Windows cannot be installed on this disk. The solution to the error “Windows cannot be installed on this disk .... What is GPT

Hello! The question is. I bought from a friend practically new laptop and I want to reinstall Windows 10 on it, but the installation process is interrupted by the error “ Installing Windows on this disc impossible. The selected disk has a GPT partition style». I wonder what am I doing wrong?

I created, as usual, loaded a laptop from it, then selected the largest partition on a hard disk with a volume of 500 GB, selected it with the left mouse button, but the Next button was inactive and a warning appeared “It is impossible to install Windows into partition 4 of disk 0. (Show details) ".

If you click on the warning, then an error comes out.

Windows cannot be installed on this disc. The selected disk has a GPT partition style

Hello everybody! Majority experienced users knows what she is the error can only come out for several reasons.

1. The BIOS of your laptop is disabled, and HDD has a new GPT style. In simple words, our reader most likely experimented with the settings Laptop BIOS and disabled the interface in it ... This means that the BIOS of the laptop began to work as usual, and in this case the new partitioning of the disks - GPT is not supported, therefore an error appeared during the installation of the system - “Installing Windows on this disk is impossible. The selected disk has a GPT partition style "

2. Or you have a computer with a regular BIOS without UEFI (or maybe you specifically disabled this interface in it), but the hard drive connected to the PC has the GPT style. In this case, when installing the OS, such an error will also appear.

Be that as it may, you can get rid of this error by enabling the UEFI interface in the BIOS, in which case Windows will be installed on the GPT disk.

E if for some reason You don't need UEFI, just converthard disk from GPT style to MBR and proceed with the system installation.This can be done in two ways.

The first one is the simplest.

In the Windows setup program, select each section on Disk 0 one by one and select "Delete". Be careful. If you have several disks in the system, for example, there is also Disk 1, then you do not need to delete partitions on it.

When all partitions on the hard disk are deleted and it will be one unallocated space, then select this space with the left mouse button and click on the "Next" button

That's all!

The normal process will begin on your computer or laptop.

The second way is more complicated.

In the system installation window, open the command line with the keyboard shortcut Shift + F10.

In the command line that opens, enter the commands:

diskpart

lis dis (list all disks connected to the computer)

sel dis 0 (select the only Disk 0)

clean (we delete all partitions from the disk)

Close the command line and click "Refresh".

Select the unallocated space with the left mouse button and click on the "Next" button. The OS installation process begins.

When installing Windows on your computer, you may encounter this message: Unable to install Windows on this GPT disk. Section style hard disk GPT is relatively new, so there are two ways to install the operating system.

The error message "Windows cannot be installed on this GPT disk" is most often encountered by users who install the 7 edition of the OS, although the problem is possible in the 8 version of Windows as well. To proceed with the installation on a hard disk with a GPT partition, 2 conditions must be met:

  1. The operating system must be 64-bit.
  2. Go to EFI mode.

The first step is to enter the BIOS using the computer's UEFI. Anyone who has installed the OS at least once knows that for this it is necessary to press the necessary key at the moment of starting the computer. To find out which one, you can spy on the computer when you boot. It will be on the line "Press - key to enter - to enter boot menu" like this one. In the event that on this moment you have OS 8 or 8.1 installed, then you can log in easier - through the "Charms" button. Next, let's proceed:

  1. In "Changing computer settings".
  2. Then find "Update and Recovery".
  3. Click "Computer Restore".
  4. Then click on "Special download options".
  5. And "Reload Now".
  6. After rebooting, select the "Diagnostics" item
  7. Advanced Options and UEFI.

If you get a warning "", go to the material on how to fix it.

In the BIOS of the computer, you need to activate important items

  1. Instead of CSM, put UEFI boot, can be found in the BIOS section Features or Setup.
  2. In the "SATA operating mode" tab change IDE to AHCI, this setting is usually found in Peripherals.
  3. Switch off Secure boot- if you are on Windows

Sections and menu items may be in different locations due to different versions BIOS and UEFI. But it will not be difficult to find them by the names given in the article. After the settings have been made, the computer is ready to install a new operating system to a GPT-style disk.

Convert GPT style to MBR

For this procedure, you should take care of your files in advance, if there is something important, save them to a USB flash drive or write them to disk. When converting a hard disk, you will need to fully format it with the removal of partitions and the formation of new ones.

