2 Ways to Convert MBR to GPT in Windows Server 2022

by John, Updated on: August 25, 2026

Compared to an MBR style disk, GPT has more advantages. For example, it overcomes the 2TB restriction and is able to create more than 4 Primary partitions on a disk. If an operating system has been installed or data has been saved on an MBR disk, it is best to convert the MBR disk to GPT nondestructively. To convert MBR to GPT in Windows Server 2022, you can try Windows' built-in tools and third-party software. This article introduces how to convert a disk from MBR to GPT in Windows Server 2022 with detailed steps.

Convert MBR to GPT

Select the Right Tool to Convert a Disk

To convert MBR to GPT for a Windows 2022 server, there are 2 choices: Windows built-in tools and disk partition software. Compare their abilities and select the right tool that fits your needs.

Disk Management - There is a "Convert to GPT Disk" option when you right-click the leftmost area of an MBR disk in Disk Management, but it is always grayed out. To enable this option, you must delete all partitions on this disk. Obviously, this tool cannot be used to convert a system disk to GPT.

The MBR2GPT command - Starting from Windows Server 2019, Microsoft provided the MBR2GPT command to help convert an MBR disk to GPT without deleting partitions or losing data. However, this tool can only convert a system disk from MBR to GPT.

Disk partition software - Some third-party software has the option to convert a system disk from MBR to GPT, but you had better accomplish this task with the Windows built-in tool, because the operating system and programs are installed on the system disk, and you should pay more attention to safety. But to convert an MBR disk without an operating system, third-party software is required.

How to Convert MBR to GPT for a System Disk

As explained above, the Windows built-in MBR2GPT command is the best tool to help convert a disk from MBR to GPT. However, there is a problem: not all disks can be converted. To use this tool, your disk partition configuration must meet some requirements.

Conditions to run the MBR2GPT command in Server 2022:

  1. There must be no Logical drive on this MBR disk. If there is, follow the method to convert the Logical partition to Primary.
  2. There is a maximum of 3 Primary partitions on this disk. If there are 4, follow the method to move one partition to another disk.
  3. There should be no partitions not supported by Windows on this disk, such as EXT2 or EXT3.

MBR2GPT will validate the disk partition layout in advance; if the validation fails, the conversion will not continue. If it converts successfully, the changes cannot be undone, and there is no Windows built-in tool to convert GPT to MBR without losing data.

How to convert MBR to GPT in Windows Server 2022 with the MBR2GPT command:

  1. Make a system backup in advance and make sure your computer supports UEFI booting.
  2. Press the Windows + R keys together, input cmd, and press Enter.
  3. In the command prompt window, input mbr2gpt /disk:0 /convert /allowFullOS and then press Enter. If your system disk is not 0, replace it with the right number.

One more point: If you convert MBR to GPT via this command without extending the System Reserved partition, there will be an EFI partition created behind the C drive. Disk Management and other built-in tools cannot do anything to this EFI partition.

Convert MBR to GPT

If you want to place the EFI partition on the left and make the C drive adjacent to D and other data partitions, follow the method to extend the System Reserved partition.

How to Change MBR to GPT for a Data Disk

If you want to convert an MBR disk without an operating system to GPT, you can use either Disk Management or third-party software. Before converting a disk with Disk Management, you must delete all partitions on this disk. If you do not want to delete partitions, NIUBI Partition Editor is the right choice. It is able to convert MBR to GPT without losing data in several minutes. To accomplish this task, only several clicks are needed.

How to convert MBR to GPT in Windows Server 2022 without data loss:

  1. Download this tool, right-click the leftmost area of the MBR disk, and select "Convert to GPT Disk".
  2. Simply click "Yes" to confirm, then a pending operation is added.
  3. Click Apply on the top left to take effect.

Watch the video to see how to convert MBR to GPT in Server 2022 with both tools:

Convert MBR to GPT

Besides converting MBR to GPT in Windows Server 2022/2019/2016/2012/2008, NIUBI Partition Editor helps you perform many other disk partition management operations, such as shrinking, extending, moving, merging, converting, defragging, hiding, wiping partitions, and scanning for bad sectors.

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