How to Fix the ‘Windows Cannot Be Installed to This Disk’ Error – Guide
If you have an EFI system, your computer may not be able to install Windows because it doesn’t understand the GPT disk format. If this is the case for you, you can try to install Windows by using a different disk or by using a different computer.
Your PC boots in UEFI mode, but your hard disk is not configured for UEFI mode. During Windows setup, you need to choose to install with MBR or GPT partition style. When installing Windows on UEFI-based PCs using Windows Setup, your disk partition style must be set up to support UEFI mode or legacy BIOS compatibility mode.
Fix ‘Windows cannot be installed on this disk’ error
Check your BIOS version to confirm that UEFI is not available
UEFI is a technology that allows computers to run in a secure and encrypted mode. This means that your data and files are not accessible to anyone else without your permission. If you don’t support UEFI, your computer will not be able to boot in Secure Boot mode, which will prevent some of the features of your PC from working.
When you are in the BIOS, you need to look for the boot mode. Again, there is no step-by-step process. You have to go through all the tabs, but there is usually a boot tab, and that’s where you’ll find the boot mode. If your boot mode is set to Legacy and UEFI doesn’t appear as an option, you won’t be able to use your GPT disk partition. At this point, you need to convert it to an MBR partition table.
Convert an MBR disk to GPT
There are two ways to convert a GPT disk partition to MBR. Unfortunately, both methods clear the data stored on the disk. Alternatively, you can use third-party software to convert your GPT partition disk without losing data. ..
Convert from MBR disk to GPT using command prompt
To convert a drive to another operating system, you will need to first install another operating system on the drive. This can be done by using another hard drive or by using a computer that has an operating system installed. If you do not have any other operating system installed on the other hard drive, you can use the command prompt to convert the drive.
Type “cmd” and press Enter. Type “netstat -an” and press Enter. The output should look like this: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\netstat.exe
Diskpart displays the following screen: The first field is the disk number. The second field is the type of disk. The third field is the size of the disk. The fourth field is the free space on the disk. The fifth and sixth fields are for a list of disks that are in use on this computer. If you want to delete a disk, you can do so by pressing the Delete key in this screen.
Fetching a list of drives on your computer.
To convert a disk to MBR:
- Choose the disk you want to convert to MBR. This should be the disk you want to install Windows on.
- Choose disk with select disk 0.
To convert a partition to the MBR (Master Boot Record) format, you must run a clean Windows installation. ..
Convert MBR Disk to GPT Using Disk Management Utility
If your system already has another copy of Windows on a different drive, you can use Disk Management Utility to convert a GTP partition disk to MBR. This will create a new Windows installation on the new MBR disk.
To create and format a hard disk drive on your computer, type “disk management” into the search bar and select the first result. ..
In Disk Management Utility, press the left arrow on the main screen and select the disk you want to partition. On the next screen, choose the type of partition you want to create. You can create a FAT32 or NTFS partition.
Delete Volume: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\disk.sys
Right-click on the same disk and select Convert to MBR Disk. This will create a new, smaller disk with the Windows 10 operating system installed on it. ..
How to Fix “Selected disk has an MBR partition table” error
If your PC has a UEFI BIOS, you will need to install Windows using a GPT partition disk. If you have an MBR partition, you need to convert it to a GPT partition disk. ..
Try disabling EFI boot fonts
If you don’t want to convert the partition, go to the BIOS and see if it allows disabling EFI boot sources. Once in the BIOS, navigate to the Boot Order section and look for EFI boot sources. Disable it and run Windows Setup. After the installation is complete, re-enable the EFI boot sources. If the option to disable EFI fonts is not available, you will need to convert the partition. ..
Convert MBR to GPT Using Command Prompt
The method we used to convert GPT partition to MBR also works here. The only thing that will change is the command in step 5. Instead of convert mbr, type convert gpt. When you are done with the previous steps, exit the command prompt and continue with the installation.
Convert MBR to GPT Using a Windows Installation Disk
You will be asked to select a disk on which to install Windows. Select the disk you want to install Windows on and click the Delete button.
New GPT-style partition installation:
- Choose a disk to install Windows on.
- Click the New button and create a GPT-style partition.
- Click Next and continue with the installation.
- This should fix the error and you should be able to proceed with the installation.
Final note
Windows cannot be installed to this disk. This error message may appear when you try to start your computer. To fix the problem, you will need to find and fix the source of the problem.
