Converting MBR to GPT for Win11 (Multiple drives)

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Hey guys,

Well versed regarding PC’s and Windows. Having necessary requirements transitioning from Win 10 to Win 11 (ala TPM/GPT). Checked online for answers regarding if ALL hard drives in PC need to convert to GPT. That is, having hard drives mix of SSD and regular spinning hard drives and couple net drives. No specific information found to date.

Main question is, converting MBR to GPT (using MBR2GPT), do I need to do each drive BEFORE rebooting ? Figuring if leaving one drive in MBR, would the new configuration see the drive ? Ready eventually to make the leap to Win 11 but need to know about converting existing hard drives.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks for any responders.

 

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anonymous wrote:

Hey guys,

Well versed regarding PC’s and Windows. Having necessary requirements transitioning from Win 10 to Win 11 (ala TPM/GPT). Checked online for answers regarding if ALL hard drives in PC need to convert to GPT. That is, having hard drives mix of SSD and regular spinning hard drives and couple net drives. No specific information found to date.

Main question is, converting MBR to GPT (using MBR2GPT), do I need to do each drive BEFORE rebooting ? Figuring if leaving one drive in MBR, would the new configuration see the drive ? Ready eventually to make the leap to Win 11 but need to know about converting existing hard drives.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks for any responders.

 

For Windows 11 you need to convert to UEFI/GPT only your OS (drive C) drive.

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Thanks for feedback. Actually have two drives (ssd’s) in dual boot configuration. Are you stating only drives with operating system need conversion (GPT) and not data/cloud drives ?

I read somewhere about it but wasn’t sure, if true. Need confirmation on question. Any input appreciated.

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I converted 2 hard drives to GPT using MBR2GPT running under Windows 10 and left the SSD Boot drive as MBR. All has worked well.

I am still uneasy about converting the SSD at this point. I believe my computer will still not qualify for Windows 11 if I do this, so I am not sure what the benefit would be.

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anonymous wrote:

Are you stating only drives with operating system need conversion (GPT)

Only Windows OS drives need conversion (if you run Linux too it doesn’t need conversation).

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JC Zorkoff wrote:

I believe my computer will still not qualify for Windows 11 if I do this

Check if other Windows 11 requirements are met and the only problem is with UEFI/MBR.
Use the portable ‘whynotw11’ app.

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I did run the whynotw11 app.

If I fix the SSD to go from MBR to GPT, I can set the boot from legacy to UEFI and the secure boot will be recognized (I set both secure boot and TPM but only TPM is recognized by the app at this point).

My CPU is Intel Quad Core i7-6700K 64 bit and the app is complaining about it, even though it should run Win 11 just fine.

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JC Zorkoff wrote:

My CPU is Intel Quad Core i7-6700K

Intel 6th gen is not supported (8th gen+ only), so no Windows 11.

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Glad to see some discussion on this matter.
As stated, I have dual boot Win 10 Pro & Win 10 Home. My confusion arises from the need on setting Bios set to UEFI for GPT. Will it still read MBR drives ? Reading some answers, are there issues not aware of converting SSD from MBR to GPT.

Got to make sure when I convert one OS drive I can do same for the other.

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are there issues not aware of converting SSD from MBR to GPT.
No.
Will it still read MBR drives ?
Yes.

https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php/Some_basics_of_MBR_v/s_GPT_and_BIOS_v/s_UEFI#:~:text=UEFI%20enables%20better%20use%20of,number%20and%20size%20of%20partitions.

Always create a full image copy of your whole PC to an external HDD.

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Thanks Alex5723 for the links. One option may be to “unplug” one drive and convert checking it out afterwards. Then turn around “unplugging” newly converted OS like Win10 Pro and reconnect Win10 Home and do the same. Each having not interacted with the other OS.

Reason for asking if GPT able to read data drives because my having TWO USB externals, TWO Cloud drives and TWO internal SSD drives.
If my course of action appears sound, let me know.

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anonymous wrote:

Reason for asking if GPT able to read data drives because my having TWO USB externals, TWO Cloud drives and TWO internal SSD drives.
If my course of action appears sound, let me know.

You need to convert (for Windows 11) ONLY OS drives. External data drives may stay as they are. The same for OS drives that you don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11.

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Okay. I guess crux of my question is when setting in BIOS to boot only in UEFI for GPT and for argument sake leave another OS in MBR, will system allow me to go into each OS ?
I’ve already set TPM ON in BIOS and Secure Boot as well. However, health check states not having a Secure Boot requirement.
Is the health check working on the assumption drive is GPT ? I guess what’s messing me up is how setting BIOS default to UEFI not having Legacy for MBR as before, if get my drift.

Do appreciate your inputs.

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