How to create an installation USB for old MBR device?


  1. Posts : 241
    Windows 10 Pro
       #1

    How to create an installation USB for old MBR device?


    With the latest installation USB created by the Media Creation Tool (20H2) I can't get Windows to install on older legacy device that has no UEFI. It tells me that the drive is of the GPT style.

    How can I create a USB drive for MBR?

    Thanks
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 18,044
    Win 10 Pro 64-bit v1909 - Build 18363 Custom ISO Install
       #2

    Hello @mibaup,

    mibaup said:
    With the latest installation USB created by the Media Creation Tool (20H2) I can't get Windows to install on older legacy device that has no UEFI. It tells me that the drive is of the GPT style.

    How can I create a USB drive for MBR?

    Create a Bootable USB [ media ] from the ISO using Rufus for example => Rufus.

    I hope this helps.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 16,976
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #3

    mibaup said:
    With the latest installation USB created by the Media Creation Tool (20H2) I can't get Windows to install on older legacy device that has no UEFI. It tells me that the drive is of the GPT style.
    How can I create a USB drive for MBR?
    Use the appropriate option in
    Create Bootable Installation USB - TenForumsTutorials

    Denis
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 18,434
    Windows 11 Pro
       #4

    mibaup said:
    With the latest installation USB created by the Media Creation Tool (20H2) I can't get Windows to install on older legacy device that has no UEFI. It tells me that the drive is of the GPT style.

    How can I create a USB drive for MBR?

    Thanks
    The USB flash drive created by the Media Creation Tool is bootable in both legacy BIOS and UEFI mode. You are booting it in legacy BIOS mode already, otherwise it would not be complaining about the drive being GPT. The question is, where did this GPT partitioned drive come from? A GPT drive will only boot in a UEFI computer, so if this is the drive in the computer that it was previously booting from, it must have been in UEFI mode.

    At this point, do not recreate the USB flash drive - it is booting in legacy BIOS mode already. The problem is not with the USB flash drive, it is with the existing partitions on the disk that you are trying to install to.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 6,364
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       #5

    mibaup said:
    With the latest installation USB created by the Media Creation Tool (20H2) I can't get Windows to install on older legacy device that has no UEFI. It tells me that the drive is of the GPT style.

    How can I create a USB drive for MBR?

    Thanks
    As already explained, MCT creates a USB media that is boot able in Legacy and UEFI computers.

    You booted as Legacy an it will only install on a MBR drive, not GPT
    As you're trying to install as Legacy on a GPT disk you have to delete ALL partitions on the drive till you have one and only one unallocated space and then proceed. It will then convert from GPT to MBR and begin installation.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 1,594
    win10 home
       #6

    Shutdown the pc,plug in the usb and restart.
    In the bios,navigate to---hard disk boot priority---,press ---Enter---and change the order of listed drives,making sure the usb is now first.
    Press the relevant key to---save changes---,then when asked to ---save and exit--press---Y---then---Enter---
    The nomenclature varies between bios makers,so it is advisable to read the manual first.
    Your ---My Computer--- is a little light on information.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 241
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Update: It's weird because I had old partitions with previously installed Windows, but I also shrank an empty partition using Windows Disk Management, and it still wouldn't let me install on this partition, but after I removed all of the partitions including the Windows partitions and formatted them, it allowed me to install Windows with the regular USB created by the Media Creation Tool
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 6,364
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       #8

    mibaup said:
    Update: It's weird because I had old partitions with previously installed Windows, but I also shrank an empty partition using Windows Disk Management, and it still wouldn't let me install on this partition, but after I removed all of the partitions including the Windows partitions and formatted them, it allowed me to install Windows with the regular USB created by the Media Creation Tool

    There is nothing weird.
    As I explained on post #5, your drive was GPT and you were trying to install as Legacy. Once you deleted all partitions and proceed the drive was converted to MBR.

    You can only install as UEFI-GPT on a computer that has UEFI BIOS and using a 64 bits OS

    Windows can be installed in two ways: Legacy-MBR or UEFI-GPT
    To install as Legacy-MBR you must boot the installation drive as Legacy
    To install as UEFI-GPT you must boot the installation drive as UEFI.

    During POST, press F? to launch the boot menu. You will see two options for the USB drive. USB UEFI (Name) and USB (Name). Select USB UEFI (Name).

    If you select USB (Name) you will boot the installation drive as Legacy and install as Legacy-MBR
    If you select USB UEFI (Name) you will boot the installation drive as UEFI and install as UEFI-GPT
      My Computers


 

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