How to convert MBR to GPT without losing data on Windows 10

To convert from MBR to GPT on Windows 10, restart the device in the “Windows Recovery Environment” settings, open Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt, and run the “mbr2gpt /validate” and “mbr2gpt /convert” commands.
After completing the conversion, enable UEFI mode, TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot in the firmware, and then you can upgrade to Windows 11.

UPDATED 10/14/2025: Since Windows 10 is no longer a supported operating system, if you plan to upgrade to Windows 11, you must ensure your computer is configured to use the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and the GUID Partition Table (GPT) layout instead of the legacy BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) and Master Boot Record (MBR) partition style. Otherwise, the in-place upgrade or clean installation of Windows 11 will fail, as one of the requirements is that the device must use UEFI firmware and have Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 enabled.

If you have already switched from BIOS to UEFI and then attempted to enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, the system will fail to start because the drive still uses the MBR partition scheme instead of GPT.

To successfully upgrade the operating system, you’ll have to convert the drive from MBR to GPT with the MBR2GPT tool, then switch the firmware mode from legacy BIOS to UEFI. Only after making these changes can you enable TPM 2.0 and successfully install Windows 11. (Secure Boot is highly recommended, but not a requirement during the setup process.)

In this guide, I’ll explain the steps to convert from MBR to GPT, switch from BIOS to UEFI, and enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to upgrade to Windows 11.

Convert Windows 10 MBR drive to GPT for Windows 11

To change the partition style from MBR to GPT without losing your data, you have to use the mbr2gpt command-line tool in Command Prompt while in the Windows Recovery Environment. You may use the command tool while logged into the desktop, but you may run into issues.

If you have already switched to UEFI and enabled TPM and Secure Boot, you must switch back to legacy BIOS to allow the device to boot again into Windows 10. The easiest way to open the recovery settings is by using the Settings app, but there are several other ways to access the environment.

Step 1: Convert from MBR to GPT

To convert a MBR Windows 10 partition layout to GPT, follow these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Recovery.
Click the Restart button under the “Advanced startup” section.
Click on Troubleshoot.
Click on Advanced options.
Click the Command Prompt option.
Select your administrator account and sign in with your credentials (as necessary).
Type the following command to validate that the drive can be converted and press Enter:
```
mbr2gpt /validate
```
Type the following command to convert the system drive to GPT from MBR and press Enter:
```
mbr2gpt /convert
```
Type the following command to close the console and press Enter:
```
exit
```
Click the Turn off your PC option.

Once you complete the steps, the new partition style will be applied to the setup. However, the operating system won’t start correctly until you switch to UEFI firmware mode.

Step 2: Change from BIOS to UEFI firmware type

To switch from BIOS to UEFI firmware type, follow these steps:

Power on the computer.

Quick note: The steps to access and modify the firmware settings will vary per manufacturer and computer model. It’s recommended to consult your device manufacturer’s support website for more specific details. However, typically, you can access the firmware during boot by pressing the Delete, Esc, or one of the Function keys.
Open the boot sequence, advanced, or boot settings page, depending on your motherboard.
Turn off the legacy BIOS and enable UEFI mode.

After you complete the steps, the device should boot correctly. However, you will still need to enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot before you can continue the Windows 11 upgrade process.

You should be able to enable the security features in the UEFI firmware without restarting the computer. However, you can also follow the steps below to enable the TPM and Secure Boot on your computer.

Step 3: Enable TPM 2.0 from UEFI

To enable TPM 2.0 in the motherboard UEFI firmware, follow these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Recovery.
Click the Restart now button under the “Advanced startup” section.
Click on Troubleshoot.
Click on Advanced options.
Click the “UEFI Firmware settings” option.
Click the Restart button.
Click on the Advanced Security or Trusted Computing menu. Sometimes the option is available inside a sub-menu.
Select the TPM 2.0 option
Choose the Enabled option.
Save the changes and exit the firmware.

It’s important to note that the option could have different names, such as Security Device, Security Device Support, or TPM State.

If the motherboard doesn’t have a TPM chip but you have an AMD-based system, the security chip is likely built into the processor. The option will then appear as “fTPM” (firmware-based TPM 2.0), “AMD PSP fTPM” or “AMD fTPM switch.”

If the device is an Intel-based system, TPM 2.0 will be available as “Intel Platform Trust Technology” or “Intel PTT.”

Step 4: Enable Secure Boot from UEFI

To enable Secure Boot in the BIOS firmware, follow these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Recovery.
Click the Restart now button under the “Advanced startup” section.
Click on Troubleshoot.
Click on Advanced options.
Click the “UEFI Firmware settings” option.
Click the Restart button.
Open the Advanced, Security, or Boot page, depending on your motherboard.
Select the “Secure Boot” option.
Choose the Enabled option.
Save the changes and exit the firmware.

Once you complete the steps, the computer should boot up correctly, allowing you to continue the Windows 11 upgrade process with UEFI and Secure Boot enabled.

Update October 14, 2025: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.