mbr2gpt Failed - (Disk Layout validation failed for disk 1)


  1. Posts : 3
    Windows 10
       #1

    mbr2gpt Failed - (Disk Layout validation failed for disk 1)


    I am trying to change my BIOS from Legacy to UEFI mode. This is necessary in order to have support for storage devices of greater than 2TB capacity and for getting an SSD Card (PCIe) to work.

    My hp Z620 Workstation is running Windows 10, version 1809. It has two disk drives in it. The "System" Volume is on Disk 0 (a 500GB Disk Drive), and the OS and "Boot" Volume is on Disk 1 (a 1.0 TB Disk Drive). Disk 0 has only one volume - the entire disk. Disk 1 has two Volumes, the OS/Boot Volume and a data Volume.

    To run the tool mbr2gpt.exe ...
    I logged off the USER side of Windows and logged into the Administrative side. While in the Administrative side, I brought up the (black colored) Command Window, in Administrative mode. In the Command Window I typed the following:
    >mbr2gpt.exe /validate /disk:1 /allowFullOS

    I get the following failure: "Disk Layout Validation Failed for Disk 1." When I look into the setuperr and the setupact log files, I get additional information. It says "Validation Layout: Wrong boot partition count, expected 1 but found 0."

    Anyone know how to fix this?

    I have already researched this quite a bit. For example 'IT Army' has a couple really good videos on youtube, but the solutions do not work for me or do not apply. I have read many forum entries, different sites, to no avail.

    I suspect this is the problem, but I don't know for sure: My 'System' Volume and my OS/'Boot' Volume were installed on different hard drives. (The OS was on the system when I bought it).
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 6,247
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       #2

    Did you folow Brink tutorial Convert Windows 10 from Legacy BIOS to UEFI without Data Loss

    GPT disks for data (non boot able) are compatible with Legacy mode, so if you are going to use a drive larger than 2.2T for data, you don't need to boot as UEFI.

    Could you explain in more details: The "System" Volume is on Disk 0 (a 500GB Disk Drive), and the OS and "Boot" Volume is on Disk 1 (a 1.0 TB Disk Drive)

    Please post a Disk Manager Image (whole window and expand the columns so we can read them)
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 4,131
    Windows 3.1 to Windows 11
       #3

    Your system is spread out over 2 disks.... Thus will not validate...
    Where is the 2TB Drive and the SSD ??

    I would move OS from disk 1 to disk 0 and use Disk 1 for DATA only
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #4

    Judging from your system layout, it would be much easier to just convert your system partition to FAT32 in order to enable booting in UEFI mode. GPT drives are not required for UEFI booting.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 6,247
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       #5

    I think BuffaloRidder can make the Windows partition Active, detach the "System" Disk 0 from the MB, boot from disk 1 and then run mbr2gpt.
    That is why I asked to see the Disk Manger Image.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 3
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Megahertz said:
    Did you folow Brink tutorial Convert Windows 10 from Legacy BIOS to UEFI without Data Loss

    GPT disks for data (non boot able) are compatible with Legacy mode, so if you are going to use a drive larger than 2.2T for data, you don't need to boot as UEFI.

    Could you explain in more details: The "System" Volume is on Disk 0 (a 500GB Disk Drive), and the OS and "Boot" Volume is on Disk 1 (a 1.0 TB Disk Drive)

    Please post a Disk Manager Image (whole window and expand the columns so we can read them)
    I implemented a fix before I got a screen shot. But here is what I had, in general. In the Disk Manager, it showed my two hard drives on the bottom center - two rows. The 500GB drive was Disk 0, the top row. The 1 TB drive was Disk 1, the next row. The information for Disk 0 said that Volume contained the "System" partition and files. The information for Disk 1 said that Volume contained the "Boot" partition and files, as well as the remainder of the OS (Windows 10).

    As for following the Brink tutorial" Convert Windows 10 from Legacy BIOS to UEFI without Data Loss" - yes I had already looked at that prior to posting on TenForums, as well as a bunch of other Forum (and other) postings that said the same thing. That process did not work for me, and is why I finally posted my issue, to see if anyone else had experienced the same problem and had definitively solved it. I am almost certain now that the reason mbr2gpt.exe did not work on my computer was because Windows 10 was split between the two hard drives (HDDs) in my computer. I saw a couple people in Forums, including one response here, say mbr2gpt won't work if Windows 10 is split between two HDDs. If someone has two HDDs in their computer when they do a clean install, it is common (so I read) for the installer program to put the "System" partition of the OS on one HDD, and the "Boot" partition (of the OS) and the OS on the other. The workaround is to turn off the computer, remove one of the HDDs, and do a clean install of Windows 10 when there is only one HDD in the computer, then the entire OS is on one HDD. Then mbr2gpt should work.

