convert windows 7 to BIOS from EFI

So I got a new HDD, a larger one, and I want to transfer all my 7 stuff to that without having to reinstall. With doing my research I can do this by creating a system image. The only issue is my install is a EFI not BIOS so when I try to do the recovery off the new disk says I am unable to due to the bios. So is there any way to convert my install to BIOS from EFI. Or do I have to reinstall windows?

EDIT

I used a cloning software, still had the same issue. I imaged it straight off the windows 7 disc. As I stated earlier, it installed windows as a EFI, not BIOS controlled, so I was looking for a way to change it

Jeffrey

Posted 2013-07-19T02:11:47.697

Reputation: 11

Answers

A hard disk is neither EFI nor BIOS; those are types of firmware on the motherboard. Windows, however, ties its boot mode tightly to the partition table type: Windows can boot from an MBR disk only on a BIOS-based computer and from a GPT disk only on an EFI-based computer. Thus, I suspect that what's happened is that you've copied a GPT disk to use the MBR partition table. If you've already done the disk copying, you may be able to fix this by using my GPT fdisk (gdisk) utility; it can do a lossless MBR-to-GPT conversion. There is one major caveat, though: your disk copy must have copied all of the original disk's partitions, including its EFI System Partition (ESP). If the ESP hasn't been copied, then the new disk won't boot. On an EFI-based computer, though, you do not need to worry about copying or re-creating the boot sector code in the MBR or in the Windows partition(s).

If your disk copy lacks the ESP or if you run into other problems, I recommend you start again but use some other disk-copying software. I'm not very familiar with Windows tools for this so I can't make any specific recommendations.

Rod Smith

Posted 2013-07-19T02:11:47.697

Reputation: 18 427

Would a Win 7 install originally installed on an efi machine be bootable if the disk were moved to a BIOS machine and converted to MBR? Or will there be files missing? – Sirap – 2017-04-03T10:11:31.660

Converting from an EFI-mode boot to a BIOS-mode boot will require changing the partition table type and installing a new boot loader. I don't have a procedure for the latter bookmarked, I'm afraid, so I can't help with it. – Rod Smith – 2017-04-03T13:27:49.767

Sounds like cloning the drive could be a more effective approach.

Scandalist

Posted 2013-07-19T02:11:47.697

Reputation: 2 767

Well thats what the backup option was, an exact image, but upon the recovery it says it cannot do it because the original install was EFI, and the new HDD is BIOS. – Jeffrey – 2013-07-19T02:16:16.877

I am downloading a clone program now to give it a try – Jeffrey – 2013-07-19T02:19:52.033

This sounds like a limitation of the imaging software you used. Did you use Windows to make the image or something else? I believe the Windows version has options to prepare images for UEFI installs. – Scandalist – 2013-07-19T02:32:49.047

You have to make sure that you boot the cloning software from CD/Flashdrive in UEFI mode.

Afterwards it may be necessary to perform a repair of the UEFI boot code using the Windows 7 installation CD.

Robert

Posted 2013-07-19T02:11:47.697

Reputation: 4 857