Logo
Cookies: Choose:

This site uses cookies for better functionality, and to be able to continuously improve it.
There are only cookies to maintain the functionality of the site and Google ads.

Installation in UEFI mod

Windows Tips & Tricks

Installation in UEFI mod

»» 14.MAR.2018 / updated: 14.DEC.2019/

Installation in UEFI mod: UEFI, the Universal Extensible Firmware Interface, replaces the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) firmware interface, is software stored on a small memory chip on the motherboard that runs first when the computer or laptop starts, which is responsible for loading Windows' system files. It is faster than the BIOS, it has more security features, boot-Secure and Windows Defender support to protect authentication, support for 2 terabytes of large hard drives and more than four partitions.

Stellar-Data-Recovery-Software

If you want to use the benefits of UEFI without changing your old hard disk, you will need to delete the MBR partition table, because UEFI requires the new GPT partition.

The operation consists of four parts: 1.) - Preparation, 2.) - Deleting partitions, 3.) - Deleting old MBR table, 4.) - Installing Windows 10


First part: Consists of three step

Preparation: First step: Download the Windows ISO Downloader.exe program that will download the Windows 10 ISO file. After downloading, click on the program icon, then select the Windows 10 radio button on the right side of the window, then select the Windows version (e.g: Windows Home / Pro) with click on the small, black down arrow, and then click the Confirm button that appeared. Choose the language at the bottom, left of the window, then click the Confirm button that appears below. Save, for example on Desktop. After selecting and confirming the language, you can download the 32/64 bit version in a new window.

Quick tip: If you already have a USB flash drive (or USB drive) that already includes Windows 10, scroll down, you can skip this section:

If you do not have a Windows ISO system, do the following:

1.) Left-click the downloaded Windows-ISO-Downloader.exe program icon. In the menu on the right side of the program, select the downloadable system by clicking the radio button in front of the system.

Windows-ISO-Downloader program

2.) A drop-down menu will appear. Click the down arrow with the left mouse button and select the Windows version you want to install in the drop-down window. Click the blue Confirm button. Another menu appears where you can select the language. In this case the English language.

Select the version of Windows you want to download

3.) Click the Windows 64-bit version of the new window. Click the Save button in the download window and save the ISO file to a location that is easily accessible, because with Rufus software we will write to a bootable USB drive immediately.

Click on the Windows 64-bit version

Save it to your desktop using the file manager window that appears because Rufus software will immediately write to a flashdrive or USB drive of at least 8 GB.

Quick Tip: Save to another partition or drive from where you can easily access it again later.

Preparare: Step two: Connect a flash drive (or pendrive, but the flash drive is faster) larger than 4 GB. to a free USB port of your computer or laptop. It should not be formatted for now.

Connect a flash drive

Quick Tip: Attention! Save all open documents, or other windows because you need to restart your computer.

Preparation: Step Three: Download the program Rufus, to create bootable Windows system installation device in UEFI mode. You do not have to install it, simply click on the icon of the downloaded program, and you can use it immediately. (At first, it will ask to allow you to search for the newer version. Click OK.) Then the program automatically finds the connected USB device, above, under Device. If you found more than one device, select with the small arrow you want to use. Set the program as follows:

  1. Click the SELECT button, and then the Explorer window, where you search for the downloaded Windows 10 ISO file, appears, and click on it to upload to the program.
  2. Set Standard Windows Installation to be configured for UEFI machines, click the small arrow down.
  3. Under "Partition Scheme" select GPT. Under "Target System" select UEFI (non CSM).
  4. Set NTFS under File System instead of FAT32, click the small arrow down, and select NTFS. Under the -Label of the new volume-, you can leave the name given by the program, or you can enter a different name. For example: Windows 10.
  5. Click the START button to copy the ISO files to the flash drive. It doesn't take more than a few minutes. When done, click the Close button, which appears after copying the files.

copying ISO files to the flash drive

With this we are really ready to launch the installation of Windows in UEFI mode, but the hard disk needs to be pre-prepared, because so far it contains an MBR partition scheme, but UEFI requires the GPT partitioning scheme, which is provided by Rufus program, if you did it correctly.


Part two: Delete partitions

Restart the computer with the USB bootable device created with Rufus, as if you were installing Windows, but just go only to PARTITION, and then restart the computer again for the next step. Do as follows:

1.) Restart your computer or laptop and immediately press the F2 (or DEL) button on the keyboard. The UEFI (BIOS) window appears, where you select with the mouse the start sequence of the flash drive. Press the F10 key on the keyboard to exit UEFI (BIOS), and when prompted to confirm if you want to exit, click Yes or OK..

select the start sequence with the mouse

2.) Restart your computer, laptop, and it will begin installation on your USB device. On the first installation screen, select the language and keyboard input method - you can leave the defaults, Romanian, and click Next.

