Formatting system with MBR to GPT

Issues & Assistance Newbies
1

Hey everyone. Been using Garuda Linux for a while and so far really liking it. Recently I discovered that my entire disks are using MBR, therefore not booting EFI even though my motherboard supports it, so I was wondering, if I boot into live ISO and choose to install Garuda and replace my entire disk, will I have the option to choose GPT partitioning? And will my Windows Dual boot be erased from everything (I want this to happen), even the possible GRUB entry?

Thanks for any help here :slight_smile:

garuda-inxi of my actual installation 
System:
  Kernel: 6.6.7-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1 clocksource: tsc
    available: hpet,acpi_pm parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
    root=UUID=6b5b9c23-853e-414d-a6bc-aaa81fb8b311 rw rootflags=subvol=@ quiet loglevel=3 ibt=off
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.10 tk: Qt v: 5.15.11 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2 dm: SDDM
    Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ASRock model: H110M-HG4 serial: <superuser required>
    UEFI-[Legacy]: American Megatrends v: P7.40 date: 06/22/2018
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i5-7400 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Kaby Lake gen: core 7 level: v3
    note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0x9E (158) stepping: 9
    microcode: 0xF4
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 256 KiB desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB
    L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 6 MiB desc: 1x6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 3322 high: 3338 min/max: 800/3500 scaling: driver: intel_pstate
    governor: powersave cores: 1: 3308 2: 3320 3: 3323 4: 3338 bogomips: 24000
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities: <filter>
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 3GB] driver: nvidia v: 545.29.06
    alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm non-free: 545.xx+ status: current (as of 2023-10; EOL~2026-12-xx)
    arch: Pascal code: GP10x process: TSMC 16nm built: 2016-2021 pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s
    lanes: 16 ports: active: none off: HDMI-A-1 empty: DP-1,DVI-D-1 bus-ID: 01:00.0
    chip-ID: 10de:1c02 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.10 with: Xwayland v: 23.2.3 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X:
    loaded: nvidia unloaded: modesetting,nouveau alternate: fbdev,nv,vesa gpu: nvidia,nvidia-nvswitch
    display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 101 s-size: 483x272mm (19.02x10.71") s-diag: 554mm (21.82")
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-1 mapped: HDMI-0 note: disabled model: LG (GoldStar) FULL HD built: 2016
    res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 102 gamma: 1.2 size: 480x270mm (18.9x10.63") diag: 551mm (21.7")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 640x480
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: nvidia platforms: device: 0 drv: nvidia device: 2 drv: swrast gbm:
    drv: nvidia surfaceless: drv: nvidia x11: drv: nvidia inactive: wayland,device-1
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6.0 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: nvidia mesa v: 545.29.06 glx-v: 1.4
    direct-render: yes renderer: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB/PCIe/SSE2 memory: 2.93 GiB
  API: Vulkan Message: No Vulkan data available.
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 100 Series/C230 Series Family HD Audio vendor: ASRock driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_avs bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:a170 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: NVIDIA GP106 High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 3
    speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:10f1 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.6.7-zen1-1-zen status: kernel-api tools: N/A
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: ASRock driver: r8169
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: d000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168
    class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.03 TiB used: 17.63 GiB (1.7%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Lexar model: 128GB SSD size: 119.24 GiB block-size:
    physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s tech: SSD serial: <filter> fw-rev: 1A scheme: MBR
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: Seagate model: ST1000DM010-2EP102 size: 931.51 GiB
    block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s tech: HDD rpm: 7200 serial: <filter>
    fw-rev: CC43 scheme: MBR
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 38.09 GiB size: 38.09 GiB (100.00%) used: 17.63 GiB (46.3%) fs: btrfs
    de
v: /dev/sda4 maj-min: 8:4
  ID-2: /home raw-size: 38.09 GiB size: 38.09 GiB (100.00%) used: 17.63 GiB (46.3%) fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/sda4 maj-min: 8:4
  ID-3: /var/log raw-size: 38.09 GiB size: 38.09 GiB (100.00%) used: 17.63 GiB (46.3%) fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/sda4 maj-min: 8:4
  ID-4: /var/tmp raw-size: 38.09 GiB size: 38.09 GiB (100.00%) used: 17.63 GiB (46.3%) fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/sda4 maj-min: 8:4
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) zswap: no
  ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 15.58 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: 100 comp: zstd
    avail: lzo,lzo-rle,lz4,lz4hc,842 max-streams: 4 dev: /dev/zram0
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 44.0 C pch: 41.5 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 42 C
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A gpu: nvidia fan: 27%
Info:
  Processes: 219 Uptime: 0m wakeups: 0 Memory: total: 16 GiB available: 15.58 GiB
  used: 1.47 GiB (9.4%) Init: systemd v: 255 default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers:
  gcc: 13.2.1 Packages: pm: pacman pkgs: 1351 libs: 382 tools: octopi,paru Client: shell wrapper
  v: 5.2.21-release inxi: 3.3.31
Garuda (2.6.21-1):
  System install date:     2023-12-10
  Last full system update: 2023-12-19
  Is partially upgraded:   No
  Relevant software:       snapper NetworkManager dracut nvidia-dkms
  Windows dual boot:       <superuser required>
  Failed units:
2

Check in live ISO :slight_smile:

grafik
grafik999Ă—275 60.2 KB

Yes, if not remove it with efibootmgr

Btw,

  • After rebooting, post the FULL output of garuda-inxi in the body of the post (not linked externally, or collapsed with the “hide details” feature)
3 Likes
3

Thanks, but I’ve BIOS and MBR instead of EFI and GPT. Should I use KDE partition manager in live mode to erase my partition table and create a new GPT one?

1 Like
4

I never used it. Can you click on it and change from MBR to GPT?
Did you use “delete volume”?
Maybe you just play it through, the installation takes less than 4 minutes for me :slight_smile:
If necessary, you can always use gparted afterwards :slight_smile:

Maybe I don’t understand the problem right now? :thinking:

2 Likes
5

Unfortunately can’t change it. I guess I would need to create a new GPT partition table in gparted, and then I hope EFI appears as an option to install Garuda. This has nothing to do with how the ISO has been burned on the flash drive (like burning it in a MBR system, I’ve heard it somewhere), right?

6

The live environment supports both. It is supposed to detect if UEFI is in use, and if not launch the installer in legacy/BIOS mode.

In your BIOS settings, disable CSM or set it to “UEFI only” mode, then boot to the live environment for the installation. If you are wiping the disk you can just choose that option in Calamares and you shouldn’t even need to do any disk prep beforehand. If it shows it’s going to make a 300MB EFI partition, then it’s in UEFI mode.

4 Likes
8

OK let’s clarify. If you change your partition table to GPT you will lose any installed OS’s on that drive. Now are you having any issues with either Garuda or Windows or missing features from your motherboard under UEFI that you would like to have? SGS is right if you still want to change from mbr to GPT then you’ll want the partition manager in the live environment.

I found this for Windows, but that said I would still research the program and see what mileage others have gotten with it. Then if you do decide to convert to GPT you should only have to redo Garuda.

9

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