Preserving Windows Partitions: Ubuntu Installation Fails with MBR2GPT

Preserving Windows Partitions: Ubuntu Installation Fails MBR2GPT

If you're attempting to install Ubuntu alongside an existing Windows installation on a hard disk, you might encounter a problem where the Ubuntu installer creates a mixed MBR-GPT partitioning scheme. This issue can arise when your system is using UEFI/BIOS and doesn't recognize the partitions properly.

Understanding MBR and GPT Partitioning Schemes

MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT (GUID Partition Table) are two different partitioning schemes used for hard disks. MBR is the older of the two and has limitations, such as supporting a maximum of four primary partitions and a maximum disk size of 2TB. GPT, on the other hand, overcomes these limitations and offers several advantages, including support for larger disk sizes and more partitions.

The MBR2GPT Tool

Windows 10 comes with a built-in tool called MBR2GPT that can convert MBR disks to GPT without data loss. However, this tool has some limitations and might not work correctly in some scenarios, such as when you're trying to install Ubuntu alongside Windows.

Installing Ubuntu Alongside Windows

To install Ubuntu alongside Windows, you need to follow these steps:

1. Create a bootable USB drive with the Ubuntu installation media.
2. Boot your system from the USB drive and select "Try Ubuntu" to launch the live environment.
3. Open the "GParted" partition editor and resize the existing Windows partition to make room for Ubuntu.
4. Create a new partition for Ubuntu using the available space.
5. Launch the Ubuntu installer and select "Something else" when prompted for the installation type.
6. Select the new partition you created and choose the ext4 file system.
7. Set the mount point to "/" and proceed with the installation.

Troubleshooting MBR2GPT Issues

If you encounter issues with the MBR2GPT tool, you can try the following steps:

1. Convert the Windows disk back to MBR using the mbr2gpt /convertMBR command.
2. Install Ubuntu alongside Windows using the steps outlined above.
3. Convert the Windows disk back to GPT using the mbr2gpt /convert command.

References

• MBR2GPT Documentation
• Installing Ubuntu Desktop
• Converting MBR to GPT on Ask Ubuntu

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