GPT to MBR

lolibas said:

This is a message:
Error: Unable to patch/setup files for boot.

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did you do the above commands on your usb drive?

lolibas said:

I ask about this conversion because I don't have any different ideas but maybe you know how to be able to update Windows drivers without using a mouse

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I understand, sorry, I read through your thread fairly quick, so I probably missed the part where you had already tried the wired mouse.

Try a different USB flash drive or different USB port. I have seen this too.

@lolibas

I just did this yesterday as I upgraded the main board on my Windows 10 machine and I am prepping to install Windows 11. I strongly urge you to convert to GPT for future proofing your Win 11 installation, and besides, MBR is not officially supported in Win 11, as has been discussed. Here is what I had to do:

1. Make a full system image backup
2. Use the MBR2GPT.EXE tool from Microsoft (it's built into Windows)
3. It converted in less than 15 seconds on my SSD, easy peasy.
4. All done, now install your drivers, preferably from Windows update or the manufacturer's download.

Here is how to use MBR2GPT.EXE (Follow the directions carefully):

And here is a discussion on how to do it the hard way:

Again, if you use either of these methods, I can't urge strongly enough to make a backup first in case you mess things up.

My computer is unsupported anyway. Installing Windows 11 in UEFI mode will make no difference, I will still need to bypass compatibility check to install or upgrade. It also makes no difference in performance. That said I have seen a couple of motherboards that would not support booting in Legacy mode from the NVMe SSD. Windows Setup will warn you about it and won't let you install Windows on such disk in Legacy mode. Your only option is to do an UEFI mode installation.

Hi,

I have another idea but I don';t know if it will work.
I have install on my computer IObit Driver Booster and I have there backup of every driver install on my computer, how I can restore these drivers on another computer. Remember that I cannot go to my OS because I don't have a mouse. Is there any chance that I will use this application in dos> I don't know if it has a sense but I try to find some way to fix this "stupid" mistake which I made.
P.S.
I have to explain situation because my English is second language sometimes I have a problems to describe something.
On my computer without drivers of mouses and probably some other drivers ( I uninstall them by mistake) is install Driver Booster and I have there backup of every drivers, but I cannot go there because I cannot do anything without a mouse. I thought that maybe using this backup I can reinstall missing drivers. Problem is how to do this. Maybe using some WinPE disks or maybe something in Command Prompt, do not know.
I have hope that someone help me to solve it.

When the mouse doesn't work you can use the arrow keys and TAB to navigate through the options on screen. Press SPACE to select and ENTER to execute. It is easier if you enable moving the cursor with the arrow keys from Accessibility settings. It is rather slow but with some patience you can put the cursor where you want and use the computer like you have a mouse. You can then go at Device Manager and see if you have a yellow ! at the mouse. Probably you do. Delete it and restart. Windows might find it and work again.

Hi,

I installed Win 11 on MBR because it was just the beginning of GPT and the opinions on how to convert it were very different and I stayed with the standard I knew (MBR) and now I wanted to update my OS but copy of Wind 11 is on GPTI have a Windows 11 image, but it is a Windows 11 image in GPT format.
I cannot create a bootable USB stick (Rufus). I want to make a bootable USB with MBR but I don't know if it's possible and how to do it, if so I did something wrong and everything that connected to the mice disappeared. I can't do anything and I wanted to update using this Windows 11 image. I can't do anything in Windows and I really want to save all the configuration on my computer as is.. I also tried different wireless mice and cables and nothing changes (doesn't work). Gentlemen, I am asking about this modification because I have no other idea, but maybe you know how to update Windows drivers without using the mouse. Can anyone help me solve this problem? Thank you all in advance for any suggestions and help. I already have a Windows 11 MBR on my computer and I just wanted to update it using this flash drive, but this image is GPT. I don't want to lose my data. When I checked whether I could convert HD with the MBR partition of the Windows 11 operating system, no one gave me any advice on how to do it without losing everything I have on my computer. P.S. So I thought it would be easier to convert a Windows 11 GPT image to MBR than to convert the entire disk with an MBR partition to a GPT partition. I have another idea, but I don't know if it will work. I have installed IObit Driver Booster on my computer and I have a backup of every driver installation on my computer, how can I restore these drivers on another computer. Note that I can't go to the OS because I don't have a mouse. Is there a chance that I will use this application in Dos (Command Line) I don't know if it makes sense, but I'm trying to find a way to fix this "stupid" mistake I made. P.s.p.s. I need to clarify the situation as my English is my second language. Sometimes I have trouble describing something clearly. On my computer without mouse drivers and probably other drivers (I uninstalled them by mistake), Driver Booster is installed and I have a backup of all the drivers there, but I can't access it because I can't do anything without the mouse. I thought maybe I could reinstall the missing drivers using this backup. The problem is how to do it. Maybe you're using some WinPE disks, or maybe something on the command line, I don't know. I hope someone can help me solve it. My OS works fine only these mouse drivers.Is it possible to copy drivers from another computer with the same OS and paste them into my OS? This question may be nonsense, but this is how one learns; asking questions that are sometimes simply "stupid" to those who know more.

Is there another computer you can use to create the USB flash drive in Legacy BIOS (MBR) mode? Any friend that can help you? This is far easier than trying to convert the GPT USB to MBR. As far as I know from Disk Manager or diskpart you cannot convert without losing data. Maybe some other poster knows better? You have to use a third-party tool like Minitool Partition Manager to convert without losing data and this is hard to do without a mouse. Assuming you have such utility installed, you first press WIN+R to open the Run box and then type the exact path, such as C:\Program Files\Minitool..... In order to execute it by pressing ENTER. Then using the arrow keys and TAB to switch between sections of the application, you must navigate to the options you want. Remember that the ALT key goes to the menu and then you press DOWN to open it, use the keys to select the item from the menu and ENTER to execute. ALT+F opens the File menu and accordingly for the other menu categories. You need to select your USB flash drive and then select convert to MBR.

