If you are experiencing the “Windows cannot be installed on an MBR/GPT disc” or “Windows cannot be installed on a dynamic disc,” there is no need to worry about it. However, there are common issues that can arise during the installation of Windows 10/8/7.
Because of Microsoft’s simplified installation process, installing the latest Windows operating system on any computer is usually simple and error-free.
However, some Windows users have reported receiving the error message “Windows cannot be installed to this disk” while attempting a clean install, reinstall, or dual boot. This error may be followed by a notice stating that the installation fails because the disc you chose for installation has a certain partition style.
This article explains the causes behind this and how to deal with such problems in detail.
Causes Behind This “Windows Cannot Be Installed to This Disk” Error
There may be two software that can result in this error on Windows computers. First, UEFI and BIOS Legacy Versions start when your computer boots up.
The UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is an upgraded version of BIOS (basic input, output system). UEFI allows you to load from large hard drives offers additional security protocols. It is also easier to understand and use and has faster starting times.
The second program is the Basic Input, Output System (BIOS), an old version. Because of its 16-bit CPU mode and 1 MB of executable space, it can only boot from drives that are less than two terabytes in size, and it has problems initializing several hardware devices at the same time. As a result, boot time is slow.
UEFI and BIOS are stored on your computer’s motherboard; every computer has only one of these. Their main function is to wake up the hard drive and the whole CPU to help the computer boot up into the operating system.
However, whether or not you can install Windows on your hard drive depends on which version of UEFI or BIOS you have on your computer. Because UEFI and BIOS only work with their respective hard drive partition style.
Which Partition Style Works With Which Firmware?
As explained at the start that there are two iterations of the “Windows cannot be installed to this drive” issue is, followed by either“The selected disk is of the GPT partition style” or “The selected disk has an MBR partition table. Windows can only be installed to GPT disks on EFI systems.” Here’s how the firmware and partition styles are linked to clarify the relationship between the two further.
- If you see the message “Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style” that’s because your motherboard only supports Legacy BIOS mode. Since your BIOS does not recognize the GPT partition style, you can only install Windows to an MBR hard drive partition.
- If you see the message “Windows cannot be installed on this disk,” The partition table on the specified disk is MBR. Windows can only be installed to GPT discs on EFI systems.” This is because when your motherboard uses the newer UEFI firmware, Microsoft’s policy only allows Windows to be installed to GPT partition format disks.
After you get the idea of which firmware supports which partition style, you can address the installation problem by following the fix for each error type.
Fixes for the Error “Windows Cannot Be Installed to This Disk. The Selected Disk is of the GPT Partition Style.”
If you see the message “Windows cannot be installed on this disk, the selected disk uses the GPT partition style,” you’ll need to see if your BIOS only supports legacy mode, in which case you’ll need to convert the drive.
1. Convert to MBR Using Diskpart.
Any file on the hard drive will be wiped while running the Diskpart utility. If your PC is brand new and this is your first installation, this won’t be an issue. Otherwise, you may need to install Windows on a separate, empty hard drive.
- Put Windows Installation Disk into your computer, and open Command Prompt by typing cmd in the Start search box.
- Type diskpart in the command prompt and hit Enter.
- Net enter list disk command.
- You’ll get a list of all of your available hard drives.
- Choose the drive where you want Windows to be installed. Normally, disk 0 is used. Make sure you select the correct disk if it isn’t disk 0.
- Enter: select disk 0.
- Type clean and hit enter.
- Then type convert mbr and enter to convert the drive to MBR.
- Now Type exit and again tap on enter.
After the process, shut down the Command prompt and try again to install Windows.
2. Check your BIOS
Follow the steps to check your BIOS setup:
- Restart your computer.
- Press the corresponding BIOS key (F10, F2, F12, or F1) multiple times. The handbook for your motherboard will tell you which key this is.
- Navigate BIOS until you discover a boot mode choice. This is frequently located under a “Boot” tab menu, which will indicate the boot mode you are in.
- You’ll need to convert the GPT disc partition to an MBR partition table if your boot mode is Legacy BIOS and there isn’t a UEFI option.
- If the option to use UEFI mode or a mix of UEFI/Legacy Boot is available, select it and save your modifications.
After the process, you will install Windows on the hard drive of your choice.
3. Try Disk Management to Convert to MBR
You can use the Disk Management Utility to convert the desired hard disk to MBR if you wish to execute a dual boot and access Windows on another hard drive on your PC.
- Type “Disk Management” in the Start menu.
- “Create and Format Hard Disk Partitions – Control Panel” will appear in the search results in Windows 10. To open the Disk Management Window, click on it.
- In the volume list, look for the GPT disk.
- Remove all partitions and volumes from this disk.
- Right-click each and select Delete Volume from the drop-down menu.
- Right-click the disk and select Convert to MBR disk once the entire drive is free of allocated space.
After you are done with this, you can install Windows on this MBR disk.
Fix the “Windows Cannot Be Installed to This Disk. The Selected Disk Has an MBR Partition Table.”
When converting your disk drive from MBR to GPT, you can utilize comparable methods to those listed above. However, if you are experiencing this issue, there are a few options to consider.
1. Deactivate EFI
Disabling EFI boot sources is a simple solution for this error, and you won’t have to do the conversion. You’ll have to check your BIOS to determine if this is possible.
- Restart your computer.
- Press the corresponding BIOS key (F10, F2, F12, or F1) multiple times. The handbook for your motherboard will tell you which key this is.
- Try to disable EFI boot sources in the Boot Order section.
- Changes should be saved.
- Now go ahead and reinstall Windows.
If Windows successfully installs, make sure to return to the BIOS and enable the EFI boot sources.
2. In BIOS, select Diskpart or Other Mode.
You can always use Diskpart to remove the wrong partition and change it to the suitable partition style, just as you did in the section above for the GPT partition style mistake. So it would be turning it to GPT in this scenario. Steps are the same as explained in Convert to MBR Using Diskpart; just Replace “convert mbr” to convert the drive to the MBR with “convert gpt” to convert to GPT.
Check your BIOS to determine if a combination of UEFI/Legacy BIOS modes is available. Then, simply disable UEFI boot and install using the Legacy Boot option if this is the case. Following this method, You won’t have to convert your disk.
Conclusion
In this article, you will find the best solution for your problem with installing windows. Only try the fix that addresses the exact issue you are facing. After this, you will be able to install windows on any drive.