It Must Have Happened To You That When You Install Windows, You Encounter A Message About Converting Your Hard Disk Type From GPT To MBR Or Vice Versa.
But what is the best solution in this situation? There are simple ways to convert MBR hard partition to GPT in Windows, which will not harm your data and information. In the rest of this article, we will discuss both methods.
Every day we see the advancement of storage technology and, of course, the increase in the storage capacity of hard drives. As a result, using old partitioning formats is not the answer for new equipment. The MBR format is almost old and cannot meet the unique storage needs.
Instead, the GPT format is an excellent alternative to the MBR format and covers the limitations of this format. These limits include the maximum number of partitions, storage capacity, and redundancy.
Continuing this article from Hardware City, we will introduce these two partitions and how to convert them to each other. Still, before that, we need to get acquainted with partition tables.
What is Partition Table?
All hard drive drives need a partition table to track the available information. The partition table addresses the sections of an industry and helps the operating system find the files it needs. Actually, in simple language, it should be said that the partition table tells the operating system what pattern or language it should use to read partition information and categorize sectors.
Your operating system uses two master boot record partition tables: MBR and GUID Partition Table or GPT. But sometimes, you must switch between MBR and GPT tables, which requires erasing data on the hard drive.
But now there are two free MBR to GPT complex partition conversion software that can be used to change your partition table safely; without deleting the information. But before we do that, let’s look at the difference between MBR and GPT and why each is used.
What is MBR and GPT format?
MBR is the oldest option and, therefore, compatible with many systems. MBR is made for IBM personal systems, so The main alternative is the partition table for Windows devices.
The Master Boot Record is self-explanatory and contains the operating system’s boot loader and drive partition information. MBR only works with 2 TB drives. Additionally, an MBR drive can only have four primary partitions.
GPT is the latest option that is compatible with UEFI BIOS. GUID Partition Table assigns each drive partition a unique identifier (GUID), a 128-bit number that identifies only your hardware.
GPT drives do not suffer from the limitations of an MBR drive and can have up to 128 different partitions in the Windows operating system, and do not use extended partitions.
Another significant difference in GPT drives is the storage of boot information. Unlike MBR drives, GPT drive stores multiple copies of boot data across numerous partitions, making recovery much more accessible.
Not all versions of Windows can boot from a GPT-partitioned drive, as many require a UEFI-based system.
- Windows 10, 8 / 8.1, 7, and 64-bit Vista require a UEFI-based system to boot from a GPT drive.
- Windows 10 and 8 / 8.1 32-bit versions require a UEFI-based system to boot from a GPT drive.
- Windows 7 and Vista 32-bit cannot boot from a GPT drive.
- All mentioned versions of Windows can read from and write to a GPT drive.
Other operating systems also use GPT systems. For example, Apple now uses GPT instead of Apple Partition Table (APT). Additionally, Linux supports built-in GPT drives.
General differences between GPT and MBR
In addition to the above features, you can briefly see the significant user differences between GPT and MBR partition tables in the table below.
| GPT | MBR | |
| Partition type | It is stored in each partition | It is stored in the boot sector |
| Partition limit | Up to 128 primary partitions | Up to 4 primary partitions |
| Dimensions of each partition | Up to 18 exabytes | Up to 2 TB |
| Operating system boot capability | Yes, with UEFI firmware | has it |
| The best system for configuration | On all types of systems | Old systems |
Convert MBR hard partition to GPT
As we have seen, GPT is the newest type of partition table that offers better recovery and overall compatibility. Previously, converting Mbr to Gpt meant erasing the drive as part of the conversion process.
You can use two tools to safely convert your drive without losing data.
Note that there is no going back to converting an MBR to GPT hard partition unless you wipe your drive. This process is entirely one-way.
Convert MBR hard partition to GPT with Command Prompt and MBR2GPT
Microsoft’s MBR2GPT is already available on your system as part of the Windows 10 Creators Update. With the most minor trouble, you can use this tool to change your MBR drive to GPT. Here’s how to do it:
Right-click on the Start menu and select Disk Management; Find the disk you want to convert, right-click on it and select Properties. Go to the Volume tab.
In the Partition Style section, you can see your current partition type, which is MBR, and in the Disk section, you can see your complex drive number (for example, Disk 0).
Press the Windows key and X, then select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list. Or you can click the Start menu and search for Command Prompt, right-click this tool from the results list, and select Run as Administrator.
We must confirm the disk we want to convert using the following command.
mbr2gpt /validate /disk:[enter your disk number here] /allowFullOS
Instead of [enter your disk number here], you must type your disk number, which we taught you how to find above.
This validation only takes a few moments. You will receive an error if the disk does not meet the conversion requirements. For example, the following error is caused by an invalid drive because it does not meet the criteria.
Then type the following statement and enter to start the conversion process. This process happens very quickly and only takes a few seconds.
mbr2gpt /convert /disk:[enter your disk number here] /allowFullOS
You need to change your firmware to boot into UEFI mode. After the system reboots, press BIOS/UEFI. Change the boot type to UEFI mode, unlike the old mode or other equivalents.
Using EaseUS software to convert MBR hard partition to GPT
The second method to convert MBR hard partition to GPT is to use EaseUS Partition Master Professional software. To do this, go to the EaseUS Partition Master website and then proceed to download and install the program (of course, the trial version of this program is free).
Open EaseUS Partition Master and wait for your drives to load. Find the industry you want to convert. Select the disk and then right-click and select Convert MBR to GPT.
Select the Apply button on the toolbar. After applying the request, your system will reboot. You will arrive at the EaseUS Partition Master performance screen showing the conversion process.
You need to change your firmware to boot into UEFI mode. After the system restarts, press the BIOS / UEFI entry key. Change the boot type to UEFI mode instead of legacy mode or other equivalents.
You have now converted your old MBR drive to a GPT drive and have more control over how you use your drive. If your system crashes after converting the hard partition, remember to go into your BIOS / UEFI settings and enable the UEFI boot option.
Is it possible to destroy data when converting a hard partition?
Converting the hard partition does not erase the data on your hard disk. But it is better to back up your data.
For example, you may encounter a power outage while converting the hard partition, and this process is not completed entirely, and your drive is not recognized in the system. Also, note that there is no going back to converting an MBR to GPT hard partition unless you wipe your drive.
Is Microsoft’s free utility as practical as EaseUS Partition Master?
This software is suitable for performing basic partition management tasks such as converting MBR to GPT and copying operating system information to a new disk (HDD or SSD). Still, if you want to enjoy higher-level features, EaseUS Partition Master software is recommended, which has many more features than Microsoft’s partition conversion tool. Also, with this tool, you can better control your hard drives and perform all kinds of management, setting, backup, etc. operations.
Summary and answers to frequently asked questions
As mentioned in this article, GPT partition has more advantages than MBR, and there is also a way to convert MBR to GPT. In this article from Hardware City, we have tried to explain the best methods of converting MBR to GPT so that you can easily enjoy the benefits of GPT partition.
Why should we convert the MBR partition to GPT?
GPT partition is the newest type of partition table that offers better recovery and overall compatibility, while MBR is the oldest option and therefore has limitations. Therefore, by converting the MBR partition to GPT, you can take advantage of the advantages of this partition.
Is GPT faster than MBR?
The structure of the GPT partition is such that it can be said to improve the speed of Windows booting up, but the GPT partition does not have much effect on other things, such as the speed of copying files in Windows.
Can you convert MBR to GPT without formatting?
Yes. For this, there are two tools that you can use to convert your drive without losing data and safely. But it should be noted that there is no return in converting MBR hard partition to GPT unless you erase your drive.