The process is simple and will take a little of your time to fix "Unable to install Windows on this GPT disk." We put the option in BIOS to boot from the floppy drive, as you do when installing Windows. When displaying an error message, you need to run the command line:

  1. By pressing the combination Shift + F.
  2. In the window that opens, enter the command "Diskpart". This command will bring us to a screen in which you can perform various manipulations with the disk.
  3. Next, in the window that opens, enter "List Disk" to display a list of available disk partitions.
  4. We write here "Select disk *" - where instead of an asterisk we write the name of the disk partition.
  5. Further manipulations only with the selected disk. Now you need to clean it up with the "Clean" command, after that you can convert the section.
  6. Then we enter the command "Convert MBR", after which the system will perform the conversion, in which the partition with GPT will be erased, and a new MBR will be created in its place.

Now you can repeat all the steps of installing Windows again, without any obstacles.

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During the installation of a new version of Windows OS on his computer (usually version 8, 8.1 or 10), the user may encounter an error and the corresponding message “Windows cannot be installed on this disk. The selected disk contains the MBR table. " Usually this is due to the situation when the disk on which Windows is trying to install has an MBR partition table, at the same time the user himself booted from the installation disk or UEFI flash drive, which, in turn, needs a hard disk with a more modern partition table - GPT. In this article I will tell you in detail what is the essence of the error "The selected disk has an MBR table", what are its causes, and how to fix it. given error on your PC.

Let me remind the reader that MBR (Master Boot Record - home boot record) Is a special boot sector located at the very beginning of the hard disk (drive). It contains the OS loader and is used to get the data necessary for the correct loading of the operating system. The disadvantages of MBR include the ability to work with volumes of disk space no more than 2 Terabytes, and support for no more than 4 main hard disk partitions.

GPT stands for GUID Partition Table- is an alternative, more advanced way of storing information, which is used in UEFI (modern improved replacement for the well-known BIOS). GPT has gotten rid of the MBR limits, there are no limits on disk space or the number of primary partitions. When you install a new one on your computer Windows version 8 or 10, then for correct installation OS is recommended to use GPT.

Older computers generally use Legacy Bios and MBR boot, while modern computers prefer UEFI and GPT.

The essence of the problem

Accordingly, if your disk works according to conservative patterns (with an MBR bootloader), and you are trying to install on it modern version Windows OS (8-10), or disk in UEFI mode, then you will receive the error I am considering “Installing Windows on this disk is not possible. The selected disk contains the MBR table. "

How to fix the error "The selected disk has an MBR table"

There are several ways to solve the problem in which it is impossible to install Windows on a given disk. I would point out the following ways:

Method 1. Change BIOS settings


Method 2. Converting a disk from MBR to GPT without removing the programs available on the disk

Another option to fix the error when installing Windows 8.1 or 10 is converting MBR disk to GPT. There are several ways to do this, but I suggest using the functionality external programs PartitionGuru level (or Minitool Partition Wizard Bootable, AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro, etc.), which will keep the information on the disk intact.

Before you start converting with PartitionGuru, I advise you to save important files from your computer to another medium (do it), in order to avoid the "human factor" and other unplanned problems that can lead to the loss of the files you need. So:


Method 3. Converting a disk from MBR to GPT while removing the programs available on the disk

Another way to convert a disk from MBR to GPT can be using the functionality command line... The advantage of this method is its simplicity and there is no need to use third-party software. Please note that the existing data on the disk after this type of conversion will be deleted.

So, during the installation of Windows 8 or 10, press the Shift + F10 key combination to open the command line (instructions for and). In it, sequentially type the commands below, remembering to press enter after each command:

diskpart

list disk (note for yourself what is the disk number on which you want to install Windows OS)

select disk X - (instead of X, specify the number of the mentioned disk on which you want to install Windows)

clean

convert gpt

exit

Close the command line, click on "Refresh". In the window for selecting partitions, an unallocated space will appear, to which you can add disks using the "Create" button.

If necessary, restart your computer, reboot from a USB flash drive or disk, and try installing Windows OS from scratch again.

Method 4. Removing hard disk partitions using Windows Installer

You can also delete the existing partitions in the Windows installer using the functionality of the "Delete" button, but keep in mind that you lose all data located on such a disk. How to accomplish this operation shown in the video:

Conclusion

If you get a message about the impossibility of installing Windows due to "The selected disk has an MBR table", then, first of all, I recommend trying to change the BIOS settings by setting "Boot Mode" to "Legacy". If this advice turned out to be ineffective (or you simply do not have such a value in the BIOS), then I recommend converting the MBR disk to GPT using PartitionGuru or the command line functionality. Please note that if you use the command line functionality to convert a disk (as well as delete partitions in the OS installer), your data on the disk will be lost.

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Development computer technology not only implies an increase in computing power, along with performance gains, there are improvements in stability, security and usability modern computers... One of the most significant changes in recent years has been the replacement of the older BIOS with a more advanced UEFI, as well as the move from MBR to GPT disk partitioning style.

