Solved MBR to GPT

SIW2 · Nov 7, 2024

in your case there is already a 100mb system reserved partition in a sensible position so if using the manual method you might as well change that to esp after you have done the conversion.

if you use mbr2gpt it will end up something like this. It creates the esp using space it shrinks from the os partition.

jaylob4 · Nov 7, 2024

SIW2 said:
in your case there is already a 100mb system reserved partition in a sensible position so if using the manual method you might as well change that to esp after you have done the conversion.

if you use mbr2gpt it will end up something like this. It creates the esp using space shrunk from the os partition.

View attachment 115557

As I writing this I have converted my Disk drive G to GPT using DiskGenius, just about to select create ESP/MPR but can't remember what box to uncheck, you mentioned it in one of your posts, I'll take a look.

SIW2 · Nov 7, 2024

delete the 100mb system reserved.

then rt click the 100mb space and select create esp/msr

select 100mb for the esp

uncheck the box create msr

jaylob4 · Nov 7, 2024

SIW2 said:
delete the 100mb system reserved.

then rt click the 100mb space and select create esp/msr

select 100mb for the esp

uncheck the box create msr

I thought it was uncheck MSR, couldn't remember for sure.

See image, I'm just double checking, I select system image in Red and select " delete current partition" in Green?

Then select " Create ESP/MPR Partition ", ( the program automatically selects a 300mb for size ), stick to it or change to 100mb?

cereberus · Nov 7, 2024

jaylob4 said:
Do I need to create another partition for my ESP on G drive before converting it to GPT?

No - mbr2gpt will shrink the C drive and add an EFI partition. The ESP partition will be redundant and can be removed.

jaylob4 · Nov 7, 2024

cereberus said:
No - mbr2gpt will shrink the C drive and add an EFI partition. The ESP partition will be redundant and can be removed.

Thanks, I'm using Disk Genius, I've converted my Drive G to GPT, just waiting before I create ESP partition.

Is ESP and EFI the same thing, do the same thing?

EDIT, just checked, EFI amounts to the same thing as ESP, If I'm understanding correctly.

SIW2 · Nov 7, 2024

ESP = Efi System Partition

enter 100mb because there is only 100mb space

see post linked below

MBR to GPT

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum. To reduce typing questions If any reader has read my recent thread, Here I have rebuilt my PC with a new MB but re-installed the same SSD with my existing Win 10 Pro OS, the intention soon is to upgrade to Win11. Before replacing the old MB I cloned...

www.elevenforum.com

jaylob4 · Nov 7, 2024

SIW2 said:
ESP = Efi System Partition

enter 100mb because there is only 100mb space

see post linked below

MBR to GPT

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum. To reduce typing questions If any reader has read my recent thread, Here I have rebuilt my PC with a new MB but re-installed the same SSD with my existing Win 10 Pro OS, the intention soon is to upgrade to Win11. Before replacing the old MB I cloned...

www.elevenforum.com

I think it's done, does image look ok.

cereberus · Nov 7, 2024

jaylob4 said:
Thanks, I'm using Disk Genius, I've converted my Drive G to GPT, just waiting before I create ESP partition.

Is ESP and EFI the same thing, do the same thing?

EDIT, just checked, EFI amounts to the same thing as ESP, If I'm understanding correctly.

No ESP is for booting MBR drives on legacy bios.

EFI partitions are for booting gpt drives on UEFI systems.

They are not compatible with each other.

Megahertz · Nov 7, 2024

jaylob4 said:
I think it's done, does image look ok.

It seems to be perfect but can't be sure as Disk manager doesn't show many drive partition.
Use Minitool instead.

Shut down, detach drive 0 (power or SATA cable), start the computer enter BIOS and select UEFI boot and make Windows boot loader (on drive 1) the first priority boot drive.
It should now boot as UEFI-GPT

jaylob4 · Nov 7, 2024

cereberus said:
No ESP is for booting MBR drives on legacy bios.

EFI partitions are for booting gpt drives on UEFI systems.

They are not compatible with each other.

I have converted my drive G to GBT with an ESP partition that has on it a cloned copy of my OS, ( C drive ), but I don't boot from G drive.

My Bios is new to me so still finding my way around it.

Once I have sorted boot order, I will need to change other things in the BIOS in order for my PC to boot from G drive, temporarily.

A bios setting to be changed is from legacy to UEFI, ( just my G drive for the moment, to test I can boot from it using my cloned OS on it ).

If my efforts are successful I will then convert my C drive to GPT.

jaylob4 · Nov 7, 2024

Megahertz said:
It seems to be perfect but can't be sure as Disk manager doesn't show many drive partition.
Use Minitool instead.

Shut down, detach drive 0 (power or SATA cable), start the computer enter BIOS and select UEFI boot and make Windows boot loader (on drive 1) the first priority boot drive.
It should now boot as UEFI-GPT

Thank you, I had wondered If I should do this, it makes sense.

But before doing so, as a bibs and brace job is there any milage to be had in creating a USB boot drive, just in case I screw something up?

But as I have my drive 0, I guess I just disconnect drive 1 and reconnect drive 0 and on my way again?

The Sabrent is my Disk 1 in an external caddy. )

SIW2 · Nov 7, 2024

The disk looks ok

have you populated the esp partition using bcdboot command ?

because you are currently running in bios mode, you need to use the /f uefi switch.

One way to do that is find the device path of the esp partition and copy it to clipboard

then open an administartor command prompt and type:

bcdboot g:\windows /s [device path] /f uefi

********************************************************************************************

for example click on the esp partition in the left pane

then rt click the device path and copy to clipboard. Then you can paste it into command prompt

e.g.

bcdboot g:\windows /s \Device\HarddiskVolume6 /f uefi

Alternatively you could assign a letter to the esp for example Z
then Z: can be used in the command instead of the device path

bcdboot g:\windows /s Z: /f uefi

jaylob4 · Nov 7, 2024

SIW2 said:
The disk looks ok

have you populated the esp partition using bcdboot command ?

because you are currently running in bios mode, you need to use the /f uefi switch.

One way to do that is find the device path of the esp partition and copy it to clipboard

then open an administartor command prompt and type:

bcdboot g:\windows /s [device path] /f uefi

********************************************************************************************

for example click on the esp partition in the left pane

then rt click the device path and copy to clipboard. Then you can paste it into command prompt
e.g.

bcdboot g:\windows /s \Device\HarddiskVolume6 /f uefi

Heck no I hadn't, thanks.

jaylob4 · Nov 7, 2024

jaylob4 said:
Heck no I hadn't, thanks.

I did the above, this window popped up, it doesn't look right.

SIW2 · Nov 7, 2024

What command did you mistype ?

jaylob4 · Nov 7, 2024

SIW2 said:
What command did you mistype ?

bcdboot g:\windows /s \Device\HarddiskVolume7/f uefi

I have just checked DiskGenius and note "device path " it now says Volume 8 so it has changed.

When typing I may have got spaces wrong, I thought I was careful.

Have I screwed up the ESP partition and need to delete it and re-create it, start again and populate it?

SIW2 · Nov 7, 2024

Have I screwed up the ESP partition and need to delete it and re-create it, start again and populate it?

no need to delete anything. Just type the command correctly. there should be a space before /f

jaylob4 · Nov 8, 2024

Still doesn't look right.

Copy and pasted the above into "cmd" adding a space before the " f " same result.

Typed it in, still same result as my " cmd " image above, it doesn't look right.

jaylob4 · Nov 8, 2024

Typed in

Bcdboot>space<g:\windows>space</s>space<\Device\HarddiskVolume8>space</>space<f>space<uefi

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