Fix Windows Cannot be Installed to This Disk MBR on Windows 11

For Windows 10 users upgrading to Windows 11, it's essential to note that Windows 11 requires a computer's boot mode to be UEFI, but if the startup mode has been changed, an error message may appear stating that the selected disk has an MBR partition table, preventing the installation of Windows 11.

The error message occurs because UEFI mode only supports GPT partition tables, but the user's computer has an MBR partition table. To resolve this, the disk needs to be converted from MBR to GPT. Conversion steps will be provided in the next parts.

Method 1. Convert from MBR to GPT for Windows 11 without Data Loss

To convert from MBR to GPT, you can use the third-party software Qiling Partition Master, which is a convenient and easy method that won't cause any data loss. You can download this tool and follow the guide to complete the conversion, making it a more reliable option compared to the Windows built-in disk format conversion tool.

Step 1.Download and launch Qiling Partition Master on your Windows computer.

Step 2.Click the MBR disk that you want to convert, click "More ..." and select "MBR -> GPT".

Method 2. Convert from MBR to GPT using Disk Management

On a Windows computer, users can convert a disk from MBR to GPT using built-in tools like Disk Management, but this process requires deleting the target disk, resulting in data loss, so a full backup is necessary beforehand.

Step 1.Right-click the Windows icon, choose Disk Management.

Step 2.In the Disk Management window, right-click the target disk, choose one volume and select "Delete Volume". Repeat this process until all volumes are deleted.

Step 3.Now right-click the MBR disk, choose "Convert to GPT Disk".

Step 4.When the converting process is finished, your MBR disk is converted to a GPT disk.

Method 3. Convert from MBR to GPT with Command Prompt

If you have a Windows installation USB, you can convert the disk from MBR to GPT during the Windows installation process. However, this method also results in data loss, so be cautious if you decide to use it.

Step 1.Unplug the power cord from the back of the computer, and insert the Windows installation USB drive into the empty USB port on the front of the computer.

Step 2.Boot the PC from the installation USB.

Step 3.In Windows Setup, press "Shift+ F10" to start Command Prompt.

Step 4.To convert an MBR disk to GPT, you can use the command `diskpart` in the Command Prompt. Here's how: Open the Command Prompt as an administrator, type `diskpart`, and press Enter.

• diskpart
• list disk
• Select the disk you want to install Windows on from the list of available disks. Disk 1 is usually the primary disk where you want to install Windows.
• clean
• convert gpt
• Exit

After running the command, close the Command Prompt and proceed with the Windows installation.

Windows 11 Minimum Requirements

The new Windows 11 requires not only UEFI boot mode and GPT disk style, but also meets the minimum system requirements to upgrade. You can check the table below to see if your computer is capable of upgrading to Windows 11.

Component	Minimum Requirements
Processor	A compatible 64-A computer processor, also known as a CPU, with a minimum clock speed of 1 GHz and a minimum of 2 cores, running on either an x86-64 or ARM64 architecture.
Memory (RAM)	At least 4 GB
Storage Space	At least 64 GB
System Firmware	UEFI
Security	Secure Boot, enabled by default
	Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
Graphics Card	Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver
Display	A high definition display with a diagonal size greater than 9 inches, featuring 8 bits per color channel, resulting in a resolution of 720p.
Internet connection and Microsoft accounts	To complete the first-time setup on Windows 11 Home, an internet connection and Microsoft account are required.

Only Windows Insider program users can download and upgrade to Windows 11. If you're not registered, you can find instructions to download and install Windows 11 in this article.

The Bottom Line

The error "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table" occurs because the disk's partition style is incompatible with the boot mode. If the computer boots in UEFI mode, the disk style should be GPT, while if it boots in BIOS mode, the disk style should be MBR.

Converting the disk from MBR to GPT is most conveniently done using Qiling Partition Master, which is a user-friendly tool that won't affect your disk data. If you prefer to use Windows built-in tools, remember to make a full backup before proceeding.

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