How to perform UEFI Restore on a GPT Disk

About UEFI and BIOS

Both UEFI and BIOS are two models that handle the boot process. They perform a POST (Power-On Self-Test) to check all connected devices and locate the master boot record or UEFI bootloader, typically stored in the first sector of a disk. Once complete, they start the computer's Kernel.

UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) replaced BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) in 2011, enhancing computer security and supporting most existing BIOS systems with backward compatibility.

• The device can divide a GPT disk into 128 partitions.
• It supports partition sizes up to 9.4 ZB (assuming 512-byte sectors).
• It also provides faster boot time.
• It adds secure boot and networking features.
• It is compatible with both 32-bit and 63 bit programs.

Users want to use the GPT disk as a system disk to take advantage of its benefits.

Check Your Disk 

The UEFI restore process requires a GPT disk, so you should first verify that your disk is in GPT format before attempting to restore a backup image. If it is, you can proceed with the restore. If not, you'll need to convert it to GPT format first.

Step 1. Open Disk Management on your PC.

To open the Disk Management window, press the shortcut keys Win + R, type in "diskmgmt.msc", and press Enter. This will load the Disk Management window.

Step 2. Check the disk type of your system disk.

To check if a disk is MBR or GPT, you can right-click the disk, select Properties, then Volumes, and look for Partition Style, which will show either GPT or MBR.

You can also right-If the "Convert to MBR Disk" option is available, it means Windows has been installed on the GPT disk and the computer supports UEFI Boot.

Best UEFI Restore Software for Windows PCs

If your computer uses a GPT disk, you can easily perform UEFI recovery as long as you have a system image backup of it, which can be created using Windows backup software.

Qiling Disk Master Standard is a good choice for backing up and restoring systems or disks, ensuring the restored system is bootable. It supports UEFI recovery in two situations:

• Directly restore image created on the GPT disk.
• Restore backup image created on the BIOS system to UEFI.

In situations where a backup image is readily available, selecting it is a straightforward process. However, when dealing with boot issues, especially when transitioning between BIOS and UEFI systems, the process becomes more complex due to differences in boot modes and firmware.

To ensure a computer is bootable after recovery, you need to install all necessary drivers, which can be done using the Universal Restore feature in the advanced edition of Qiling Disk Master.

How to Run UEFI Recovery on GPT System Disk

Here we will show you how to perform UEFI recovery in different situations. Qiling Disk Master Standard can handle the UEFI restore easily if it is created on a GPT disk, but for images created on the BIOS system, please upgrade to Qiling Disk Master Professional or a higher edition.

Directly Restore Image Created on a GPT disk 

Download and install Qiling Disk Master Standard, which supports Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, XP, and Vista, and is also available in a server version.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

You also need to make preparations as follows:

• Prepare a GPT disk to receive backup image. Initialize disk if it is a new one.
• Please create a backup of any important data on the GPT disk before proceeding, as formatting will delete all data.
• If you have a laptop with only one SATA slot, you can get a SATA cable to connect the SSD to the motherboard. This will allow you to use the SSD as a secondary drive.

Here take Windows 10 UEFI recovery as an example:

Step 1. Click the "Restore" and "Select Task" to choose a system backup task created before, or directly locate it with the "Select Image File" option to proceed to Step 3.

Step 2. All the backup images will be listed in the following window. Select the system image and click"Next".

Step 3. To restore a system backup, select the option to restore the entire system or a specific partition from the backup, and proceed by clicking "Next". If you're restoring to a new hard drive, also check the box to restore the system to a different location.

Step 4. All the operations will be listed. Just confirm the operations, and then click "Proceed" if there isn't any mistake.

Restore BIOS Backup Image to UEFI PC

The preparations and steps are very similar. Click the Upgrade Now in Qiling Disk Master Standard to upgrade now and enjoy the Universal Restore feature.

To restore your system, click the Restore tab and follow the on-screen instructions to run Qiling Disk Master. Ensure you're in the Operation Summary window, and verify that the "Universal Restore" feature is checked. If it's not, select it and click Proceed.

The Universal Restore feature only installs drivers needed to start a computer, but does not install other drivers like video, sound card, display, NIC, etc. by default.

How to Perform UEFI Restore When Your PC won't Boot

To perform UEFI restore on a non-bootable computer, create a bootable disc and access Qiling Disk Master with it.

Step 1. Launch Qiling Disk Master. Go to "Tools" at the left side > "Create Bootable Media".

Step 2. At the "Select Bootable Media" step, choose "USB Boot Device" and click "Next" to start the process, then shut down your computer once it's complete.

Step 3. To resolve the issue, restart your PC and repeatedly press the Del (or F12 or F2) key to access the BIOS settings. Once in the BIOS, change the boot priority to the bootable USB drive, allowing the PC to boot from it instead of the hard drive. This should allow you to access the installation media and proceed with the installation process.

Step 4. The Qiling Disk Master at the desktop will be loaded. Click the "Restore" button and perform UEFI restore, following the same steps as before.

Summary

You can easily perform UEFI restore if your backup image is created on a GPT disk, but if it's created on a BIOS system, you'll need to use the Universal Restore feature on the advanced edition of Qiling Disk Master.

Backup software is necessary to foster a habit of regular system backup and data backup, as restore processes are based on valid backup images.