    My fix was to do the clean install. I got a copy of the current Windows 10 ISO file and then made a DVD install disk with the ISO file on it. I then turned off the computer and unplugged it I then removed the 500GB HDD. Thus I had only one HDD in the computer, the 1TB HDD. I then plugged the computer back in, and did a clean install. When I finished, I checked the BIOS (in msinfo), and it was UEFI. So I did not need to do mbr2gpt. I then turned off the computer, unplugged it, put the 500GB back in, plugged it back in, and powered it up. Once up, I reformatted the 500GB HDD.

    Interestingly, the 1TB drive with the OS was formatted in gpt (GUID Partition Table) - the UEFI format. The 500GB drive was formatted in mbr (Master Boot Record). I checked (read several posts on this, since I thought all drives would be UEFI after this), and this (mbr) is what the 500GB drive should be, or has to be given its size and number of partitions.
    Last edited by BuffaloRider; 07 Dec 2019 at 11:06.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 6,247
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       #7

    System partition can have some tools and be the active partition. Windows partition can have the boot loader.

    Please post a Disk Manager Image (whole window and expand the columns so we can read them)
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 41,412
    windows 10 professional version 1607 build 14393.969 64 bit
       #8

    Open disk management > by default some columns are compressed > widen each Status and Volume > make sure the contents within the parenthesis are in full view and that none of the characters are cutoff > view disk 0 > widen this row as needed so that all of the characters are in full view > post an image into the thread
    Disk Management - How to Post a Screenshot of


    Download and install Minitool Partition Wizard > post an image of the results into this thread
    MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com


    Take Screenshot in Windows 10

    How to Upload and Post Screenshots and Files at Ten Forums


    Open administrative command prompt and copy and paste: (all at one time)

    Code:
    bcdedit /enum all
    bcdedit | find "osdevice"
    reagentc /info
    diskpart
    lis dis
    lis vol
    sel dis 0
    det dis
    lis par
    sel par 1
    det par
    sel par 2
    det par
    sel par 3
    det par
    sel par 4
    det par
    sel par 5
    det par
    sel dis 1
    det dis
    lis par
    sel par 1
    det par
    sel par 2
    det par
    sel par 3
    det par
    sel par 4
    det par
    sel par 5
    det par
    sel dis 2
    det dis
    lis par
    sel par 1
    det par
    sel par 2
    det par
    sel par 3
    det par
    sel par 4
    det par
    When these have completed > right click on the top bar or title bar of the administrative command prompt box > left click on edit then select all > right click on the top bar again > left click on edit then copy > paste into the thread
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 4,131
    Windows 3.1 to Windows 11
       #9

    Interestingly, the 1TB drive with the OS was formatted in gpt (GUID Partition Table) - the UEFI format. The 500GB drive was formatted in mbr (Master Boot Record). I checked (read several posts on this, since I thought all drives would be UEFI after this, and this (mbr) is what the 500GB drive should be, or has to be given its size and number of partitions.
    Your setup is now correct....
    You can convert the 500GB disk to GPT or Leave it as MBR...
    a MBR Disk Supports 4 Primary Partitions
    a GPT Disk Supports 126 Primary Partition...

    I see no reason why you would need 252 primary partitions....

    When your PC is Booted into UEFI Mode during Windows Setup
    Then By Default MS converts the Disk to GPT...
    Although this is not required for UEFI - it is just the MS Default Disk Layout for UEFI..
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 3
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Kyhi said:
    Your setup is now correct....
    You can convert the 500GB disk to GPT or Leave it as MBR...
    a MBR Disk Supports 4 Primary Partitions
    a GPT Disk Supports 126 Primary Partition...

    I see no reason why you would need 252 primary partitions....
    Thanks Kyhi. Took your advice above (as you saw). Several reasons for going the path of a clean install. One was the computer is new, so there was nothing else on it yet - a fresh install would be easy, I did not have to worry about backing up stuff. Second reason, I had a tradeoff of (a) doing a clean install, which I knew would work, or (b) try some of the recommendations people posted in Forums which I was not sure I should try or if they really worked, or would work in my case. Third reason is the time to research. I already spent a lot of time on this. So a clean reinstall - turns out, it was a good decision. It did not take much time. I now have a Windows 10 DVD recovery disk if I need it, and I know it works. And my system got converted properly to UEFI. I am content.

    - - - Updated - - -

    By the way ... thanks to everyone who posted here in an effort to help the less informed like me.
      My Computer


 

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