Windows 7 gpt disk partitions are not installed. If Windows cannot be installed on this disc. Installing Win7 on an empty hard drive

Sometimes when installing a new operating system, in particular, Windows 7, the question arises of how to install Windows 7 on a GPT disk.

Often during installation, an error appears that informs the user about the impossibility of completing this task.

Installing Windows to GPT Disk in Installer Window - Easiest Way

Below in the video you can see the entire process of formatting GPT described above into a format readable by the system right during the installation of the operating system.

Converting GPT to MBR during installation - Command line method

Despite the sharp comment about this installation method in the video of the previous section, we will give below the algorithm for converting the file to MBR.

So, the error itself looks like the one shown in Figure 1. It occurs at the stage when the user selects the disk where the operating system will be installed.

And to solve this problem, you need to perform a number of such simple steps:

Run command line. This is most often done by simultaneously pressing the keys. Shift and F10... In some computer models, along with this, you will need to press and Fn.
On the command line, you first need to run the utility, intended for converting and other similar operations with disks. It is called DiskPart. Actually, to run it, you need to write on the command line “ diskpart " and press Enter on keyboard . After that, the utility will be launched - this can be seen from the DISKPART inscription at the beginning of the input line.

Next, you need to select the disk with which we will work. To see the entire list of available disks, there is the command “ list disk "... There you need to remember the number of the disk on which we are going to install the system. The choice of the disk is made by the command "select disk [disk number]". An example can be seen in Figure 3. In this example, there is only one disk in the list. You will most likely have the same situation.

The selected drive should be cleaned. To do this, enter the command “ clean ".
Now, in fact, we enter the command to convert the GPT disk to MBR. This is a simple command “ convert mbr ".
Next, you need to re-create the section, because we previously deleted it. To do this, enter the command “ create partition primary size [size in MB] "... An example can also be seen in Figure 6.

Note: the size must be specified as real, that is, no more than what is physically on the selected disk. You can find out how much a disk can hold in itself from the table shown after entering the command “ list disk "... There is a column for this with the name " The size "... In our example, Disk 0 is 20 GB in size, so the command “ create partition primary " we enter a size of 20,000 MB.

Further selected and transformed disk you need format... This is done in order to avoid problems associated with the fact that there may be some residual data on the disk in the future.

This is done by the command " format fs [filesystem] label “[disk name]” quick ”... In this case, you can come up with the name of the disc yourself.

Parameter " quick " responsible for the fast formatting method.

That's it - the conversion process is complete, and Windows 7 can be safely installed on the selected drive.

Now all that remains is to go to our installation window and update the list of disks. To do this, there is usually an "Update" button under it.

Click on it and see the disk we have created with the MBR format.

Then quietly click on this disk, then the button " Further"At the bottom of the open window and continue installing the new operating system.

Installation errors

In principle, the option described above is absolutely optimal for most users and it works in the overwhelming majority of cases.

But it cannot be ruled out that something may still go wrong.

In addition, when installing Windows 10 and 8, the above problem may also occur and the method with transformation right during installation may not work there either.

It is also worth mentioning that the error with the inability to install something on a GPT disk may appear not during the installation of the operating system.

Although then you can also go to the command line and perform all the above operations, there are other ways to solve this problem.

One of them is to put boot from UEFI mode into BIOS.

The second is only suitable for 32-bit Windows users: you need to install a 64-bit operating system.

Setting UEFI Mode

To complete this task, you must enter the BIOS. In most cases, login is done by pressing F2 on laptops and Del on personal computers during system boot.

After that, you need to do the following:

Find the "BIOS Features", "BIOS Setup", "BIOS Settings" or "Advanced" section. There you need to find the item that is responsible for the boot mode (most likely, this is " boot mode "). In it, you need to set the option in which the word “ UEFI " or simply " EFI "... On older computers, it will look like Figure # 10.

Set up the SATA controller configuration - we need AHCI (usually is established IDE). Usually this parameter is located in the sections "Peripherals", "Advanced", "SATA Config" or just "Main". An example of the latter is shown in Figure 11. By clicking on this parameter, you can select AHCI.

If your computer is currently running Windows 7, you must disable Secure boot.

