If you can’t seem to install Windows to the disc, don’t worry. Let’s discover how to fix the “Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style” and other similar errors. Don’t worry too much, with how to fix the error Windows cannot be installed to this disk of GhienCongListen below will help you fix this.
Windows cannot be installed to this disk. What is the error of the selected disk is of the GPT partition style?
When you install Windows, you will probably have some repeated “Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style”. Determining which iteration you’re on is a long way from figuring out what you need to do to install Windows.
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The error occurs when your hard drive partition type does not support your BIOS (Basic I/O System) version. BIOS comes in two versions: Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and Legacy BIOS.
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As you may know by the name, UEFI is more modern while Legacy BIOS is quite old. Each of these versions only works with a certain type of hard drive partition. When there is a mismatch error, you will get the error “Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style”.
How to fix Selected disk is of the GPT partition style
If your PC uses Legacy BIOS, you cannot install Windows on a GPT partitioned disk. In this case, you need to convert the drive before you can install Windows.
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Check BIOS settings for your hard drive data type
Before doing that, double check that your PC supports UEFI. You can check your BIOS version by entering the BIOS when your PC boots. Start your PC and press the BIOS key. The BIOS key can vary between manufacturers, but the most commonly used keys are F1, F2, F10, F12, or DEL.
Once in the BIOS, you will need to find Boot mode. Again, there is no step-by-step process here. You will need to go through all the tabs, but in general, there is a Boot tab and this is where you will find Boot mode.
If your Boot mode is set to Legacy and UEFI does not appear as an option, you cannot use your GPT disk partition. At this point you will need to convert it to an MBR partition table.
Convert MBR data type to GPT
There are two methods to convert GPT disk partition to MBR. Unfortunately, both methods wipe the data stored on the disk. Alternatively, you can use third-party software to convert GPT partition disk to MBR without losing data.
Convert MBR to GPT with Command Prompt
You can use Command Prompt if you don’t have any other operating system installed on another hard drive. Note that this method will delete all data stored on the drive that you are about to convert.
- Start by inserting the Windows Installation Disc and waiting for the Windows Setup screen. Press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.
- Type “diskpart” and press Enter.
- Type “list disk” to fetch a list of drives on your computer.
- Select the disc you want to convert to MBR. This should be the disc on which you want to install Windows. You can select disk with “select disk 0”.
- Run “clean” then “convert MBR” to convert the partition to MBR.
When you’re done, exit Command Prompt. Go back to the Windows installation and run the installation again.
Convert MBR to GPT with Disk Management Utility
If your system already has another copy of Windows on another drive, you can use Disk Management Utility on that copy to convert the GPT partition disk to MBR.
- Type Disk Management in the search bar next to Start Menu. The first item in the search results will be Create and Format Hard Disk Partitions. Press Enter to open Disk Management Utility.
- Find the disc you are trying to convert from the list displayed in the utility. Right click on it and select “Delete volume”.
- Next, right click on the same disk and select “Convert to MBR disk”.
How to fix Selected disk has an MBR partition table error
If your PC has a UEFI BIOS, you will need a GPT partition disk to install Windows. If you have an MBR partition, you will need to convert it to a GPT partitioned disk.
Windows cannot be installed to this disk. What is the error of the selected disk is of the MBR partition style?
This error appears because your computer uses the EFI standard BIOS (UEFI) which requires Windows to be installed on the GPT standard hard drive, but your hard drive is using the MBR standard format. To fix it, you need to convert the hard drive from MBR to GPT.
Try disabling EFI boot
If you don’t want to convert partitions, go into the BIOS and see if it allows you to disable EFI boot. Once you’re in the BIOS, navigate to the Boot Order section and search for EFI boot sources. Disable it and run Windows install. Once the installation is complete, re-enable EFI boot sources.
If there is no option to disable EFI, you will need to convert the partition.
Convert from MBR to GPT using Command Prompt
The method used to convert GPT partition to MBR also works here. The only thing that will change is the command in step 5. Instead of “convert MBR”, type “convert GPT”.
When you are done with the previous steps, exit the Command Prompt and continue with the installation.
Convert from MBR to GPT with Windows Installation Disk
During the installation process, you will be asked to select a disc on which you want to install Windows. Select the disk you want to install Windows on and click “Delete”.
Next, select the same disk and click “New” and create a partition in GPT style. Click “Next” and continue with the installation. This should fix the error and you can continue with the installation.
Through this article, hopefully you have solved the “Windows cannot be installed to this disk” error. There are many other problems that you may encounter during the installation of Windows. However, they are hardly too complicated to repair.
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