If you want to upgrade to Windows 11, you may need to convert your disk from MBR to GPT. MBR stands for Master Boot Record, and it is an old way of partitioning disks that has some limitations. GPT stands for GUID Partition Table, and it is a newer and more flexible way of partitioning disks that supports larger capacities and more partitions.
One of the easiest ways to convert your disk from MBR to GPT is to use the MBR2GPT.exe tool that comes with Windows 10. This tool can convert your disk without deleting any data or requiring any additional software. However, before you use this tool, you should back up your data and make sure your system meets the requirements for Windows 11.
To use the MBR2GPT.exe tool, you need to follow these steps:
- Open an elevated command prompt by right-clicking on the Start menu and selecting Command Prompt (Admin).
- Type mbr2gpt /validate /allowfullos and press Enter. This will check if your disk is eligible for conversion and if there are any issues that need to be fixed.
- If the validation is successful, type mbr2gpt /convert /allowfullos and press Enter. This will start the conversion process, which may take a few minutes depending on the size of your disk.
- After the conversion is done, type exit and press Enter to close the command prompt.
- Restart your computer and enter the BIOS or UEFI settings by pressing the appropriate key during boot (usually F2, F10, F12, or Del).
- Change the boot mode from Legacy or BIOS to UEFI and save the changes.
- Restart your computer again and check if Windows 10 boots normally.
- You can now check if your disk is converted to GPT by opening Disk Management and looking at the partition style column.
Congratulations! You have successfully converted your disk from MBR to GPT using MBR2GPT.exe. You are now ready to upgrade to Windows 11 when it becomes available.