Buzz
The UEFI - GPT standard has been around for a while, but it seems to have gained prominence with the advent of Windows 10, which only supports installing 64-bit operating systems instead of the old Legacy BIOS standard. However, with numerous significant improvements and optimal support for Windows 10, this standard deserves to be the preferred choice. Installing Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT mode is also nothing new.
Creating a bootable USB or a USB for installing Windows 10 is nothing out of the ordinary, but how do we create a bootable USB or a USB for installing Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT mode, and is the installation process any different? Let's find out in the following article.
Step-by-Step Guide to Installing Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT Mode
Understanding UEFI
Before delving into the guide on installing Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT mode, let's take a moment to understand what UEFI is all about.
UEFI, introduced in 2005, has become widely popular on various devices. Its advantages include not only inheriting the old Legacy BIOS standard on our computers but also enabling faster OS boot times.
The greatest advantage of the UEFI standard is evident in its support for hard drives, which can handle up to 1 ZB (1 billion TB of storage) compared to just 2TB with the MBR standard, allowing for up to 128 partitions. However, UEFI only supports 64-bit operating systems, unlike the legacy MBR.
What You Need:
- Download Rufus, specialized software for installing Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT mode.
- Download Windows 10 64-bit. (Make sure to select the appropriate version)
1. Format the USB drive and load the Windows 10 installation files using the UEFI - GPT standard.
Step 1: After downloading Rufus, install and open the software. It will automatically detect your USB drive once connected. Keep all settings as default and click on the drive icon.
Step 2: Navigate to the location of the Windows 10 64-bit ISO file using the provided link and click Open to select it.
Step 3: Once you've made your selection, the message Ready will appear. Click Start to begin creating the USB installer for Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT mode.
Step 4: Prior to proceeding with the installation of Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT mode, the system will prompt you to confirm whether you want to erase all existing data on the USB. Confirm by selecting OK.
This process will take approximately 5 minutes, including loading and copying Windows 10 to the USB drive.
Once completed, simply click on Close to exit.
With the installation of Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT mode complete, restart your computer to proceed with the Windows 10 setup.
2. Proceed with installing Windows 10 64-bit.
Step 1: First, access the BIOS of your computer or laptop and select the UEFI standard for the USB drive. The display method may vary depending on the motherboard model. Also, refer to how to access the BIOS to determine how to enter your product's BIOS.
Step 2: Here is the basic Windows 10 setup step where you can press Next.
Next, click Install to proceed with the installation.
Step 3: Select the version of Windows 10 to install. This step depends on your preference, and Mytour recommends choosing Windows 10 Pro.
Step 4: The system prompts us to update Windows 10 or just reinstall it. In reality, to install Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT mode, we must select the option to update Windows 10. There, we will proceed to format and reinstall Windows.
Step 5: At this stage, you must pay close attention. With the UEFI standard, your hard drive must be converted to GPT format instead of MBR as before. Failure to do so will result in an error message as shown below.
To convert the drive to GPT, follow the steps below.
Step 6: While still on the same interface, press the Shift + F10 key combination to open the Command Prompt. Here, type Diskpart.
Step 7: Enter the command List disk to display the list of hard drives.
And the list of hard drives will be shown immediately afterwards.
Note: This is an example from us; in reality, you may have 2, 3 separate drives.
Step 8: If the drive you identified for Windows installation is Disk 0, type the command select Disk 0.
Step 9: Type the command Clean after selecting the drive for formatting.
Note: The Clean or Clean All command may result in complete data loss if drives C, D, E share the same hard drive, not separate drives. Therefore, consider carefully before using this drive or you can skip this command and proceed with formatting later.
Step 10: Next, type the command Convert GPT to convert the drive from MBR to GPT.
Step 11: Finally, press the command list disk to check if the drive has been converted to GPT or not.
If there is a * mark in the GPT column, it means you have successfully converted the hard drive to GPT.
Now you can close the Command Prompt, click Refresh on the Windows 10 installation interface, and proceed with the installation as usual until you reach Windows 10. For detailed instructions on installing Windows 10, you can refer to the link here if you have never installed this operating system before.
Mytour has provided detailed instructions on the most important steps to install Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT. For the remaining steps of installing Windows 10, please refer to the link above. Then, experience whether using Windows 10 in the usual way or in UEFI - GPT mode has any differences.
If you have already installed Windows 10 64-bit in UEFI - GPT mode, why not try creating a UEFI bootable USB for convenient troubleshooting when needed? Additionally, this is essential as the UEFI standard becomes increasingly popular. Learn how to create a UEFI bootable USB to see how it differs from the usual method.