The advantages of the latter style are obvious. Unlike MBR, GPT markup allows you to create an almost unlimited number of partitions, assign them unique identifiers, names, and attributes. GPT also supports duplication of boot code and partition tables, work without any restrictions with media over 2.2 TB. However, the style of GPT partitions has its drawbacks, the most significant of which is the lack of support for this technology on computers with an old BIOS.

In addition, novice users may find it difficult to install Windows on a GPT disk. So, due to incompatibility software BIOS or some of its settings with modern drives, when you try to install the system on a disk with a new partitioning style at the initial stage, you may receive the error “Installing Windows on this disk is not possible. The selected disk is in GPT style. "

To users inexperienced in computer intricacies, the error may seem serious, in reality there is nothing here that could impede the installation of the system.

The appearance of the message "Windows cannot be installed, the selected disk has a GPT partition style" usually occurs on new models of computers with large disks or, on the contrary, on older PCs after replacing disks with newer models of drives. In this case, the version of the operating system does not play a special role, an error can occur during the installation of both Windows 7 and Windows 10, although, according to numerous testimonies, the error is more often encountered when installing the "seven". There are currently two main solutions to this problem - changing the appropriate settings in the UEFI BIOS and converting the GPT style to MBR.

UEFI setup and Windows installation to GPT disk

This method is only applicable for computers with UEFI firmware, so the first step is to make sure that one is actually present. If, when entering BIOS, you see graphical interface with mouse support, your PC is more likely to have UEFI firmware, hence you can install the system to a GPT disk. You can get into the new BIOS in the same way as into the old one - just hold down the F2 or Del button while booting.

Further, in the BIOS Features or BIOS Setup section, you need to find and enable UEFI boot instead of CSM, and in the Peripherals section, select AHCI instead of IDE SATA mode. If you are installing Windows 7 or an earlier version of the system, you must also disable the Secure Boot feature (usually located in the Boot section).

After the performed manipulations, the message “Unable to install Windows. GPT Partition Style ”should no longer appear.

Important: the system installed on a GPT disk must be 64-bit, these are the terms of Microsoft's policy. If you want to install a 32-bit version of Windows, you will have to convert the markup to MBR. If the system is being installed from a USB flash drive, it is recommended to recreate it so that it supports UEFI. To do this, you can use the command line, or even better - special utility Rufus.

Converting GPT to MBR markup

If your PC is using a regular BIOS, you will not be able to install Windows to the GPT disk. In this case, the most the right decision will be converting GPT style to MBR just before installing the system. When you receive a notification that Windows cannot be installed, close the wizard window and click Shift + F10... In the command line that opens, run the following commands in sequence:

diskpart
list disk
select disk 0
clean
convert mbr

The first command runs the utility Diskpart, the second displays a list of all physical disks connected to the PC, the third command selects desired disk(v this example this is disk 0), the fourth one performs a complete cleanup (deleting all created partitions), the fifth command converts the GPT partitioning style to MBR. When executing the list disk command, pay attention to the asterisk in the GPT column, it just indicates that the disk is in the GPT style.

To make sure that the conversion was successful, you can display the list disk again - the asterisk in the GPT column should disappear. That's all, use the exit command to quit the Diskpart utility, close the command line and continue installing Windows, after restarting the computer. After cleaning, the partitions will have to be created anew, but this time no notifications about the impossibility of installation in the selected partition should appear, since the disk will already have MBR markup.

Using third-party programs

It is unlikely, but it may happen that you will need to convert the GPT markup style to MBR on the disk with the data already on it. The above method using Diskpart in in this case inappropriate because the clean command removes all partitions from the disk, and with them the data they contain. In such a situation, you can use third party applications, for example, boot disk Minitool Partition Wizard Bootable, Paragon Hard Disk Manager or AOMEI PE Builder.

All of these programs allow you to convert a basic GPT disk to MBR and vice versa, while the conversion procedure is simple and available to users of all skill levels.

Installing the system in unallocated space

In some cases, you can do without using the command line or additional applications. If, when installing Windows 7/10, the wizard writes "installation on this disk is not possible", and the volume of the disk does not exceed 2.2 GB, you should try this method. Use the installation wizard to delete all the partitions you created and try to install Windows into a single unallocated space.

If no error occurs, the system itself chose the MBR style and converted the disk to it. However, in this case, you will have to create a custom partition D separately after installation. Also on disk you will not have hidden section"Reserved by the system", which will slightly reduce the fault tolerance of Windows.