This parameter can be found in such BIOS tabs as "Authentication", "System configuration", "Main" or "Boot".

You need to click on it and select "Disabled". An example can be seen in Figure 12.

Actually, the three steps described above can help in solving installation problems.

Sometimes when installing Windows, including version 10, an error message is displayed on the screen. The text of the message is: "Windows cannot be installed on this disk." In this case, the hard disk is displayed in the BIOS. It is also visible at the stage of installation of the operating system, where it could be divided into partitions.

This problem occurs for two reasons:

the controller is disabled in the BIOS (AHCI mode);
the hard drive has a GPT volume.

AHCI mode problem

In addition to the error message informing that it is impossible to install Windows 7 or 10 on this disk, if there are difficulties with the AHCI mode, the computer cannot boot from the selected disk. The reason is that the controller may have been disabled in the BIOS.

The problem is solved as follows:

Problem in GPT format

Another reason for the impossibility of installing Windows 7 or 10 versions with the display of such a message may be GPT - the format of a hard disk partition.

More recently, all hard drives were of the same type. The only partition style was MBR. Over the past few years, manufacturers are gradually switching to the production of hard drives with a GPT format. But the boot files from the OS have not been modified for new formats, and as a result, the above error appears during installation.

The MBR (Master Boot Record) is the program code and data required to pre-start the computer. They are located in the initial marked sector of the hard drive. The MBR starts after the initial BIOS analysis of the health of all devices. Its main function is to determine the location of the files that are needed to boot the OS.

GPT is the new standard for the layout of the volume table. A standard computer firmware interface has also been developed to replace the BIOS. It was named UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface).

The problem arises due to the fact that the OS installer cannot install Windows to the specified partition, due to the fact that the partition table does not fit it.

There are 2 methods to fix the problem:

installing the system on a similar disk;
converting a partition to MBR.

The choice of the method should be determined by the following rules:

if your computer supports UEFI and you need to install a 64-bit OS (for example, Windows 10), then the first option is recommended. It is very easy to check for the presence of the UEFI interface. The graphical mode with the ability to control the mouse indicates the presence of UEFI;
If your computer is a few years old, has a BIOS and you want to install a 32-bit operating system from MicroSoft, then you should convert the GPT to MBR.

The use of MBR limits some possibilities, such as:

their volume cannot exceed 4 TB;
the maximum number of volumes on a HDD is limited to 4.

Installing Windows 7, 8 and 10 OS on GPT

Problems when installing an OS on a GPT volume usually arise for those who want to install Windows 7, 8 and 10.

To install an OS on a GPT volume, 2 conditions must be met:

install a 64-bit system (for example, Windows 10);
boot in EFI mode.

If the first condition is not met, it is necessary to prepare a bootable UEFI drive.

But in most cases, only the second condition is not met. Therefore, it is more advisable to immediately go into the BIOS and check the settings.

There are two parameters to be set in the BIOS:

enable UEFI boot;
switch SATA mode to AHCI.

After saving the settings, you can install the OS on your computer. The error will never happen again.

Converting GPT volume to MBR

There are several options for converting the style of volumes. Let's consider them in more detail.

Converting to MBR when installing Windows via the command line

This method is optimal for use in a situation where the installation of OS, such as Windows 7, 8, 10, is not feasible due to the type of GPT volumes. It can also be useful not only when installing the OS, but also during the normal operation of the OS for converting non-system partitions.

Do not forget that when you convert partitions, all information from them will be lost. Therefore, it is recommended to save everything important in advance on an external storage medium.

To change the style of volumes from GPT to MBR via the command line, you must:

run a command prompt in Windows as a user with administrator rights;
to display a list of hard disks connected to the computer, enter sequentially the commands "diskpart" and "list disk";
select the disk to change the style using the "select disk D" command, where D is the disk number;
Then there are two possible scenarios for the development of events.
1. perform a full disk cleanup with the "clean" command. This will delete all HDD volumes;
2. you can delete HDD volumes one at a time using the commands "detail disk", "select volume" and "delete volume";
start converting disk to MBR with the "convert mbr" command;
exit Diskpart by choosing "Exit". Close command line. After that, it is recommended to continue with the installation of the operating system. This error message will no longer be displayed.

