Converting a Hard Disk Drive from GPT to MBR with main OS Installed

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Q

questmajor1

Commendable
Dec 10, 2017
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0
1,510
I have a laptop with 1TB of GPT Hard Disk. My Windows 10 OS is there, but I want to create another Partition so that I can dual boot my Windows 10 with Windows 7, I already created a partition but I cannot install an OS since it says the disk is GPT.

How can I convert this Drive to MBR without losing my Windows 10 installed to it?


I am thinking of Formatting the whole drive including my Windows 10 OS if there is a possible way on how to convert it without losing my OS.
 
Solution
A
1. First of all, the likelihood that the AOMEI Partition Assistant program (or for that matter ANY partition managment program) will convert your OS from GPT to MBR is virtually nil. While those programs work reasonably well with conversion of SECONDARY drives that DO NOT contain an OS, they are not geared toward this conversion process when an OS is detected on the drive.

2. I would think long and hard before embarking on a dual-boot configuration with your laptop. Unless you have really pressing needs for the Win 7 OS, e.g., you have important programs that can ONLY FUNCTION using that OS, I would let it go. Win 7 is a dying OS, unsupported by MS, and soon will find its way to the ashcan of defunct OSs.

3. If you really need the...
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questmajor1

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Dec 10, 2017
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1,510


Does this tool keep my Windows OS without having boot issues?
 
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A

ArtPog

Admirable
Sep 17, 2014
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1. First of all, the likelihood that the AOMEI Partition Assistant program (or for that matter ANY partition managment program) will convert your OS from GPT to MBR is virtually nil. While those programs work reasonably well with conversion of SECONDARY drives that DO NOT contain an OS, they are not geared toward this conversion process when an OS is detected on the drive.

2. I would think long and hard before embarking on a dual-boot configuration with your laptop. Unless you have really pressing needs for the Win 7 OS, e.g., you have important programs that can ONLY FUNCTION using that OS, I would let it go. Win 7 is a dying OS, unsupported by MS, and soon will find its way to the ashcan of defunct OSs.

3. If you really need the Win 7 OS the most practical solution would be to install one of those caddies that will accommodate a HDD/SSD in place of the laptop's optical drive (assuming the laptop contains a optical drive) and fresh-install the Win 7 onto the caddie's drive that way. Hopefully (IT'S NOT A GIVEN!) your laptop's BIOS will permit a boot to the installed OS on the caddie's drive.
 
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Solution
Q

questmajor1

Commendable
Dec 10, 2017
12
0
1,510


Thanks for your response, I desperately need to dual boot with Windows 7 because some of my applications run smoothly on that OS. However, I may format the drive and install both Win 10 and 7 as MBR.
 
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Q

questmajor1

Commendable
Dec 10, 2017
12
0
1,510


Oh thanks about that, but why?
 
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A

ArtPog

Admirable
Sep 17, 2014
2,951
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We've found that when the Win 10 OS is installed FOLLOWING the install of Win 7 we don't generally run into any problems with the Windows boot menu that displays following powering-up the PC - the menu that provides the user with the option of booting to either OS.
 
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