The Windows 10 and 8.1 operating systems can be installed on computers with either a legacy BIOS or UEFI firmware, but the two types of installations are not compatible with each other. This article shows you how to convert your legacy installation to a UEFI-based one without losing any data.
The convert legacy to uefi windows 10 without data loss is a guide that shows how to convert a Windows 7, 8 or 10 computer from a Legacy BIOS to UEFI.
You’ve probably heard about the benefits of UEFI over Legacy, but you’re not sure how to switch from Legacy to UEFI mode. If this describes you, you’ve come to the correct spot. I’ll teach you how to accomplish it step by step in this post, and you won’t have to reinstall Windows.
BIOS has been replaced by UEFI.
In place of conventional BIOS, recent hardware utilizes the unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI). UEFI is rapidly replacing the obsolete BIOS, which is more than 40 years old. To be compatible with older systems, most UEFI PCs have enabled Legacy boot mode. To enhance the performance of your PC, you may switch from Legacy to UEFI mode. I believe you should use UEFI if your system and hardware support it.
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UEFI is not supported by Windows XP and Windows 7 32bit. If you follow this method, you can go from Legacy to UEFI mode without losing data if you’re running Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8 or later.
Windows can only boot from the master boot record (MBR) disk in Legacy mode. MBR drives have a storage capacity maximum of 2TB and four main partitions. You can utilize massive drives and create as many main partitions as you like if you update to UEFI mode, which uses a GUID partition table.
Two Different Methodologies
Because UEFI mode needs GPT disks, you must convert MBR disks to GPT disks while converting Legacy to UEFI. In order to convert your disk to GPT using Disk Management or DiskPart.exe, you must normally wipe the hard drive clean. That’s why you’ll hear that switching to UEFI mode requires reinstalling Windows. Fortunately, you don’t have to since there are a few free methods for converting system disks from MBR to GPT.
Converting from Legacy to UEFI without Losing Data
You don’t have to waste time installing Windows and applications. If you’re running Windows 10, you may simply change MBR to GPT from the command line without losing any data. Here’s how to do it. There are alternative free methods to convert MBR to GPT without losing data if you aren’t using Windows 10.
Make sure your computer’s motherboard supports both UEFI and BIOS boot modes before continuing. If you see UEFI mode in your BIOS options, your machine is most likely UEFI compatible.
Step 1: Open a command prompt with elevated privileges. You may run as administrator by searching for “CMD” and right-clicking on the result Command Prompt.
Step 2: Type and hit Enter the following command:
mbr2gpt.exe /allowfullOS /convert
If your computer has more than one hard drive, you must use the /disk: option to specify which system disk you wish to convert. Because disk 0 is typically the system drive, you may simply run “mbr2gpt /convert /disk:0 /allowfullOS” to convert it.
When the procedure is complete, go to your PC’s BIOS and convert Legacy to UEFI. The procedures to enable UEFI mode vary from machine to computer. To customize it, look at the list below. If you don’t want to use the command line or mbr2gpt isn’t an option, you can convert MBR to GPT without losing data using a third-party software with a GUI.
Step 3: Restart your computer. To access the BIOS setup screen, keep pressing a particular key (F2 or Del) until the motherboard logo displays. If you’re not sure which key to hit on your computer, keep pressing Esc. It will show you the whole menu, from which you may choose BIOS Setup.
Step 4: The Legacy/UEFI boot mode setting is usually found under the Boot tab. You may select between Legacy and UEFI on older motherboards. You may select UEFI first on newer hardware, which implies it supports both UEFI and Legacy at the same time. Simply avoid the Legacy Only option.
Step 5: Save your settings by pressing F10, then leave. Your system will reboot, and your machine will now boot in UEFI mode, with all of your data intact.
With a Clean Install, you may switch from Legacy to UEFI.
You’ll need to prepare a Windows installation CD for a clean install. To build a Windows installation USB stick or disc, just download the Windows Media Tool. Then, to convert the system disk to GPT, follow the procedures below.
Step 1: When the motherboard logo appears on startup, continually press the Del key. Select to boot your machine from a Windows installation disk from the BIOS menu.
Step 2: As you would when installing Windows, choose your language and keyboard. To open a command prompt, click Shift + F10 on the Windows Setup screen.
Step 3: To launch the Windows DiskPart program, type “diskpart” (without quotes). Then enter “list disk” to get a list of all the disks on the machine. Examine the given disk information carefully to choose which disk you wish to convert.
Step 4: Type “select disk [disk number]” to choose the disk you want to clean. Please double-check that you’ve selected the correct disk, since the following step will erase all of your data.
Step 5: Type “clean” in the search box.
Step 6: To change the disk from MBR to GPT, use the command “convert gpt.”
Step 7: When the notification “DiskpPart successfully changed the chosen disk to GPT” appears, exit the window and boot into BIOS to activate UEFI mode.
Some PCs have both Legacy and UEFI modes enabled, with UEFI taking precedence. You don’t need to do anything in this scenario; the machine will automatically boot from the GPT drive. All you have to do now is set up Windows.
Last Thoughts
Finally, converting Legacy to UEFI boot mode is always a good idea as long as your PC hardware and software support it. The only technique is to switch from MBR to GPT on your hard disk. You can do that without reinstalling Windows or with a clean install. Please let me know if you have any difficulties with any of the stages by leaving a comment or sending me an email. I’d be delighted to assist.
The how to change bios mode from legacy to uefi windows 10 hp article will help you with the process of converting your Windows 8.1, Windows 7, or Windows Vista computer into a UEFI-compatible machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change from Legacy to UEFI without losing data?
You will need to boot into the UEFI mode. If you are using a Windows computer, press F2 during boot up. If you are using a Mac, hold down Option and Command on startup.
Can I convert from legacy to UEFI?
Unfortunately, no. The UEFI specification is a newer standard than the legacy BIOS and as such its not possible to convert your computer from one to the other.
How do I change from Legacy to UEFI in Windows 10?
In order to change from Legacy to UEFI in Windows 10, you must first open the boot menu. To do this, press and hold the shift button on your keyboard while turning on your computer.
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