Windows 10: clean install with anniversary update & disk conversion BIOS to UEFI

I have an existing Windows 10 Pro installation. My partitions are:
system reserved: 500 mb
C: boot, page file, primary partition
E: logical drive
F: logical drive
I would like to do a clean install with WIN 10 Anniversary Update (1607), and convert my disk from BIOS to UEFI.
What modifications would i need to do to GPTgen while upgrading and maintaining my programs and data?

Thanks

:)

 

windows can not be installed on this disk. This computer's hardware may not support booting to this disk. Ensure that the disk controller is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu

Unplug all other drives and peripherals.

Enter BIOS setup or UEFI Firmware by tapping key given on first screen, confirm SATA controller is set to AHCI, make note of any settings for UEFI, Legacy BIOS, CSM, Secure Boot and BIOS Boot Priority orders. Report back.

If you have a modern UEFI BIOS then the installation flash stick must be specially formatted by

Media Creation Tool or
Rufus for UEFI install to GPT disk. Then it must be booted as a UEFI flash stick in the BIOS Boot Menu, or it will not install.

During the booted install, delete all partitions to reset disk formatting. If this is not enough then press Shift + F10 at first screen when booting installer, open Command Prompt, run

Diskpart Clean Command .

 

Installing and booting windows 10 on a GPT partition

Do you have a UEFI BIOS? This is the only way you can install Windows to a GPT disk, otherwise it can only be used to intialize data disks, especially if you want them to be larger than the 2tb limit Windows has for MBR (Legacy BIOS) disks.

GPT vs MBR Disk Comparison

To find this out, type msinfo in Start Search, in System Information look at the BIOS type. If MBR you most likely have Legacy BIOS. But you can boot into BIOS setup to check for UEFI settings that may be disabled, or CSM/Legacy BIOS that may be disabled.
To install to UEFI one must also boot the installation media as a UEFI device.

More here:
Clean Install Windows 10

and here:
UEFI BIOS vs. Legacy BIOS - YouTube

 

Modifications....none.

Windows 10 already utilizes GPT partitioning....on a clean install. The only thing you would need to do is change your BIOS firmware from Legacy BIOS to UEFI BIOS. You will need to confirm that in your BIOS. Or to check with in windows.....in the search bar of cortana, type system information and when the window pops up, scroll down to BIOS mode......here's mine.

 

Can I do a clean install AND keep my programs and data? with GPTgen?

 

No....a clean install is just that, a clean install. It wipes/formats the HDD/SSD of everything. If you have any data you want to keep....back it up/save it.

 

You would have to update as legacy bios first, then it is possible to make an image backup of c drive using Macrium Reflect Free, clean install windows 10 in uefi mode,and then restore C drive overwriting clean installed partition.

You might need to repair the boot files but Macrium will do that as well.

 

Cereberus, is there a link with those Macrium instructions, including the boot file repair? Doesn't overwriting the clean install negate the clean install?

 

There may be some crossover misunderstandings as to what is what. A hard drive is either configured as Legacy (MBR) or GPT.

A UEFI install can only be done to a GPT configured drive which has different critical partitions than a Legacy install.

There are ways to convert over but can be dangerous.

And the last thing is if you have activated a Legacy install of Windows 10, can you do a clean install as UEFI and get it to activate... I don't know.

 

Activation is no issue. If it was activated, it will remain so once the clean install is completed. MBR or UEFI does not matter.

 

Many guides on web and youtube how to create an image backup using Macrium.

First shrink C drive by say 1 GB to create a bit of space.

Then make image backup of pc to another drive.

I will assume you have got this far.

Run Macrium and select "other tasks" and create a menu boot entry.

Boot PC and select Macrium from dual boot option. See video link (unfortunately it does not record cursor, so I will try and explain in words).

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...8_16_31_28.wmv

Click on Restore, and click "browse for image file", and navigate to your image backup

Click on C drive and click on actions that pops up and select "restore this partition"

You will see destination disk in lower window of next screen

Click on C drive, and click "delete existing partition"

Click on C drive in upper image Source and drag to free space where C drive was on destination.

The click next etc, and restore C partition.

When it has restored, select "restore tab", click "fix windows boot problems" and then click next, finish.

 

Yes it does but it is how you get the required GPT Partitions made for you AND save all your Data....

This is my writeup from about 2 months ago.....

Solved Small Wrinkle in Anniversary Update....MBR Disk - Windows 10 Forums

I have since made a Macrium Image of my 1st 3 GPT partitions so I can use it instead of reinstalling Win10 to get them in the future.

There is a link in the Post above to a copy of Topgun's 3 partition image, you can use if you don't want to reinstall Win10 , ie save time. Topgun's file took about 40 secs to restore. You could make your own on another computer too if it has GPT partitions.


KB

.

 

Thanks for everyone's input, and especially to Cereberus and Kbird for their solutions.
I will report back once I have performed the conversion.

 

What I had to do may not apply directly to you situation , so ask questions if you need to .....

good luck

KB.

 

I know this is marked as solved but...Convert MBR to GPT Disk without data loss in Windows 10He asked earlier if he could use gptgen to do it and some one said no... yes you can actually.