You can create volumes on the HDD by selecting the item “ Configure Disk».

The volume style change is complete.

Change partition style from GPT to MBR using Windows Disk Management

An alternative method for converting volumes requires a properly functioning Windows 7, 8, or 10 operating system on a personal computer. You can only convert a disk volume that is not a system disk.

The sequence of actions for converting an HDD volume is as follows:

Utilities for changing the style of a section

In addition to standard methods for converting HDD volumes provided by Microsoft developers, you can use third-party hard disk volume management utilities, such as

"Old" or a reliable friend?

Until the creation of Windows 8, operating systems used a hard disk layout called mbr. Accordingly, the support of sections in them is carried out exclusively up to the latest version. Thus, if you are going to demolish the installed "eight" and install an older version of the operating system, then they will not be able to recognize the newest GPT interface, as a result of which the message "Installing Windows on this disk is not possible" 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? The MBR (Master Boot Record) is the 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's called EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface), and it's part of the new format, GPT.

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

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.
LBA 1- here is the table of contents for the GPT partition table.
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 simply prevents the operating system using mbr from taking over and erasing hard disk partitions and possibly damaging 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:

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 restart.
Once in BIOS, you can finish the last stage of preparation for reinstallation - insert the installation disc into your computer.
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.
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.
Save and exit BIOS. After that, we restart the computer.
When the inscription "To boot from the disk, press any key ..." appears, we fulfill the request of the computer.
The start window of the operating system installer appears. We pass through the dialog boxes, we reach the hard disk manager. We delete all existing sections (except for the very first one). We are trying to specify it to install the OS.
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.
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.
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.
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 of choosing a 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 follow these steps. 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.

An 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 is here The creators of the laptop could initially make sure that users themselves did not reinstall the OS and did not produce pirated copies.

On computers and laptops of previous generations, installing Windows 7 generally went smoothly and without much hassle. In relatively new devices, especially with a preinstalled version of Windows, when reinstalling, you can very often get the error “Installation to disk is not possible. The selected disk has a GPT partition style "... Next, we will look at how to convert GPT to MBR right during the installation of windows.

How to convert GPT to MBR when installing windows 7?

Converting GPT to MBR is performed using standard Windows tools (even at the time of installation). If necessary, you can convert the disk back, even without losing data, but we'll talk about that another time. Now let's figure out how working with the command line allows you to quickly convert our disk from GPT to MBR in 6 simple steps.

Convert GPT to MBR during OS installation

At the stage of selecting a drive for installing windows, press the key combination Shift + F10;
This will open a command prompt window. To display all connected hard drives, run a special utility with the command diskpart;
Then we introduce list disk and the screen will display all connected hard drives;
Now you need to select the disk for conversion, with the command select disk N. Here N is the disk number from the displayed list above. It is easy to define it by its size. Also, this list may display your flash drive from which you are going to install windows. But we choose exactly the hard drive. That is, in the team select disk N instead of N, put the number opposite the desired disk;
The next action will be the command clean. Attention! This command removes all partitions on the hard drive. Accordingly, all data from the entire hard drive. Therefore, in advance, save everything important to a USB flash drive, hard drive, cloud, etc .;
And finally, the command to convert GPT to MBR itself - convert mbr.
That's all. Enter twice exit to stop working with the utility diskpart and exit the command line.

how to convert disk from GPT to MBR when installing windows 7

If, when installing Windows 7, 8 or Windows 10 on your computer, you see a message stating that Windows cannot be installed on this disk because the selected disk has a GPT partition style, below you will find detailed information on why this is happening and what to do. to install the system to the given disk. Also at the end of the manual there is a video on converting the style of GPT partitions to MBR.

The instructions will consider two options for solving the problem with the inability to install Windows on a GPT disk - in the first case, we will install the system on such a disk, and in the second, we will convert it to MBR (in this case, the error will not appear). Well, at the same time, in the final part of the article, I will try to tell you which is the best of these two options and what is generally discussed. Similar errors:,.

Users installing Windows 7 are more likely to encounter problems when installing on a disk with the GPT partition style, but in version 8 you can get the same error with the text stating that installation on this disk is impossible.