Restart your computer, laptop, and installation will begin

3.) Click Instant installation (Install now) in the middle of the window.

click Instant installation

4.) In the next window DO NOT enter the Windows product key, because now you do not install the system, just delete the partitions, click on the bottom, the link I do not have a product key so you can go on.

DO NOT enter the product key

5.) You must accept the following conditions. Check the bottom left corner of the radio button next to I accept the terms of the license and click Next.

I accept the terms of the license

6.) Here, select the Custom section so that during installation, the hard disk can be partitioned.

Select Custom

7.) The following window is Where do you install Windows? The image below shows an example of 320 GB hard disk. This disk contains several tables of old MBR (Master Boot Record) BIOS partitions on which the new Windows system cannot be installed in UEFI mode. A pop-up window appears with an error text: Windows cannot be installed on this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. In the UEFI system, Windows can only be installed on GPT disks. Click OK in the small window.

8.) This warning window appeared because the hard disk now contains an MBR partition scheme, but UEFI must now have the GPT partition scheme.

Windows cannot be installed on this disk

9.) If you see multiple partitions in this window, and it is similar to the image below, left-click on each partition to select it one by one (order is not essential) and click with the left mouse button, the Delete button. Don't move on. DON'T Click Next if your hard drive is split into multiple parts.

Do NOT click Next

10.) Repeat deletion with the remaining partitions until the entire 320GB remains (in this example).

Repeat the deletion

Ready. Only the old MBR partition table needs to be deleted. For MBR / GPT conversion, we use our own Command Line tool. In the next step, all you have to do is delete the MBR table with Command Prompt with the clean command.


Third part: Convert MBR / GPT partitions:

Restart the computer from the USB device, which contains the bootable Windows installation system, which you have prepared by the method described above, but only go to the command line (Command Prompt), and then restart your computer again, the third time, for the final step of installing the actual Windows 10. Do the following:

1.) After you have finished deleting partitions using the method described above, close the installation windows by clicking the red button on the top right of the window, then restarts your computer automatically. Immediately press the F2 (or DEL) key on the keyboard immediately, to enter the UEFI window (BIOS), select the boot sequence with the mouse to start the installation on the Flash Drive ready with Rufus program. To exit Bios, press the F10 key on the keyboard and, if you are prompted to confirm the output, click Yes or OK with the mouse. Let's start it all as usual as if we wanted to install Windows

select the startup sequence

2.) After restart, start installing Windows on your USB device. On the first installation screen, select the language and keyboard input method - you can leave the defaults, English, and click Next.

system installation starts

3.) Click the Computer Repair link on the bottom left of the window.

Computer repair

4.) Click the button Troubleshoot.

Click the button Troubleshoot

5.) Click the Command Prompt button in the Advanced Options window.

Click the Command Prompt

6.) In the Command Line window, type the diskpart command using the keyboard, and then press Enter.

comand diskpart

7.) In the new window, type the following commands using the buttons on the keyboard, one by one, and after each command entered, press the Enter key to confirm the order (of course, no numbers).

  1. list disk

  2. select disk 0

  3. clean

  4. convert gpt

  5. exit

type the orders

Quick tip: There is no need to enter the convert gpt command from the above command lines, because the Windows system installer created with Rufus automatically. Therefore, after you have entered the clean command, you can directly type the exit command.

After entering the exit command, and pressing Enter, the window closes. Then close the installation windows by clicking the red button on the top right of the window, then restart your computer automatically. Immediately press the F2 (or DEL) key on the keyboard immediately, to enter the UEFI window (BIOS), select the boot sequence with the mouse to start the installation on the Flash Drive ready with Rufus program. To exit Bios, press the F10 key on the keyboard and, if you are prompted to confirm the output, click Yes or OK with the mouse.

Turn on or restart your computer


Part four: Install Windows

Your computer, laptop restarts and starts installing Windows on your USB device.

The clean installation process consists of two parts. First of all, you must complete the installation process, which allows you to delete the partitions, which ensures its cleanliness, removes any spyware, viruses, configures the partitions and installs a partition. Clean copy of Windows 10. The second part is the OOBE (out-of-box) process, which allows you to configure your personal settings, language, account, privacy, and more.


Installation

After you have done a lot of preparations, from the preparation steps and creating a USB bootable media, you can proceed to the next step, completing the clean installation in Windows 10's UEFI Mode. Do the following steps:

1.) Start or restart your computer with the Windows 10 USB storage drive, which was created using Rufus software, as described above. If the BIOS settings are set up correctly and your computer starts from the USB device, the following window will ask you to press any key on the keyboard to get started. Warning: Just press any button now. At restart NO press, even if prompted, because the installation will restart again!

