How to install Windows on GPT disk without UEFI BIOS?

windows hard-drive boot bios gpt

35,571

Solution 1

If another HDD (or at least a USB thumbdrive) isn't an option you are basically SOL.

But since you mentioned a floppy drive... It's a bit crazy but create a Plop bootable floppy. That might work, though seems like a bad idea in the long run.

Of course, Win8 will refuse to install to a GPT disk on a non-UEFI system.

Solution 2

A floppy drive is excellent.

Boot into the Windows install/repair disc.

Just create the system drive on the floppy, and use bcdboot to put your boot files on the floppy. Add a bootsector with bootsect. Change the {bootmgr} device to boot. Boot from floppy.

Steps are detailed here.

35,571

slhck

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

slhck almost 2 years

My PC does not support UEFI BIOS, but it has Legacy BIOS. The motherboard is "P5LD2-X1333".

I need to install Windows 8 on the 3TB hard drive with GPT scheme, since as we know, the MBR scheme does not support more than 2TB space. Also, you can not boot OS from a GPT hard drive without UEFI BIOS.

So how can I use the hard drive with 3TB space with OS and without UEFI BIOS?
- justbrowsing almost 11 years
  
  It's a desktop. Why not add a second HDD to use as boot? I'd recommend keeping a data drive separate from the OS drive if you can afford to (makes OS reinstalls much easier). You could put GRUB on a USB thumbdrive if you had to and chainboot to the Windows bootloader on the 3TB drive (not 100% sure the legacy BIOS would allow that)
- Admin almost 11 years
  
  No I dont have another HDD. instead I have CD\DVD reader and floppy drive.
- Rod Smith almost 11 years
  
  It is possible on some computers, but the process is awkward. See superuser.com/questions/348146/bios-windows-7-8-and-gpt or superuser.com/questions/494303/….
- UbuntuForumsStaffAreTrolls about 4 years
  
  superuser.com/questions/900317/… I never did it on Windows, but I seem to was been able to chain-boot into Linux having Grub installed on the stock MBR HDD...
Ramhound almost 11 years

Windows 7 will also refuse to install. GPT is not supported under BIOS its only supported by UEFI systems.
Rod Smith almost 11 years

BIOS doesn't "support" either MBR or GPT; it's the boot loader that's important. The Windows boot loader is limiting in this respect, but other OSes have no problems booting from GPT on BIOS-based computers.
pabouk - Ukraine stay strong almost 10 years

The comment below is by Michael P. Warnock but was wrongly entered as an edit to the reply.
pabouk - Ukraine stay strong almost 10 years

Not exactly. Once in repair mode it won't recognize the GPT partition where the Windows installation is so you are still screwed because you won't be able to do much if anything without hybrid or other hacks. Just install it with legacy mode enabled instead of UEFI. Who needs all that extra secure crap anyways..and have multiple drives of 2 TB or less if needed. Just a thought. I'm still learning about it all. Takin' it in stride before the next so called great technology appears before us. :) msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/…
Milind R almost 10 years

GPT is a lot more robust, maybe he'll believe me if he sees how fragile MBR disks are. Also he's confused UEFI firmware and GPT partitioning. This is about legacy firmware + GPT. UEFI is not relevant to this method. And it's true automatic repair won't work for this purpose, but the command prompt at that point can fix whatever you need to. This comment is typical anti-MS prejudice. @MichaelPWarnock
UbuntuForumsStaffAreTrolls about 4 years

Server 2008 as well superuser.com/questions/900317/…