Operating Windows systems for all the time of its existence, they have passed a huge path of development. They improved every year, and now the last one was released. Windows version 8, stuck right at the first Microsoft presentation, and then recognized as unsuccessful by the developer company. And here the user is faced with a very serious problem. On the one hand, everything latest models computers and laptops are produced with "eight". On the other hand, modern hard drives used in them have gpt markup. As a result, an error occurs during the installation of Windows 7. What could be the reasons? Why does the laptop display the message "Windows cannot be installed on this disk"? The GPT partition is to blame.

"Old" or a reliable friend?

Up to Windows creation 8 operating systems used markup hard drives called mbr. Accordingly, the support of sections in them is carried out exclusively until latest version... Thus, if you are going to demolish the established "eight" and bet more old version operating system, they will not be able to recognize the newest GPT interface, as a result of which the message "Windows cannot be installed on this disk" may appear during installation. GPT won't be recognized, so the user won't even be able to determine what the problem is. Let's understand its essence.

Older operating systems run with MBR. What it is? MBR (Master Boot Record) is program code and information required to pre-start the system. They are located in the first partitioned sector of the hard disk. The MBR is launched after the initial BIOS check of all devices. Its main function is to determine the location of the files required to boot the operating system. As you understand, an error during the installation of Windows 7 can be caused by the fact that the new EFI standard using GPT is not able to detect the OS and write it to its start partition.

What is GPT?

GPT is a format standard for placing a partition table on a hard disk. The fact is that Intel has proposed a new interface to replace the usual BIOS. It is called EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) and it is part of it that new format- GPT.

One of the features of the EFI standard is that it has both possible ways initial download. Since GPT uses a logical block addressing system, the start blocks have the following structure:

  1. LBA 0- the very first sector containing MBR information. So the creators made sure that it was possible to always convert the disc to the required format.
  2. LBA 1- here is the table of contents for the GPT partition table.
  3. LBA 2- this sector is intended for storing the partition table itself.

Based on the above, you should understand that these two standards for partitioning drives are so different that it is impossible to install Windows on new hard drives. GPT just won't let the operating system using mbr take over and erase partitions hard disc and thus, possibly, damage its structure.

On your marks!

So, if you do decide to reinstall the operating system, do not forget to prepare everything you need:


Are you prepared? Then let's get started.

Reinstallation

The first series of steps to follow when installing an operating system:

  1. You start to restart your computer. At this moment, hold down the F2 key in order to get into the BIOS control. Remember that the buttons required to run this subroutine may differ for different laptop models, and because of the very short time it takes to press the button, it’s better to just hold it down for the entire reboot time.
  2. Once in BIOS, you can finish the last stage of preparation for reinstallation - insert installation disc into the computer.
  3. In the settings, specify the device from which you want to boot the laptop. You need to set your floppy drive on the first line.
  4. In the additional options, in the security settings, instead of the used UEFI standard, set the "Legacy" or "Legacy and UEFI" parameter. This will remove the reinstallation protection.
  5. Save and exit BIOS. After that, we restart the computer.
  6. When the inscription "To boot from the disk, press any key ..." appears, we fulfill the request of the computer.
  7. The start window of the operating system installer appears. We pass through the dialog boxes, we reach the hard disk manager. Delete everything existing sections(except for the very first one). We are trying to specify it to install the OS.
  8. It is at this stage that the system may warn you that it is impossible to install Windows on this disk. The GPT format will prevent you from installing the system.
  9. If you do not have any difficulties or inscriptions, calmly proceed with the installation according to this instruction. If you are unable to complete the installation, see the next chapter of this article.
  10. So, having removed all the obstacles, we proceed to the installation. It can take you up to two hours of free time, therefore, leaving your computer, you can safely go for tea.
  11. The final step will be the initial PC setup. Set time and language. Enter your activation key. Your OS is ready to go.

Transformation

If you encounter a problem at the stage choice hard disk for installation, and you received a message that Windows cannot be installed on this disk, you need to convert the gpt format to mbr. To do this, you will have to execute the following actions... Press "Shift + F10". And then enter several commands in sequence:

diskpart - sel dis 0 - clean - convert mbr - exit - exit.

This will allow you to convert sections to mbr format. Now you can safely proceed with the installation of the operating system according to the previous chapter.

Exception

So, after reading what you have read, you can independently proceed to reinstall the operating system. Despite what has been said in this article, installing Windows on gpt (a partition without "witchcraft") is possible in two cases. First, if you install an operating system or assembly that supports GPT disk partitions. Secondly, in the case when the assembly of the operating system "younger" Windows 8 is independently capable of converting hard disk partitions into the required format. In other cases, installation is not possible, gpt here The creators of the laptop could initially take care that users themselves did not reinstall the OS and did not produce pirated copies.