Trying to upgrade to windows 11 Validation failed

Question

Trying to update to windows 11 because it says I can't get updates on 10 anymore

So trying to convert my MBR disk to GPT so i can disable CSM support and run in secure boot

then I should be able to upgrade to windows 11?

When validating my Disk 2 C (where windows is) it has failed

Any help please?

Answer 1

When upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11, converting your disk from MBR to GPT is necessary if you want to enable Secure Boot and disable Compatibility Support Module (CSM). If the validation of your disk has failed, here are some common issues and steps you can take to troubleshoot:

1. Check Disk Partitions: Ensure that your MBR disk has at most three primary partitions and at least one of them is marked as Active. You can check this using the msinfo32 command.
2. Verify UEFI Support: Make sure that your system firmware supports UEFI boot. You can check this in the firmware settings or consult your PC manufacturer.
3. Run MBR2GPT with Correct Parameters: Use the command MBR2GPT /validate /disk:<diskNumber> to check if the disk is eligible for conversion. Make sure to replace <diskNumber> with the correct number of the disk you are trying to convert.
4. Check for Errors: If the validation fails, check the logs generated by MBR2GPT for specific error messages that can provide more insight into what went wrong. You can specify a log directory using the /logs:<logDirectory> option.
5. Free Up Space: Ensure that there is enough free space on the disk for the conversion process. If there are too many partitions, consider removing any unnecessary partitions.
6. Disable WinRE: If you are encountering issues related to the Recovery partition, you may need to disable and re-enable Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) after running the conversion command.

If you follow these steps and still encounter issues, please provide the specific error messages you see during validation for further assistance.

---

References:

• MBR2GPT.EXE
• MBR2GPT tool test guidance

Answer 2

From your screenshots, the problem with mbr2gpt failing to validate the disk seems to be caused by the boot partition being on Disk 1 and Windows 10 is installed on Disk 2, was Windows previously installed on Disk 1.

There are some 3rd party utilities available that claim to be able to convert the drive from mbr to gpt without data loss, try one of those, but it is best to backup all your files before trying to convert the drive to ensure against data loss.

Answer 3

Try the following; Run

bcdboot C:\Windows /s C:

Mark drive C as active in Disk Management. Shut down, remove disk 1 and start up.