convert the disk from GPT to MBR. Make sure the Windows partition is set to active (bootable). Then either from WinPE or boot from the Windows 11 USB and repair startup to create the necessary boot files. Now you should be able to boot the disk in Windows 11 like it was MBR in the first place. Nothing else will change, all your data and applications will be there and you should have the same performance as before. I have done it many times.

lolibas · Feb 3, 2024

I can get to windows but without mouses I'm not able to do something
I want to convert my ISO image of operating system Win 11x64 GPT to ISO but MBR because my Windows 11 which is install on my computer is MBR partition this is a reason why I need to convert my ISO on USB to MBR.

RD Mercer · Feb 3, 2024

lolibas said:
I can get to windows but without mouses I'm not able to do something.

This may not work, but I have had similar issues in the past "years ago". If you are using a "wireless mouse" you might try this, if you have a wired mouse. I had an almost brand new "old school red" Microsoft "wired" mouse and it worked, I have no idea why, but it did.

lolibas · Feb 3, 2024

Yes, sometimes it worked but not now. In my case I tried different wireless mouses and wire too and nothing change (is not working).
Guys, I ask about this conversion because I don't have any different ideas but maybe you know how to be able to update Windows drivers without using a mouse

spapakons · Feb 3, 2024

If understand correctly you have an UEFI Windows 11 USB flash drive and you want to convert it to MBR in order to fix a Legacy Windows 11 installation? Why don't you just use Rufus to create it again, this time in Legacy (MBR) mode? If you have no mouse you can use the keyboard to navigate. Not very convenient but doable.

lolibas · Feb 3, 2024

Because rufus give me some message that cannot burn this in MBR

cereberus · Feb 3, 2024

lolibas said:
Because rufus give me some message that cannot burn this in MBR

You have to erase GPT partitions on usb drive and convert it to mbr. Run following commands from an admin command prompt

Code:

diskpart
list disk
select disk n   where n is drive number of flash drive - be certain you have selected correct one (usually highest number)
clean
convert mbr
create partition primary
format fs=fat32 quick
exit
exit

lolibas · Feb 3, 2024

This is a message:
Error: Unable to patch/setup files for boot.

GPT to MBR

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