Trying to prep my hardware for Windows 11

Question

OMG this is my second-worst nightmare come to real life! I am trying to get from point A to point B but I am sidetracked to point C then D then E then AAARRGG!

*** You can skip to the bottom to see if you quickly know answers, otherwise you need to understand where I am coming from

I have 2 year old gamer computer I built myself that is running Windows 10 Pro. It boots from an SSD that has a Windows partition and an addition partition where non-Microsoft apps are installed. I have a new 2TB internal HDD that is for data. I have a 10-12 year old internal HDD that I have been using as an image of the SSD and is the fallback boot drive in case the SSD fails or Windows gets corrupted/infected. I have a 1 year old 2TB external HDD that will be the backup for the internal HDD. Currently the external HDD is the only drive that is GPT - all of the others are MBR.

In running Windows update, it tells me that my computer is not ready for Windows 11 - specifically secure boot. I find instructions about some BIOS/UEFI changes, but, apparently they were not good enough. At no point am I told about GPT vs MBR. Eventually I go into BIOS/UEFI and completely disable "CSM" and then the computer does not boot. I get various Q codes on the ASUS MB that tell me I need to update/reset/something to the BIOS/UEFI and I try EVERYTHING. I contact ASUS and they say the MB is damaged and to send it in as it is still under warranty. The very first thing the ASUS support asked was if my boot drive was GPT. I believe that this is the first time I have heard of or noticed "GPT". So, the MB is off to ASUS and I try to get my old computer/MB up and running.

The old computer has a MB that is probably 10 years old, running a Core i3 and 8GB RAM. It does not have a slot for the SSD, I move the two internal HDDs into the case and miraculously I am able to get it up and running. It is VERY slow, booting generates a bunch of errors because of hardware it can't find, and, probably needs a RAM swap file. But, at least I can Google and I am seeing if I can convert the 2 HDDs to GPT while the MB is in for repair. The old MB, also ASUS, does not support Windows 11. When I try to convert the HDD to GPT, it warns me that if my MB does not support GPT, that it won't boot after the conversion. Also, I am afraid that the 10-12 year old HDD cannot be converted to GPT.

*** bottom

Yes, multiple issues and I can't seem to find all the answers in one place and multiple issues linked together - hence me posting here. I will try to break this down into individual issues/questions:

• Does the Windows 11 requirement of GPT apply to all HDD/SSD or only the boot HDD/SSD?
• Can I format/partition the old HDD that is the SSD mirror to have both Windows 10 and Windows 11?

The idea would be to upgrade the new computer/MB to Windows 11 and have the old HDD as a fallback in case the SSD fails. If that is the case, can that old HDD boot/run Windows 11? That would seem to be dependent upon it being able to convert to GPT. Next, if the new MB fails (like my current situation), could I use that old HDD to boot to Windows 10 on the old MB? That would seem to be dependent upon that HDD having both Windows 10 and 11 AND being able to choose Windows 10 if it is running on the old MB. I understand that all of this may be dependent upon whether or not the old HDD can convert to GPT and/or if the old MB can run that HDD if it has been converted to GPT.

Basically, am I gonna be able to keep this old HDD and have all of this flexibility? Otherwise, would it be better to leave Windows 10 on the old HDD, leave it in the old computer case attached to the old MB, and, just move the new 2TB HDD into that old computer if/when the new MB fails again?

Any info and/or advice is GREATLY appreciated!

Answer 1

Hello @Steve Randolph

Windows 11 doesn't require to have a GPT partition in all drives other than the one in which it is been loaded. But it is advisable to have GPT in all drivers. One advantage of GPT disks is that you can have more than four partitions on each disk. GPT is also required for disks larger than two terabytes (TB).

Convert an MBR disk into a GPT disk
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/disk-management/change-an-mbr-disk-into-a-gpt-disk

If you install Windows on a device that has multiple hard drives, you can use the disk location path to make sure that your images are applied to the intended drives.

To do this, run diskpart and then SELECT DISK=<disk location path> to select each drive. For example: SELECT DISK=PCIROOT(0)#PCI(0100)#ATA(C00T00L00)

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/hard-drives-and-partitions?view=windows-11

So my advice would be to leave Windows 10 on the old HDD and move your 2TB drive.

Hope this resolves your Query!!

--If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept it as an answer-

Answer 2

Thank you LimitlessTechnology-2700 for your reply.

I understand the advantages of GPT, but, simply I had not seen an answer to the question of "do all drives have to be GPT?".

And, I have found several ways to convert to GPT, so, that is not a problem.

Concerning your statement "If you install Windows on a device that has multiple hard drives, you can use the disk location path to make sure that your images are applied to the intended drives", I am a bit confused with the terminology. Please clarify "disk location path" and "images applied to the intended drives".

I am pretty much resigned to marrying the old MB and the old HDD to Windows 10 and just keeping the Windows 10 updated as my fallback. Not the end of the world, but, it would be nice to satisfy my brain that I have explored all options.