In order to install Windows on a GPT disk, we need to fulfill the following conditions (some of them are not currently being executed, since an error appears):

Install 64-bit system
Boot in EFI mode.

It is most likely that the second condition is not met, and therefore immediately on how to solve it. Perhaps one step will be enough for this (changing BIOS parameters), perhaps two (preparing a bootable UEFI drive is added).

First you need to look into the BIOS (UEFI software) of your computer. As a rule, in order to enter the BIOS, you need to press a certain key immediately after turning on the computer (when information appears about the manufacturer of the motherboard, laptop, etc.) - usually Del for stationary PCs and F2 for laptops (but it may differ, usually the desired screen says Press key_name to enter setup or something similar).

The BIOS requires the following two important options:

Enable UEFI boot instead of CSM (Compatibility Support Mode), usually found in BIOS Features or BIOS Setup.
Set the SATA operating mode to AHCI instead of IDE (usually configured in the Peripherals section)
For Windows 7 and earlier only -

In different versions of the interface and language, items may be located differently and have slightly different designations, but they are usually not difficult to identify. The screenshot shows my version.

After saving the settings, your computer is generally ready to install Windows on a GPT disk. If you install the system from a disk, then most likely, this time you will not be informed that the installation of Windows on this disk is impossible.

If you are using a bootable USB flash drive and the error reappears, then I recommend that you rewrite the installation USB so that it supports UEFI booting. There are various ways to do this, but I would advise, which will work in almost any situation (in the absence of errors in the BIOS setup).

Additional information for advanced users: if the distribution kit supports both boot options, then you can prevent booting in BIOS mode by deleting the bootmgr file in the root of the drive (similarly, by deleting the efi folder, you can exclude booting in UEFI mode).

That's all, because I believe that you already know how to install a boot from a USB flash drive to BIOS and install Windows on a computer (if suddenly not, then on my website there is this information in the corresponding section).

Converting GPT to MBR during OS installation

If you prefer to convert a GPT disk to MBR on a computer with a "normal" BIOS (or UEFI with CSM boot mode), and most likely it is planned to install Windows 7, then the best opportunity to do this is at the OS installation stage.

Note: Performing the steps below will delete all data from the disk (from all partitions on the disk).

To convert GPT to MBR, in Windows Setup, press Shift + F10 (or Shift + Fn + F10 for some laptops), which will open a command prompt. Then, in order, enter the following commands:

diskpart
list disk (after executing this command, you will need to note for yourself the number of the disk that you want to convert)
select disk N (where N is the disk number from the previous command)
clean (disk cleanup)
convert mbr
create partition primary
active
format fs = ntfs quick
assign

Also useful:. Additionally, from another instruction describing a similar error, you can use the second method to convert to MBR without losing data: (only you will need to convert not to GPT, as in the instructions, but to MBR).

If, when executing these commands, you were at the disk configuration stage during installation, then click Update to update the disk configuration. Further installation takes place as usual, the message that the disk has a GPT partition style does not appear.

What To Do If A Disk Has GPT Partition Style - video

The video below shows only one of the solutions to the problem, namely, converting a disk from GPT to MBR, both with and without data loss.

If, when converting in the demonstrated way without losing data, the program reports that it cannot convert the system disk, you can use it to delete the first hidden partition with the bootloader, after which the conversion will become possible.

UEFI, GPT, BIOS and MBR - what is it

On "old" (in fact, not so old) computers, BIOS software was installed in the motherboard, which performed initial diagnostics and analysis of the computer, after which it loaded the operating system, focusing on the boot record of the MBR hard disk.

UEFI software is coming to replace the BIOS on currently produced computers (more precisely, motherboards) and most manufacturers have switched to this option.

UEFI benefits include faster boot speeds, security features such as Secure Boot and support for hardware-encrypted hard drives, UEFI drivers. And also, which was discussed in the manual - working with the style of GPT partitions, which makes it easier to support drives of large sizes and with a large number of partitions. (In addition to the above, on most systems, UEFI software has BIOS and MBR compatibility features.)

What's better? As a user, at this point in time I do not feel the advantages of one option over another. On the other hand, I am sure that soon there will be no alternative - only UEFI and GPT, and hard drives over 4 TB.