How to Convert MBR to GPT Without Operating System [MBR to GPT Guide]

Updated by

Linda 

Written by

Linda 

Updated on April 22, 2024

How do I convert a disk from MBR to GPT in Windows 11/10? This page presents 2 practical and reliable methods to help you effortlessly convert MBR to GPT.

MBR to GPT Conversion Procedure Overview:

Heads up: This page will walk you through the entire process of converting MBR to GPT without booting an operating system. So, if you're planning to change your computer's disk from MBR to GPT without an OS, this tutorial guide might be your best bet. Let's dive into the details.

How to Convert MBR to GPT Without an Operating System

Here are the translations for the provided text: 1.
1. Complexity Level: Simple
2.
2. Tools Required: Windows computer, USB or external disk drive, disk conversion software - specifically Partition Master

tools Partition Master is a reliable disk conversion tool that enables you to convert your disk from MBR to GPT directly with just a few clicks. Most importantly, tools Partition Master simplifies the process of converting MBR to GPT without an OS for all levels of Windows users.

It also surpasses Windows disk utilities like Disk Management and DiskPart in the following two aspects:

• ✔️Keep All Partitions: It does not require any partition deletion for disk conversion.
• ✔️No Data Loss: This software ensures that all data remains safely stored on the disk during the conversion from MBR to GPT or vice versa.

Take a look and follow the guidelines here to learn how to perform the operation - MBR to GPT conversion without an operating system:

1st, Connect the USB/External Disk to a New Healthy PC

To make sure the process goes smoothly, you'll need a functioning and healthy computer. Connect an empty USB flash drive or an external USB disk to the computer.

1. Connect or plug the USB into the PC using the USB ports.
2. Format the USB drive and set it to the FAT32 file system format.

Connect the USB to a new PC

2nd, Create Bootable USB and Convert MBR to GPT without Operating System

To do so, you need to install the tool Partition Master on another healthy computer first. Then create a bootable disk on a USB drive, boot the PC from the disk, and convert MBR to GPT without an operating system or during Windows installation on your own.

Here are the detailed steps for you to follow: 1. First, open the translation tool or application on your device. This could be Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, or any other reliable translation software. 2. If using a website, navigate to the translation page. Typically, you will see two text boxes labeled "Source Language" and "Target Language." 3. In the "Source Language" section, select the language that needs to be translated. For instance, if it's Chinese, choose "Chinese (Simplified)" or "Chinese (Traditional)" depending on the dialect. 4. Next, in the "Target Language" section, choose "English" as the language you want to translate into. 5. Now, copy and paste or type the text you wish to translate into the "Source Language" text box. 6. Once the text is inputted, the translation tool will automatically detect the language and provide the translation in the "Target Language" box. Make sure to review the translation for accuracy. 7. If you're satisfied with the translation, you can copy the translated text and use it as needed. 8. Some translation tools also offer features like voice-to-voice translation, image translation (for text within images), or even real-time conversation translation. Explore these options if they're available and relevant to your needs. 9. Remember that machine translations might not always capture the nuance and context of the original text, especially for complex sentences or idiomatic expressions. In such cases, it's recommended to consult a professional translator or a native speaker for better accuracy. 10. Finally, don't forget to save or bookmark the translated text for future reference, if necessary. That's it! You've successfully translated the text from one language to English using a translation tool.

Step 1. Connect an empty USB flash drive or a CD/DVD to a healthy computer. Launch tools Partition Master, and click "Bootable Media". Select "Create bootable media" and click "Next" to proceed.

Step 2. Select the USB or CD/DVD and click "Create" to start creating the bootable media.

Step 3. Connect the USB with bootable media to your PC, then restart the computer from the bootable media.

Press F2 or Del to enter the BIOS and set your computer to boot from "Removable Devices" (bootable USB drive) or "CD-ROM Drive" (bootable CD/DVD). Press "F10" to save the changes and exit, which will restart your PC into the bootable media.

Step 4. After entering the Partition Master tool, go to Disk Converter and select "Convert MBR to GPT." Click "Next" to proceed.

Step 5. Select the target MBR disk that you want to convert to GPT and click "Convert" to start the conversion.