Meanwhile it would be much easier to load Rufus using the Run box and create the MBR version of Windows 11 Setup using the ISO. Or just ask your friend to borrow his computer to create it.

Hi Folks I created an MBR USB Stick 32GB with the Window 11 64bit ISO from Microsoft Using Rufus. I installed this OS onto an Optik 755 Dell Workstation with 8GB of Ram to play legacy games. It updates fully no issues. Rufus can be used to create MBR or GPT Partitions. This person should backup their data before changing drive partition parameters. GPT to MBR is possible with the right software. Again backup your current HDD SSD or create an image of the disk with Partition Wizard lite version will work. If possible separately backup all important files from the GPT Partition USB Stick with windows 11 on it. Backup all data from the GPT stick with a computer with windows 11 GPT partition BEFORE converting the GPT stick to MBR. Best Wishes for success.

Thank you Spapakons, your information is more helpful for this person than mine. Cheers.

datawizard55 said:

Hi Folks I created an MBR USB Stick 32GB with the Window 11 64bit ISO from Microsoft Using Rufus. I installed this OS onto an Optik 755 Dell Workstation with 8GB of Ram to play legacy games. It updates fully no issues. Rufus can be used to create MBR or GPT Partitions. This person should backup their data before changing drive partition parameters. GPT to MBR is possible with the right software. Again backup your current HDD SSD or create an image of the disk with Partition Wizard lite version will work. If possible separately backup all important files from the GPT Partition USB Stick with windows 11 on it. Backup all data from the GPT stick with a computer with windows 11 GPT partition BEFORE converting the GPT stick to MBR. Best Wishes for success.

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If I understood correctly, he has an UEFI USB flash drive with Windows 11 Setup and tries to convert to MBR in order to do an in-place upgrade/repair of an MBR Windows 11 system. No worth the effort, just create the USB flash drive again in MBR mode with Rufus. Also he doesn't need to use a USB to do an in-place upgrade/repair. He can download the ISO, mount it and bypass compatibility check. Let alone that it is a driver issue that might or might not fix with the in-place upgrade/repair. He must update the chipset and USB (if any) drivers first. If issue persists, he must go at Device Manager, expand the HID section and delete all mouse devices. Then restart and Windows should detect the mouse.

spapakons said:

If I understood correctly, he has an UEFI USB flash drive with Windows 11 Setup and tries to convert to MBR in order to do an in-place upgrade/repair of an MBR Windows 11 system. No worth the effort, just create the USB flash drive again in MBR mode with Rufus. Also he doesn't need to use a USB to do an in-place upgrade/repair. He can download the ISO, mount it and bypass compatibility check. Let alone that it is a driver issue that might or might not fix with the in-place upgrade/repair. He must update the chipset and USB (if any) drivers first. If issue persists, he must go at Device Manager, expand the HID section and delete all mouse devices. Then restart and Windows should detect the mouse.

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I believe Rufus can create a USB in MBR mode which will boot in either legacy MBR or UEFI boot mode. I've just created 2 Linux systems - one on MBR only (old computer) and one on a more modern UEFI one from the same Rufus made usb device from the linux install iso image. Using the 4.3 portable version of Rufus on Windows 11 Pro - canary edition to create the USB image.

cheers
jimbo

To be able to boot in either Legacy or UEFI mode you must use the DD (Duplicate Disk) method to create the USB flash drive. This option is hidden in new Rufus versions and I don't remember how to enable it. I am not sure if it can be done with a Windows ISO, I think it works only with Linux ISOs. Because it does an 1:1 copy of the data, much like a DVD-ROM, the capacity of the USB is limited to the size of the ISO. The rest space remains unallocated and you cannot write more data such as drivers and utilities. You cannot expand the partition to the unallocated space without issues, so it is not convenient to create the USB flash drive in DD mode.

Guys, Thanks for your comments with help. Unfortunately I didn't have a choice and I had to reinstall Windows.

I can relate. After 4-5 failed attempts to upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 I had to do a clean installation and reinstall all my applications one by one. Not my best choice either.

spapakons said:

To be able to boot in either Legacy or UEFI mode you must use the DD (Duplicate Disk) method to create the USB flash drive. This option is hidden in new Rufus versions and I don't remember how to enable it. I am not sure if it can be done with a Windows ISO, I think it works only with Linux ISOs. Because it does an 1:1 copy of the data, much like a DVD-ROM, the capacity of the USB is limited to the size of the ISO. The rest space remains unallocated and you cannot write more data such as drivers and utilities. You cannot expand the partition to the unallocated space without issues, so it is not convenient to create the USB flash drive in DD mode.

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You might be anble to get away with just copying the partition(s) -- non UEFI ones with DD (use a Linux live distro and use dd if=/dev/sda1 of=/dev/sdb1 and so on.

Then install the boot loader using a Windows install device or a winpe (or a macrioun rescue disjk in command mode) -- bcdboot with the format -f /MBR,

I've gone from MBR to GPT without issue but going the other way ???.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

I've gone from MBR to GPT without issue but going the other way ???.

Cheers
jimbo

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I’ve done the same, but I don’t think you can go from GPT to MBR, but it’s been years since I’ve tried.