Problem
Fedora 42 Workstation features a new “webUI” installer front-end, which offers a new installation option “Reinstall Fedora”. This will reinstall the existing Fedora system, but will keep user files (in their home) intact.
However, this option is currently not supported on disks with MBR partition table. If you don’t see the “Reinstall Fedora” option as illustrated below, this can be one of the reasons why.
Cause
Full support for MBR disks wasn’t implemented in Fedora 42 timeframe.
Related Issues
Bugzilla report: #2353002
Workarounds
The workarounds below describe advanced workflows and you should understand disk partitioning concepts well, otherwise you might lose data. Before you do anything, back up your important data.
You can use “Mount point assignment” option, where you manually specify which partition should get mounted where. If you need to make any changes, you can do them in your preferred tool before running the installer.
Another option is to use the integrated “Cockpit storage editor” in the installer. Click the three dots menu in the upper right corner to launch it. You can edit your partitions and configure your preferred installation layout. Note that any storage changes are performed immediately.
Note: In future, it’s recommended the use the modern GPT partition table for your disks instead.