After this, your disk is now with GPT partition style, and you may continue installing Windows on the computer and make use of it for gaming or working.

Read Also: The tool Partition Master also helps switch disks from GPT to MBR without booting into Windows. If you're interested, follow this guide for assistance.

Convert GPT to MBR Without Operating System

If you're attempting to install a Windows OS like Windows 11/10/8/7 but encounter the error "The selected disk is of GPT partition style...", remain calm. Try the solutions on this page for assistance.

Converting MBR to GPT without an Operating System using CMD/DiskPart

Translate the following text into English:
1. Complexity Level: Complex
2. Tools Needed: Windows computer, USB or external hard drive, Windows installation media, CMD/Diskpart

The other way to convert MBR disk to GPT without operating system is using CMD or Diskpart command lines via a Windows installation media.

Then follow the steps below to convert your MBR disk to GPT:

Step 1. Create a Windows installation media on a USB drive or external disk:

Here are the translations for the provided language segments in English: 1. Download the Windows ISO file from Microsoft's official website on a healthy computer. 2. Double-click the ISO image, then choose "Create installation media." 3. Select the Windows editions and language you want, and choose USB as the medium. 4. Wait for the process to complete.

Step 2. Boot target PC from the USB installation media.

• Reboot your PC, press Del/F2/F8 to enter the BIOS, and set your PC to boot from the USB installation media.
• Set the options and click to start installing Windows via USB. Then, press Shift + F10 to open the Command Prompt window.
• Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator."

Step 3. Convert MBR to GPT without an operating system using CMD with DiskPart commands.

1. Type **diskpart** and press Enter. 2. Type **list disk** and press Enter. 3. Type **select disk 2** and press Enter. (Replace "2" with the disk number of your MBR disk.) 4. Type **clean** and press Enter. 5. Type **convert gpt** and press Enter.

DiskPart will delete all the partitions on your disk and then convert it to GPT during the process.

Step 5. Type exit when the conversion process completes.

After this, you can proceed to use the new GPT disk to create partitions, install a new Windows system, and so on, without any hindrances.

Optional step: Enable UEFI mode after converting the system boot disk to GPT.

If you converted a Windows system disk from MBR to GPT without booting into the OS, remember to enable the UEFI boot mode on your computer to ensure smooth booting. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Restart your PC and press F2, F8, F12, or Del to access the BIOS boot menu.

Step 2. Locate the boot options menu and enable the UEFI mode.

• Set CSM (Compatibility Support Module) to Enabled. If CSM is already set to Disabled, you can proceed directly to Step 4.
• Set Boot Device Control to UEFI Only.
• Set Boot from Storage Devices to UEFI driver first.

Set GPT disk as boot drive

Step 4. Save the changes and exit BIOS, then reboot your PC from the GPT disk.

Then, wait patiently. Your computer will automatically reboot from the GPT disk.

When Do You Need to Convert MBR to GPT Without Operating System? Converting from Master Boot Record (MBR) to GUID Partition Table (GPT) is a common task when upgrading or reinstalling an operating system, especially on modern computers that support UEFI firmware. There may be situations where you need to convert an MBR disk to GPT without having an operating system installed. Here are some scenarios: 1. **New Computer Setup**: If you're setting up a new computer with no OS, converting the disk to GPT before installation allows you to take full advantage of the larger partition sizes and improved boot functionality offered by GPT. 2. **OS Compatibility**: Some versions of Windows, like Windows 8 and later, can only be installed on GPT-formatted disks when using UEFI mode. If you plan to install one of these operating systems and your disk is currently MBR, conversion is necessary. 3. **UEFI Requirements**: Many modern computers use UEFI instead of the traditional BIOS for booting. UEFI often requires GPT for its native boot process, so if you're switching from BIOS to UEFI, converting the disk is needed. 4. **RAID or Multi-Boot Configurations**: In a RAID setup or when configuring multi-boot with different OSes, it might be necessary to have a GPT disk for better compatibility or performance. 5. **Data Recovery**: If you're attempting to recover data from an MBR disk on a system without an OS, converting it to GPT first might help in the recovery process, especially if the target system uses UEFI. 6. **Testing and Lab Environments**: In a testing or lab environment where you frequently install and remove OSes, converting to GPT can make the process smoother and more flexible. To convert an MBR disk to GPT without an operating system, you'll typically need a bootable media with tools like Windows Disk Management (using WinPE), GParted (for Linux), or Disk Utility (for macOS). These tools can be used to create a GPT partition table while ensuring data safety. Always remember to back up important data before making any changes to your disk structure.

