This page includes three practical and reliable methods to assist you in converting MBR to GPT with ease. If you are trying to change your disk partition style, pick up any method listed here to which your disk from MBR to GPT without losing any data now:
- #1. EaseUS Partition Master - Safest & Easiest MBR to GPT Conversion Tool, No Data Loss
- #2. Disk Management - Free & Windows Built-in Tool, Requires Delete Partitions for Converting MBR to GPT
- #3. DiskPart - Free & Complex Windows Built-in Tool, Deleting Partition for MBR to GPT Conversion Is Required
Jul 31, 2019 MBR disk only supports 4 primary partitions at most, or 3 primary partitions plus 1 extended partition. MBR cannot exist in a media that cannot be partitioned. Therefore, if the disk size is up to 2TB or if you want to create more than 4 primary partitions, you may need to convert MBR to GPT disk. About GPT Disk. GPT, namely GUID Partition. Dec 04, 2019 How to convert GPT to MBR or (MBR to GPT) in Windows 10. To convert disk GPT to MBR or disk MBR to GPT, you first have to wipe-off the contents of the disk. So, it’s important that your data is backed-up before proceeding with the conversion process. Else you cannot recover lost data after GPT to MBR conversion. May 29, 2020 Convert MBR to GPT with MiniTool Partition Wizard. MBR2GPT conversion is possible to fail, making you feel very bothered. Therefore, in order to finish the conversion from legacy BIOS (MBR) to UEFI (GPT), you can use an alternative to MBR2GPT. May 26, 2019 Method 1: Convert MBR to GPT in Windows 10 Safely. If your computer is running Windows 10, then you can use Windows 10 built-in feature BR2GPT tool to convert system disk from MBR to GPT without affecting OS. It is available in Windows 10 v1703 and later versions. You cannot use it to convert non-system disk. Note: You can convert to GPT without data loss provided you back up your files on a separate hard drive before starting. Convert Using Disk Management. You can use Disk Management to convert your partition. Note: The following steps were done in Windows 10. However, Disk Management should also be available for Windows Vista to Windows 8.1 users.
![Tool Tool](/uploads/1/2/6/4/126428048/167025315.jpg)
Should I Use MBR or GPT
As Windows partition styles, both MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT (GUID Partition Table) are widely used in storage devices like your computer hard drives. But nowadays, more and more users are changing their disks from MBR to GPT. Why?
MBR vs. GPT
Here is a comparison table of MBR vs. GPT, from which you will learn which partition style you should use for your disk:
Comparison | MBR (Master Boot Record) | GPT (GUID Partition Table) |
---|---|---|
Supported Partition Numbers | Maximum 4 partitions. | Maximum 128 partitions. |
Supported Disk Capacity | 2TB (for 512B sector), 16TB (for 4Kn sector) | No disk capacity limit (2^64 logical blocks for 512B or 4Kn sector) |
Supported Boot Mode | BIOS | UEFI |
Supported OS |
|
|
Which Is Better? Advantages of GPT Disk over MBR Disk
According to the comparison table, it's clear that the advantages of GPT disk exceed MBR disk, which is especially obvious in the following aspects:
- Faster Boot Speed: GPT UEFI can load the operating system faster than traditional MBR BIOS boot mode.
- Better Operating System Compatibility: GPT has better OS compatibility than MBR as it supports most operating systems, including Windows Server and macOS.
- Advanced Data Protection: GPT contains the backup of the primary GPT header and partition entries that protects data on the disk better.
When Do You Need to Convert MBR to GPT
Based on the above information about GPT disk, you may have learned the GPT exceeds MBR in many aspects. However, some users are not quite clear about when they need to convert MBR disk to GPT disk.
Here, we will show you that in the following unique moments or situations that you need to convert MBR to GPT:
- 1). When you attempt to create more than four primary partitions on your disk
- 2). To make full use of a disk with more than 2TB of space
- 3). To install Windows on an EFI/UEFI boot disk
- 4). Receive error message: 'Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI system, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks' as shown in the below image.
