How to change Windows 10’s BIOS to UEFI by converting an MBR drive to a GPT drive

If you intend to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 or want to switch from the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) to the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) without changing the current installation or erasing the data on the drive, you can use the “MBR2GPT” tool to convert the drive from a Master Boot Record (MBR) to a GUID Partition Table (GPT) partition style.

The motherboard’s BIOS is a piece of code that establishes connections between the hardware and software. Although this long-standing code functioned well, it was never intended for use with contemporary hardware and had a number of drawbacks, such as being limited to partition sizes of less than 2TB.

UEFI is a new firmware type that was created to take the place of BIOS. It adds more functionality, like faster startup, sleep, resume, and shutdown times, and support for partitions greater than 2TB. Moreover, it opens up fresh security features that are accessible on Windows 10 and 11. For example, “Secure Boot” is a feature that can guard against harmful programmes from starting a device’s startup process, and it is now required to install Windows 11. More sophisticated controls for app access are provided by “Device Guard,” and “Credential Guard” can aid in thwarting pass-the-hash assaults.

This Windows 10 tutorial will show you how to use the Microsoft MBR2GPT command-line tool to properly enable Secure Boot, convert a disc from MBR to GPT partition style, and change your device’s BIOS to UEFI mode.

• Converting a Drive from MBR to GPT on Windows 10: Step-by-Step Guide
• How to change the firmware mode from BIOS to UEFI

Warning; Even though this is a non-destructive procedure, you should still save your entire computer before starting in case something goes wrong and you need to restore your configuration.

How to change a Windows 10 drive’s MBR to GPT format

The MBR2GPT utility makes it simple and quick to change the partition style, in contrast to prior approaches that required you to create a backup of your data and reinstall Windows. With this utility, the conversion process leaves the data unaltered and adds the GPT components to the MBR partition without changing the original partition.

The best course of action is to install Windows 11 cleanly and switch to UEFI. In the event that you wish to upgrade your current Windows 10 installation, you can convert the disc in order to make the necessary changes to the system firmware. If not, the gadget will no longer turn on properly.

Check MBR or GPT partition style

Use these methods to verify whether the system is currently set to MBR or GPT before making any changes to the system configuration:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Disk Management and select the primary option to initiate the interface.
3. Right-click the drive (where Windows 10 resides) and select the Properties option.

4. Click on the Volumes tab.
5. If the “Partition style” field indicates GUID Partition Table (GPT), no conversion is necessary. However, if it shows Master Boot Record (MBR), you’ll require the conversion tool.

       6. Press the Cancel button.

After completing the steps, the computer’s partition style can be altered.

Additionally, before following these instructions if you need to modify the partition, see if the hardware supports UEFI by visiting the help page of the manufacturer of your device.

Convert MBR to GPT partition style (offline)

Follow these instructions to convert an MBR drive to GPT on Windows 10:

1. Go to Settings.
2. On Update & Security, click.
3. Select “Recovery.”
4. Click the “Restart now” button located under the “Advanced startup” section.

5. Click the Troubleshoot option.

6. Click on Advanced options.

7. Click the Command Prompt option.

8. Choose your administrator account, then log in (if necessary).
9. To confirm the drive’s specifications, use the following command and hit Enter:mbr2gpt /validateA brief hint: The “System32” subdirectory under the “Windows” folder contains the file mbr2gpt.exe. To view every option that is available, use the mbr2gpt /? command. 

10. Enter the command below to initiate the conversion of the drive from MBR to GPT, then press Enter: mbr2gpt /convert

11. Click the Close button.
12. Click the Turn off your PC option.

The tool will validate the drive and build an EFI system partition (ESP) once you’ve finished the instructions. The GPT components and UEFI boot files will also be inserted into the partition during this operation. The previous drive letter will be added to the drive and the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) will be updated by the utility.

Convert MBR to GPT partition style (online)

To prevent any issues, it is always advised to use the MBR2GPT utility offline. But you may also use it in an operating system.

Follow these procedures to convert a drive in Windows 10 from MBR to GPT:

1. Launch the Start menu.
2. The “Run as administrator” option will be displayed when you right-click the primary result after searching for Command Prompt.
3. To verify the drive, use the following command and hit Enter:Validate /allowFullOS mbr2gpt.

4. Enter the following command to convert the drive to GPT and then press Enter: mbr2gpt /convert /allowFullOS

 5. Upon completion of the steps, the command-line tool will resize the primary partition and convert it from MBR to GPT.

MBR2GPT return codes

The return code in the event that the process succeeds would be “0,” but if it fails, one of the following 11 error codes could appear:

MBR2GPT important details

Virtually any version of Windows 10 can be used with the MBR2GPT utility, but it needs to be launched from an installation of Windows 10 (version 1703 or later). The programme can be used on an M.2 drive, an SSD, or a conventional hard disc (HDD).

Before proceeding with the instructions, you must suspend the encryption on any drive that you are working with that has file encryption enabled by BitLocker.

The drive you intend to convert must not contain more than three partitions because UEFI necessitates an additional allocation, whereas MBR-style drives can accommodate up to four primary partitions.

Ultimately, Windows 8.1, 7, or older versions of the operating system can be converted using the programme created by Microsoft; however, you can always update to the most recent version of Windows 10 and then utilise the application to convert MBR to GPT.

How to switch from BIOS to UEFI firmware mode

The computer won’t turn on again after the drive has been converted to GPT style unless the motherboard’s firmware is changed from BIOS to UEFI.

To complete this process, you usually need to press the Esc, Delete, or one of the function keys (F1, F2, F3, F10, or F12) as soon as you turn on the device. For more precise information, it’s advisable to visit the support page of the manufacturer of your device, as these options are subject to change at any time.

Locate the “Boot” menu on the firmware interface, select the UEFI option, save the modifications, and the computer ought to boot up normally.

Additionally, enter the boot or security settings page in the UEFI settings, make sure the “Secure Boot” option is enabled, then exit the firmware saving the modifications if you intend to upgrade the device to perform the device upgrade to Windows 11 within the UEFI settings.

Check GPT partition style

Follow these procedures to verify that the device is partitioned using the GPT style:

1. Launch the Start menu.
2. To launch the application, search for “Disc Management” and select the top result.
3. When you perform a right-click on the primary drive, choose Properties.

4. Click on the Volumes tab.
5. Under the “Partition style” field, the information should now read GUID Partition Table (GPT).

Once the process is finished, all that’s left to do is verify if the device is using the UEFI firmware mode and if the partition is operating in the correct way.

Check UEFI firmware

Use these procedures to make sure Secure Boot is enabled and the computer is in UEFI mode:

1. Launch the Start menu.
2. Click the top result after searching for “msinfo32” to launch the System Information application.
3. Select System Summary from the window on the left.
4. Examine the “BIOS Mode,” which ought to now display UEFI.

5. Verify the “Secure Boot State” details, which ought to now read “On.”

If after completing the instructions the mode appears in the System Information as “UEFI,” you have successfully changed the firmware type.