Turn on or restart your computer

2.) If the language, currency, and keyboard settings in the "Windows Install" window are correct, click the Next button.

language, currency and keyboard configuration

3.) In the next window, click Installation.

In the next window, click Install

4.) Enter the Windows 10 Product Key using the keyboard, and then click Next.

Enter the Windows 10 product key

5.) To continue, select the I accept the license terms check box and click Next.

select the I accept the license terms check box

6.) In the next window, click Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).

În fereastra următoare, faceți clic pe Custom

Because with the method described above (in the second and third part of the description) all partitions have been deleted, and the old MBR partition tables through the command line, in this installation section (only in this example), there is a hard drive 320 GB clean disk, which you can create new partitions, but now already on GPT partition tables, which can install Windows 10, in UEFI mode. (The conversion to USB was done by the Rufus installer, with no intervention).

7.) To create new partitions, follow these steps: Right-click on the New link below.

creating new partitions

8.) In the new window, enter the size of a new partition in the Size line, which can be specified in kilobytes. To create a 100 GB partition it takes 6 digits (eg: 100Gb = 100303, should be slightly larger than the round number 100000), and click the button Apply.

enter the size

9.) A new pop-up window appears, with a warning that it will use the new UEFI GPT partition table instead of the old MBR (Master Boot Record), so unlike the old one, it will create several smaller hidden partitions for UEFI, which is another secure advantage (secure system startup). A 500 MB is being prepared for restoration, a 100 MB loading partition, the rest for the system's own files, of which only the latter will be visible after installation, the smallest are hidden. Click on OK.

secure system startup

10.) Repeat until you find enough partitions.

Quick tip: Example: Resize at least two partitions, one for the operating system and programs, and one for store personal data, or in three partitions, one for operating system and software, and two for storing personal data, so there is a greater chance that, in the event of a fatal error, personal data will be safe.

Finally, click the first partition that you created and then, below on Format. Do the same with each partition. Make sure the file system is in NTFS format. Warning: Formatting other smaller drives is STRICTLY PROHIBITED!

After formatting, click the Next button.

first partition

Quick Tip: If this description seems to be very long, it does not mean that nobody knows how to install Windows system in UEFI mode without IT knowledge. Just start with the beginning of the description and open this page on your smartphone or tablet.

12.) Ready. The actual installation of Windows 10 will start automatically. Patience. At the end of the list, the Finishing up section will restart the system.

in the Finish section will restart the system

Quick Tip: Warning: After restarting, press the key on the keyboard IT IS PROHIBITED, even if you are asked, because it will restart the installation! It is a good idea to remove the USB installation unit immediately after switching off. No need to drive.

13.) After starting, the first window in which you configure the installed files appears. It only takes 3-4 minutes.

the first window in which to configure the files

14.) Set the keyboard in the next window. If correct, click Yes.

Set the keyboard

15.) If you use a different keyboard, you can choose here. If not, click the Skip button (ie NO).

you can select the keyboard

16.) Configuration of the installation done so far.

Configure the installation

17.) Click Set up for personal use to select it. Then click Next. (Setup for an organization (Set up for an organization) means joining a domain based on Windows server, which is rarely configured even on corporate machines).

Configuration for personal use

18.) If you have a Microsoft account, enter your email address and enter your password in the next window. In this installation example, we are not logging in, so please click the Offline account link and click Next.

Quick Tip: To complete the seamless installation, NO sign now in to your Microsoft account. You can login after installation.

Enter your email address and enter your password

19.) In this window, click the down arrow to select a question, then enter the answer in the bar below (make sure you don't forget). Repeat and click Next.

Click the down arrow to select a question

20.) Click Yes to display additional information windows.

additional informative windows

21.) You will see 5-6 windows where you can select, approve or disable Microsoft activities, such as Location Service, Device Tracking, Sending Diagnostic Data, typing or displaying ads. Read carefully and click to select all windows, then click Accept.

approves or disables Microsoft activities

22.) It completes in the background the tasks installed so far. Patience.

Complete the installed tasks in the background

23.) Ready. Installation is complete. Launch the Desktop and browser window where you can read more information and tips. Click the red close button on the top right.

Installation is complete

Note: - If you open this page on a tablet or smartphone, you will be able to follow this description while installing the system on your computer.

If this description seems to be very long, it does not mean that no one knows how to install Windows system in UEFI mode without IT knowledge. Just start with the beginning of the description. The transformation, deletion, creation of new partitions and finally, the installation of the system, takes only 30-40 minutes. It takes more time to read the description than to perform the operation.

END

at the top of the page