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HP Recommended
15-n096st
Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

I am having trouble installing windows 10, my HP lapto 15-n096st.  I prepared a bootable usb stick, enabled legacy mode and disabled secure boot. Everything is okay, but this is the problem:

Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of MBR. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT
 
What should I do at this point?
 
Regards,
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
HP Recommended

Hi:

 

Yes, it could be a possible issue with the installation media itself.

 

If you clean the disk (drive 0), all of the data will be erased on all of those partitions.

 

So, hopefully you have made a backup.

 

 

 

View solution in original post

14 REPLIES 14
HP Recommended

@mech-eng 

The error message is correct -- as you have a UEFI PC, and Windows wants the media formatted GPT.

 

Redo the USB stick, this time, for UEFI systems.  If you have an ISO file, you can create such media using a free utility known as RUFUS.



I am a volunteer and I do not work for, nor represent, HP
HP Recommended

Hi, @mech-eng 

 

You can fix the issue easily...watch this video...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivff6vnmtRc

The following error message is displayed when attempting to install Windows on a computer and the EFI Boot Sources setting is enabled in the BIOS: Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The Selected disk has an MBR Partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT. Link To ...
HP Recommended

@WAWood wrote:

@mech-eng 

The error message is correct -- as you have a UEFI PC, and Windows wants the media formatted GPT.

 

Redo the USB stick, this time, for UEFI systems.  If you have an ISO file, you can create such media using a free utility known as RUFUS.

 

"To redo the USB stick for UEFI systems is a good idea but I created the usb stick with "Windows Media Creator". I think it automatically download the ISO file and prepare the media. Can I do it with "Windows Media Creator" or I need "rufus"?  When I usb stick for UEFI systems, then should I change the boot options? Should I enable "securet boot" and "disable legacy mode"?

 

If my USB stick isn't for "UEFI systems", what is the system of it?

 

Regards,


 

HP Recommended

Hi, @mech-eng 

 

You do not need to make a different W10 installer.

 

Either watch the video I posted and change the hard disk to GPT, or install W10 on the currently formatted MBR drive.

With legacy mode enabled and secure boot disabled, you should have two sets of boot options.

 

Legacy and EFI.

 

In order to install W10 on the currently formatted MBR drive, you have to select the Legacy USB diskette on Key/USB hard drive.

 

In order to install W10 in EFI mode, you will need to change the format of the hard drive to GPT following the guidance in the video.

HP Recommended

@Paul_Tikkanen wrote:

Hi, @mech-eng 

or install W10 on the currently formatted MBR drive.

With legacy mode enabled and secure boot disabled, you should have two sets of boot options.

 

Legacy and EFI.

 

In order to install W10 on the currently formatted MBR drive, you have to select the Legacy USB diskette on Key/USB hard drive.

Before passing to GPT, I would like to ask these questions.

There are still problems in installing it.  Here is my bios configurations. boot.JPG

 

When I try it,  I still take that warning:  "

Windows Cannot Be Installed to This Disk. The Selected Disk Has an MBR Partition Table"

But why?  And when I try to preceed, it cannot find the media, and gives this warning:

 

boot2.JPG

 

Regards.

 

 

HP Recommended

Hi:

 

When you boot from the Legacy USB device, you should not be getting that error, so I don't know why you are.

 

I suggest that you disable legacy mode, enable secure boot.

 

Boot from the EFI USB diskette on key/USB hard drive.

 

Then if you get the Windows Cannot Be Installed to This Disk. The Selected Disk Has an MBR Partition Table, follow the guidance in that video to clean the disk and convert it to GPT.

HP Recommended

@Paul_Tikkanen wrote:

Hi:

 

When you boot from the Legacy USB device, you should not be getting that error, so I don't know why you are. If legacy mode accept MBR partition why is it that the error still appears?

 

It still gives that error in legacy mode:

 

So, might usb media be broken?

 

boot3.JPG


It gives the same MBR error for all partitions when clicking on "show details".  Then I will try to change from MBR to GPT, but does it delete my data in hard disk?

 

Regards.

HP Recommended

Hi:

 

Yes, it could be a possible issue with the installation media itself.

 

If you clean the disk (drive 0), all of the data will be erased on all of those partitions.

 

So, hopefully you have made a backup.

 

 

 

HP Recommended

Before I start the operation, I would like to ask  a few questions about the situation of my HDD.  In message 8, there is a shot of my  hard drive's partitions. Why does a partition have two different names?  Drive 0 partition 3, and Drive 0 Volume?

 

Regards,

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