MBR or GPT for Windows 11 (NVMe)?


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Sandi1987

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Which one? If i have NVMe GPT i can't have Linux on external SSD because Ubuntu create "Ubuntu boot" on my EFI Partition.
 

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Which one? If i have NVMe GPT i can't have Linux on external SSD because Ubuntu create "Ubuntu boot" on my EFI Partition.
Hi there
@Sandi1987
Actually not true

If you install Windows FIRST (standard method on GPT drive) and then create extra partition(s) for Linux e.g / (root) /home (home) and optionally /swap (swap) and install GRUB (boot loader) to the EFI partition then at boot the Windows boot manager will offer choices of what to boot.
Screenshot_20211207_092936.png
Here I've several Windows systems and a Linux system (GRUB) all bootable totally from an external SSD.

Even easier also if you use physical "Virtual Hard drives" (vhdx files) to install the various Windows systems - you only need 1 EFI partition on the entire drive.

I'm not sure about Ubuntu - I use Arch Linux and it will simply install the bootloader to the efi partition adding to the Windows boot manager.

e.g in the install : mkdir /boot/efi
now mount this directory to your efi partition -- e.g /mount/dev/sda1 /boot/efi

create grub loader :

grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --bootloader-id=GRUB --efi-directory=/boot/efi

config file : for boot

grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg


Job done, shouldn't interfere with windows boots etc etc.

Q.E.D !!!

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
Windows 11 officially only supports GPT, so the answer is simple. Use GPT.

MBR is considered legacy, outdated, and cannot (shouldn't) be used anymore.

Ubuntu supports GPT, just make sure you install Windows first (as @jimbo45 pointed out) then you can fix Ubuntu.

GRUB2 is perfect for your scenerio however if you want to have a linux entry added to Windows's boot menu then you could use a tool like EasyBCD
 

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System One System Two

Not exactly windows 11 the same can be installed on the MBR partition on the ssd that the MBR is made of.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 PRO
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    AsRock
    CPU
    Ryzen Threadripper 1920x
    Motherboard
    AsRock Fatal1ty
    Memory
    Hyperx 32GB 3600Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus GeForce TURBO RTX 2080Ti 11GB
    Sound Card
    matheboard and Logitech G933 Gaming Headset
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 28"
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    ssd m2 970, 960, ssd 840 EVO 1TB, 4 x 4TB HDD
    PSU
    corsair 1200W
    Case
    big tower
    Cooling
    corsair H150IPro
    Keyboard
    logitech k800
    Mouse
    logitech G603
    Internet Speed
    download 200 Mbps upload 100 Mbps
    Browser
    Maxthon
    Antivirus
    avira
Not exactly windows 11 the same can be installed on the MBR partition on the ssd that the MBR is made of.
Yes, it can. Actually the official Win11 Dev VM image is using legacy MBR too. However it is not a supported scenerio, official specs require GPT.
And unless you have a reason against it, I think everybody should, by now, be using GPT.

It is easy to re-map an SSD partition layout from MBR to GPT, actually Windows has a tool for this, as there are various 3rd party tools as well to do it without data loss, I'm sure we have a tutorial here :)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

For old laptops and computers that do not have newer bios on the MBR partition can be installed windows 11 only must have bridged MPT2 and security boot
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 PRO
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    AsRock
    CPU
    Ryzen Threadripper 1920x
    Motherboard
    AsRock Fatal1ty
    Memory
    Hyperx 32GB 3600Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus GeForce TURBO RTX 2080Ti 11GB
    Sound Card
    matheboard and Logitech G933 Gaming Headset
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 28"
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    ssd m2 970, 960, ssd 840 EVO 1TB, 4 x 4TB HDD
    PSU
    corsair 1200W
    Case
    big tower
    Cooling
    corsair H150IPro
    Keyboard
    logitech k800
    Mouse
    logitech G603
    Internet Speed
    download 200 Mbps upload 100 Mbps
    Browser
    Maxthon
    Antivirus
    avira
What about when i want to load my Windows 11 backup with Acronis? I'm worried about EFI partition and that Ubuntu maybe not working anymore on external SSD when i load Windows 11 backup because bootloader.
 

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My experience on the Linux part, I download an .iso file which is used to create the Bootable LiveDVD then I boot to it. It has a USB Image Writer feature, using that downloaded .iso file it can create a Bootable LiveUSB Thumb drive, I use 8GB or 16GB which has useful apps included such as Firefox, LibreOffice, etc., and Networking with Ethernet and Wireless/Wi-Fi. And it may even pick up a connected printer, has mine. I carry that Thumb drive when making house calls, works great for testing whether problems are with hardware outside of the Windows environment. I actually have a Linux Mint Desktop on my network and keep current .iso files on it.

An aside, Windows 11 with its centered Taskbar, Macintosh OS X with its centered Dock [and maybe newer macOS] and one of the PCLinuxOS desktops with a centered Taskbar are quite similar. A plan a plot or a coincidence?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro RTM x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 2TB WDC HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
Hello, I have seen some NVMe drives that cannot boot in MBR Legacy mode. When I tried to install Windows 10 (11 is no different) in MBR Legacy mode, Windows Setup will warn that the disk won't be bootable and refuses to proceed. Add to that the Windows 11 official requirement of UEFI boot and the answer is simple. Use UEFI. Of course the USB Flash drive must be created for GPT UEFI boot or it won't be available to choose. Former experience says that you must first install Windows 11, then Ubuntu. You can select OS from Grub. Or you boot Windows USB, repair startup and you can boot into Windows boot loader. Then you use EasyBCD to add Ubuntu in Windows boot loader.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
You can change a disk from MBR to GPT partition style as long as the disk contains no partitions or volumes. You can still boot from the MBR disk but it requires settings changed in your BIOS. That is a complex issue as you have to disable the UEFI boot and select the BBS boot drive you want.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    MSI ACE X570
    Memory
    64 gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX 1080 ti
    Sound Card
    mother board sound hooked into a crazy home theater
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia 65 inch
    Screen Resolution
    4K
    Hard Drives
    2 each Samsung 980 pro gen 4 NVMe, 2 ea Corsair MP600 gen 4 NVMe, 2 each Western Digital SN850 NVMe, 1 Samsung 970 NVMe on a PCIe adapter, 2ea Samsung 860 SSD, all drives are 2 TB, a few spare spinners for back ups.
    PSU
    Coolermaster 1000
    Case
    Coolermaster 932
    Cooling
    Seagrams VO
    Keyboard
    mx5500
    Mouse
    Razor
    Antivirus
    Raid
You can change a disk from MBR to GPT partition style as long as the disk contains no partitions or volumes.
And you can convert a disk from MBR to GPT if it does contain partitions and volumes.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
You can change a disk from MBR to GPT partition style as long as the disk contains no partitions or volumes.
I'd think that if that condition exists there is nothing to change, it's a blank/as-shipped drive. Let the OS install determine what the BIOS setting is and install accordingly.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro RTM x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 2TB WDC HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
Does the disk want to change, though.... that is the real question. :ROFLMAO:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
Sandi1987, It's always important to acknowledge and thank those who have helped you in online communities. One way to do this is by using the like button located at the bottom of each post. By clicking on the like button, you can show your appreciation and support for the helpful content that others have shared with you. This small gesture can go a long way in encouraging people to continue contributing and sharing their knowledge with you and others in the community.

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