When you encounter any of the above-provided cases, you will need to convert your disk from MBR to PGT. And you may follow the next part and pick up one method to accomplish the task with ease now.
How to Convert MBR to GPT (3 Methods)
Whether you want to change a data drive from MBR to GPT without losing data or convert a boot drive from MBR to GPT during Windows installation, you will learn how to do it by following any method below.
Method 1. Convert MBR to GPT Without Data Loss Using EaseUS Partition Master
Reliable disk conversion tool - EaseUS Partition Master enables you to convert your disk from MBR to GPT directly without deleting the volumes nor saved data on your disk. It exceeds the Windows built-in utilities in the following two aspects during the process of disk conversion:
- Keep All Partitions - Unlike Disk Management or DiskPart, EaseUS Partition Master doesn't require to deletion all partitions before the conversion.
- No Data Loss - EaseUS Partition Master will keep all data safely stored on the disk while converting disk from MBR to GPT or vice versa.
- Notice:
- If you are going to convert a data drive, you can change it directly with the following steps.
- if you are going to convert a boot disk to GPT (the disk contains your system), you need to make sure the motherboard on your computer supports the UEFI boot mode. Or you will encounter boot failure on your computer.
Steps to Convert MBR to GPT without Data Loss:
Step 1. Download and launch EaseUS Partition Master on your Windows computer.
Step 2. Right-click the MBR disk that you want to convert and choose 'Convert to GPT'.
Step 3. After that, find and click the 'Execute 1 Operation' button on the toolbar and choose 'Apply' to start the conversion. You need to restart your device to enable this change.
Method 2. Change MBR to GPT via Disk Management
Both Disk Management and DiskPart commands require you to delete all partitions on your disk. Thus, if there are useful files on the disk, back them up in advance. If there are lots of files on your disk, you can use the free backup software - EaseUS Todo Backup to make a backup of your files, which is much faster and effective than manually copying and pasting. To change an MBR disk to GPT in Disk Management:
Step 1. Righ-click on 'This PC (in Windows 10)' and choose 'Manage'.
Step 2. Select 'Disk Management', right-click each partition on the disk you want to convert and choose 'Delete Volume'.
Step 3. After deleting all the volumes on your disk, right-click your MBR hard drive and choose 'Convert to GPT Disk'.
Close Disk Management when the conversion process accomplishes. You may use your new disk to create as many partitions as you want or install a new OS on the disk now.
Note: If you didn't delete all the partitions on the MBR disk, the 'Convert to GPT Disk' option will be greyed out in Disk Management. You will see it choosable after removing the existing partitions.
Method 3. Convert MBR to GPT using DiskPart
Back up your disk and then follow the steps below to convert your MBR disk to GPT.
Step 1. Click the 'Start' button and type cmd.
Step 2. Right-click 'Command Prompt' and choose 'Run as administrator'.
Step 3. Type diskpart and hit Enter.
When you see a dialog box asking you for permission, click 'Yes'.
Step 4. Enter the following commands one by one and hit Enter each time:
DiskPart will delete all the partitions on your disk and then convert it to GPT during the process.
Step 5. Type exit when the conversion process completes.
After this, you can use the new GPT disk to create partitions, install new UEFI system, etc. withou out any obstacles.
Tip: If you forgot to back up files and want to undo the clean command, you can use EaseUS partition recovery software to retrieve your partitions and files.
Bonus Tip: How to Convert MBR to GPT without Operating System
Besides converting data disk or system disk to GPT, some people may also want to know how to convert MBR disk to GPT without operating system or during Windows installation.
To convert MBR to GPT without OS is more complicated than the above case. For a manual resolution, you will need to boot the computer from the Windows installation CD, DVD or media and then apply CMD command to convert disk.
