This is not a problem if you are about to perform a clean installation since the previous setup will be erased, but it will be an issue when you are trying to do an in-place upgrade because you want to keep your files, settings, and apps. However, there is an easy fix. Windows 10 includes a tool known as mbr2gpt that allows you to convert a drive using an MBR partition to GPT, and you can access it from the Advanced options environment. In this guide, you will learn the steps to convert a drive using MBR to GPT to properly switch from BIOS to UEFI and enable Secure Boot to upgrade a Windows 10 setup to Windows 11.
Convert MBR drive to GPT on Windows 10
If you already switched to UEFI and enabled Secure Boot, you need to switch back to legacy BIOS to allow the device to boot again into Windows 10. You can use the same steps you used before. Then you need to boot the device into the Advanced startup environment to convert the MBR drive to GPT using the mbr2gpt command-line tool. The easiest way to open the recovery settings is using the Settings app, but there are several other ways to access the environment.
1. Access Advanced startup
To access the Advanced startup, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, this action will log you out immediately of your current session to access the startup experience.
2. Convert MBR drive to GPT with mbr2gpt tool
To convert a drive using MBR to GPT, use these steps: When using the mbr2gpt command-line tool, only the system drive will be converted to GPT unless to modify the command and specify which drives to convert.
The last thing left to do is to switch to firmware mode to UEFI and then enable Secure Boot to meet all the Windows 11 requirements.
3. Switch from BIOS to UEFI and enable Secure Boot
To switch from BIOS to UEFI and enable Secure Boot for Windows 11, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, the computer should start normally again, allowing you to continue with the Windows 11 upgrade process with UEFI and Secure Boot enabled. All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.
