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Windows 11 - One Successful Install

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
January 6, 2022
4 replies
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I have an extra computer built from leftover parts that now has Win10

I am going to take the boot drive out and put in a new drive, to do an upgrade to Win11 - which requires UEFI mode in Bios (the easy part) and a boot drive formatted as GPT (not MBR)

I found the instructions which seem clear... while waiting for my new drive, has anyone actually formatted a drive to GPT?

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-format-disk-as-gpt-when-installing-windows/966fe76a-87a6-4a4a-9900-93fc0922db3b

This is for a new install of Windows 10

To convert your Drive to GPT:

At the very start of the Installation Process, press Shift + F10, or Shift + Fn + F10 to open Command Prompt

Run this command and hit Enter:

diskpart

Run this command and hit Enter:

list disk

(Make note of the disk number you want to convert and enter it into the next command - replace disknumber)

Run this command and hit Enter:

select disk disknumber

Run this command and hit Enter:

clean

Run this command and hit Enter:

convert gpt

Then close Command Prompt

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Windows 10 support ends Oct 14 2025 so I have 3+ years to update my production computer

My computer and the spare I built both use the same motherboard... spare has an i7 and my computer is Intel i9

I now know that all it takes with a NEW drive it to boot from the Win11 DVD and format the drive to GPT

I used my backup/restore program and my USB3 docking station to write my current Win10 backup to a spare SSD, so I will be able to remove the M.2 'drive stick' that requires CSM, to then put the SSD in and disable CSM

What I am HOPING is that when I do that the Win11 DVD will let me do an 'update' instead of a new Win11 install, so I will have everything in place on the boot SSD (as I did a long time ago when Win10 updated Win8) and that the update will do the required SSD conversion from MBR to GPT

If that doesn't work, I'll just have to format the drive and install all my programs... by 3 years from now I will probably have to buy all new programs, but I'll cross that bridge only if necessary

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Win11 is now activated... when I went to Microsoft to check into activation, I found a page that said I could use a Win10 key... so I did... next is to install a few programs to do some testing

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Spare computer has a new SSD with Windows 11 installed (but not yet activated... I'm still trying to find out if it will cost less to buy an OEM disc and use that serial number -vs- activating online at Microsoft)

To be able to boot from the M.2 stick mounted on the motherboard of the ASUS-Prime-Z490-P motherboard I had to have CSM enabled, so I took the M.2 out and disabled CSM in Bios before booting with the Win11 (ISO to) DVD from Microsoft

As noted by @RjL190365 Win11 formatted the SSD to GPT (not MBR) without me having to select any options

Once I find out more about activation (and activate Win11) I will start to install programs

Legend

This part is easier than you think. Generally speaking, when the BIOS is set to (U)EFI mode, Windows setup will use GPT to format your OS disk. If set to "legacy" mode, Windows setup will use MBR mode.

If you have a newer motherboard, sometimes the selection is dictated by whether or not CSM (acronym for Compatibility Support Module) is enabled. If your motherboard is one of those types, if CSM is disabled, Windows will use GPT; if enabled, Windows will use MBR.

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Thanks... I also found instructions at a Microsoft link on 'changing in place'

Go to Disk management, right click the target disk and select "Convert to GPT" or open Command Prompt with administrator rights and type "mbr2gpt.exe /convert /allowfullOS". Don't forget to change your bios to UEFI before Windows restarts.

Right now, I'm planning on removing the current SSD since it has a lot of programs installed and putting the new SSD in to format to GPT for Win11 - I will check in Bios while changing to UEFI mode to see if CSM is enabled or not... I am guessing right now that CSM is enabled, especially since this was an upgrade from Win8.1 when Win10 was free