How To Convert From MBR to GPT “Or Vice Versa” on Windows 11?

When you try to install a clean copy of Windows, say Windows 11 from an external flash drive or DVD, you might get an error message saying ‘Windows cannot be installed to this disk‘. This error usually appears when you format it the wrong way, whether to the external memory that you burned Windows to, or to the hard disk partition on which you are trying to install Windows.

Windows uses MBR or GPT scheme, depending on your operating system and version, and each has its own pros and cons. For example, the GPT format is the latest, which requires that you enable the UEFI option from the BIOS screen during Windows boot.

Formatting MBR on the other hand will be necessary if you are using older versions of Windows, and depending on your BIOS version as well as the version of the operating system itself you may need to change between GBT and MBR. So, are you looking for a way to switch between GBT and MBR or even convert from one to the other especially if you are trying to install Windows 11, then you are in the right place.

Convert MBR to GPT on Windows 11

In today’s lesson, we are going to guide you about two ways to switch between MBR and GPT on Windows 11. You should know that the steps might be a bit complicated, so we highly recommend you to follow the instructions carefully to avoid any errors.

Find out if your hard disk is GPT or MBR

The first step here is to check whether the hard disk partition on which you want to install Windows has been formatted with MBR or GPT. To do that, follow the instructions below:

1. In Windows 11 search box, type Disk Management. Then open the extension from the search results.
   
2. Now, right-click on the partition you want to know the system for, and select Properties.
   
3. In the Properties tab, go to Volumes. From here click on Partition Style  and here you will know if your hard drive is MBR or GPT.
   

Here are the steps! This was the way to check whether the hard disk, or the external memory you are trying to install Windows from, is GPT or MBR.

Steps to convert from MBR to GPT

Now that you have an idea about the subject and know what type of format or system your hard drive is, at this point you may want to switch from MBR to GPT so that you can complete the installation of the Windows system that you were trying to install and then encountered this problem.

1. In the search box on Windows Command Prompt. Then, right-click, select Run as administrator .
   
2. In the command window, type diskpart > and press Enter on your keyboard.
   
3. Then in the same window, type list disk and press Enter.
   
4. The last line will arrange the hard disks connected to your computer. Type the number of the disk you want to change from MBR to GPT and you will find it next to its name.
5. Now, in the window type select disk # “Remember to replace the # sign with the disk number” and hit the Enter button.
   
6. Now in the same window type clean and hit Enter.
   
7. The last step will format the memory or hard clipping. If your memory is MBR and you want to use GPT, then type the following line: convert GPT and press Enter.
   
8. On the other hand, if the disk is GPT and you want to convert to MBR, enter the command: convert mbr and press Enter.
   

Here all the steps are finished! This was the easiest way to convert between MBR and GPT, whether on the hard disk you are trying to install Windows on, or the external memory you are trying to install Windows through, knowing that all the steps were performed on Windows 11. The instructions may seem a bit tricky and complicated, but they do their job perfectly, and if you need any other help or some steps are not clear, let us know your problem in the comments and we will help you.