However, it's too complex for most ordinary people. To save your energy and offer you a reliable & efficient solution, we would like to recommend you try EaseUS Partition Master via a USB bootable disk.
As there is no operating system, you need to install this software to another healthy computer to create a bootable disk on a USB drive and then convert MBR to GPT without operating system or during Windows installation on your own with the following steps:
Step 1. Prepare a disc or drive.To create a bootable disk of EaseUS Partition Master, you should prepare a storage media, like a USB drive, flash drive, or a CD/DVD disc. Correctly connect the drive to another bootable computer. Then, launch EaseUS Partition Master, go to the 'WinPE Creator' feature on the top. Click on it.
Step 2. Choose USB or CD/DVD according to the device you connect to the computer.
Step 3. Connect the WinPE bootable disk to the computer. Restart your computer and press F2/Del at the same time to enter BIOS. Set to boot the PC from 'Removable Devices' (bootable USB disk) or 'CD-ROM Drive' (bootable CD/DVD) beyond Hard Drive. Press 'F10' to save and exit.
Step 4. Launch EaseUS Partition Master. Right-click the GPT disk that you want to convert and select 'Convert to GPT'. Then, you will add a pending operation.
Step 5. Click the 'Execute Operation' button at the top-left corner. Next, click 'Apply' and begin to convert the MBR disk to GPT.
Besides, you may also apply EaseUS Partition Master to convert GPT to MBR without operating system when you have a new blank PC or laptop.
The Bottom Line
This page uncovers 3 major solutions for converting MBR to GPT disk without or without deleting partitions.
Convert Mbr To Gpt Mac
- For a secure disk conversion from MBR to GPT, EaseUS Partition Master is the best choice. As its Convert to GPT feature doesn't require partition deletion, which as a result, no data loss will occur.
- For a free but complex tool, Windows built-in tools - Disk Management and DiskPart are worth to try. Do remember to back up your data before deleting partitions so as to convert MBR to GPT.
Mbr To Gpt Convert Tool
Besides this, another Windows built-in utility named MBR2GPT.EXE can also help you convert MBR to GPT without deleting data on the disk. However, it is only available in Windows Creator's Update and later and it's much more complicated than using the methods above. If you want to know more details, you can refer to the related Microsoft documents (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/mbr-to-gpt) to get what you want.
FAQs About MBR to GPT Conversion
![Conversion Conversion](/uploads/1/2/6/4/126428048/642923082.jpg)
Apart from answering the question of 'Should I use MBR or GPT' and 'How do I change from MBR to GPT', at the end of this page, we also collected another 3 top concerned questions about MBR to GPT conversion that you may interested in.
Read on and check the answer to your question here now:
1. Is GPT or MBR better?
Generally, GPT is better if your hard disk is larger than 2TB. As you can only use 2TB of space from a hard drive which is of MBR style.
Also, if you intend to create more than 4 partitions, GPT is better. GPT disk supports a maximum of 128 partitions and the MBR only supports up to 4 partitions.
Mbr To Gpt Conversion Free
If you need to install the latest operating system on your disk with a fast boot speed, GPT is better. GPT supports UEFI boot mode which loads the operating system faster than the traditional BIOS mode on MBR disk.
2. Should I use MBR or GPT for SSD?
According to the MBR vs. GPT comparison table at the beginning of this page, we have reasons to believe that GPT is more suitable for an SSD disk.
GPT supports more than four primary partitions on SSD. It supports more than 2TB storage (compare to MBR). Also, it is more compatible with the newer UEFI-based systems.
3. Will Converting to GPT delete data?
Windows Disk Management can change MBR to GPT disk for free, but it only supports to convert a non-partitioned hard disk. That is to say, you must delete all your partitions on the disk before the converting process, which will result in data loss.
Fortunately, you have a second choice that you can apply EaseUS Partition Master to convert MBR to GPT without data loss. You may revert back to Method 1 on this page for a detailed guide.