As disk partition styles, both MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT (GUID Partition Table) are commonly utilized on storage devices such as computer hard drives. With the introduction of newer operating systems, an increasing number of users are converting their disks from MBR to GPT, even without booting into the operating system.

Relax if your situation is similar to the above example. Also, don't worry if you're unsure when to convert an MBR disk to a GPT disk without an OS. Check the list below, and if you fall into one of these scenarios, use the methods provided above to change MBR to GPT:

1. Your computer is shipped without an OS, and you need to convert a disk to GPT for Windows installation. 2. The computer has Windows 10 or 11 installed, but you accidentally converted the OS disk to MBR. 3. To install Windows on an EFI/UEFI-enabled disk. 4. You encounter an error message: "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On an EFI system, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks" (as shown in the below image).

The selected disk has an MBR partition table

When you encounter any of the above-provided cases, you will need to change your disk from MBR to GPT.

It's your turn now. Take action immediately and convert your MBR disk to GPT.

This page reveals two major solutions for you to attempt converting MBR to GPT disk without OS successfully. However, which one is more suitable for me? Or, which method should I try?

Here is the Editor's suggestion:

Here are the translations:
• If you wish to clean all existing volumes on the old disk while converting MBR to GPT without an operating system, using Command Prompt with DiskPart command lines can be effective.
• To convert either a data disk or an OS disk from MBR to GPT without data loss or issues with OS boot, the tool Partition Master is the optimal choice.

For Windows beginners, we recommend Method 1 – using Partition Master with its advanced disk conversion feature that is more user-friendly and efficient to try.

Frequently Asked Questions About MBR to GPT Conversion

Continue reading and find the answer to your question right here:

< strong >1. Is GPT or MBR better?< /strong >

Here's a comparison table of MBR vs. GPT. From this, you'll learn which partition style you should use for your disk:

MBR vs. GPT: Which Is Better?

Conclusion: GPT Disk Outperforms MBR Disk in Many Respects

Judging from the comparison table, it's evident that the GPT disk outperforms the MBR disk in numerous aspects, such as:

• Faster Boot Speed: GPT UEFI can load the operating system more quickly than the traditional MBR BIOS boot mode.
• Better Operating System Compatibility: GPT offers better compatibility with operating systems compared to MBR, as it supports most OSes, including Windows Server and macOS.
• Advanced Data Protection: GPT includes a backup of the primary GPT header and partition entries, providing enhanced protection for data on the disk.

In short, if you need to install the latest OS with fast boot speed on your disk, GPT is a better choice. GPT supports UEFI boot mode which can load the OS faster than the traditional BIOS mode on an MBR disk.

< strong >2. Should My SSD be MBR or GPT?< /strong >

According to the MBR vs. GPT comparison table at the beginning of this page, we have reasons to believe that GPT is more suitable for an SSD disk.

GPT (GUID Partition Table) supports more than four primary partitions on an SSD. It accommodates storage capacities exceeding 2TB, which is a limitation compared to MBR (Master Boot Record). Additionally, GPT is more compatible with newer systems that utilize the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) architecture.

3. What Happens If I Convert MBR to GPT?

Essentially, whether you should convert MBR to GPT mainly depends on the method you'd like to use for the conversion.

If you use tools like Partition Master as recommended in Method 1 on this page, you'll find that only the partition style is changed. Your data and partitions remain the same as before.

However, if you utilized Windows Disk Management or DiskPart to convert MBR to GPT disk for free, three things will occur to your disk:

1. 1. Data loss;
2. 2. Partition loss;
3. 3. Partition style change: from MBR to GPT.
These phrases remain the same in English as they are technical terms.