MiniTool Partition Wizard is a rich-featured partition magic, which is designed to optimize disk usage and to protect your data. It comes with so many powerful features with which you can completely control your hard disk and partition.

Method 4: Convert MBR to GPT Disk Using MiniTool Partition Wizard Without Data Loss MiniTool Partition Wizard is a paid tool but you can use the MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition to convert your disk from MBR to GPT. 1.Download and install MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition from this link. 2.Next, double-click on the MiniTool.
Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk 'Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk' helps convert MBR disk to GPT disk safely. GPT partitioning mode is more powerful in partition management, support 2TB disk and allows creation of more than 4 primary partitions. Three ways to activate this function: 1. Select 'Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk' in the action panel.

Summary :

MBR vs. GPT, which one is better, and what is the difference between GPT and MBR? In this post, we will explain these 2 aspects in detail. And we will tell you how to initialize them to MBR or GPT without data loss with a piece of professional partition manager - MiniTool Partition Wizard.

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Note: this post is much related to Windows rather than Mac OS X, Linux, or any other OS.

When adding a brand new HDD or SSD to computer, you are always asked to initialize the disk along with 2 options:

MBR (Master Boot Record)
GPT (GUID Partition Table)

Nevertheless, many people have no idea of this issue so that they have to be hesitating when making a choice between MBR and GPT, and they eagerly hope someone could tell them master boot record vs. GUID Partition Table, which one is better or which one they should choose.

Are you troubled by such an issue? If yes, this post is what you are looking for, which clearly introduces the exact difference between MBR and GPT as well as shows how to choose the most proper one for your own HDD and how to set MBR or GPT for your SSD.

MBR vs. GPT: What's Their Difference

MBR stands for Master Boot Record while GPT represents GUID Partition Table, and they are 2 partitioning schemes for HDD, SSD and removable devices.

To know what partitioning scheme your hard disk is employing, just download and install MiniTool Partition Wizard, which is a free partitioning software to help users explore disk/partition properties, initialize disk (to MBR or GPT), enlarge a partition, change partitioning scheme between MBR and GPT, convert file system between FAT32 and NTFS, and so on.

Then, launch the freeware to get the main window:

From the screenshot you can see I have 2 disks: one MBR and one GPT.

Since MBR and GPT are partitioning schemes, they are doing the same thing: manage how partitions are created and organized on a hard disk, but they differ from each other in many aspects.

Let's see the following paragraphs to learn some information about MBR vs. GPT.

Firstly, MBR and GPT Were Introduced in Different Time

MBR was introduced with IBM PC DOS 2.0 in March 1983 and it is used till now. However, GPT was developed in the late 1990s as part of what eventually became UEFI, and it becomes popular just in recent years.

Secondly, MBR and GPT Have Different Structures

MBR consists of 3 parts, including master boot code, a partition table for the disk, and disk signature. A partition table can hold maximum number of 4 entries for primary partitions in Windows.

However, a GUID Partition Table is composed of a Protective MBR which is used in a way that prevents MBR-based disk utilities from misrecognizing and possibly overwriting GPT disks, a primary GUID partition table header which records its own size and location and the size and location of the secondary GPT header, a primary GUID Partition Entry Array, a backup GUID Partition Entry Array, and a backup GUID Partition Table Header. A GUID partition table could contain up to 128 partition entries in Windows.

This chart comes from https://www.schoonepc.nl/instal/partition.html

From the above, you can know a major difference between MBR and GPT, which are the primary partition number on the HDD or SSD. So, if you choose to set MBR or GPT for SSD.

Thirdly, Supports on Disk Capacity and Partition Amounts Are Different

Support on Partition Amounts

Since an MBR partition table can hold 4 primary partition entries at most, you are only allowed to create the maximum number of 4 primary partitions on an MBR disk. If you want to create more partitions, you have to create an extended partition where lots of logical partitions could reside. However, a logical partition can't be set active.

Top Recommendation: Fix - Disk Already Contains Maximum Number of Partitions Error

On the contrary, a GPT disk theoretically allows an almost unlimited number of partitions, but Windows implementation restricts it to 128 partitions. Each partition on GPT can function like a primary partition on MBR disk.

Support on Disk or Partition Capacity

You can only use 2TB or 16TB of a hard disk's capacity no matter how large the disk is, if you initialize it to MBR. If the disk is using the traditional 512B sector, you can only use 2TB. If it is using 4Kn (4K native) sector, you can use 16TB.

However, a GPT disk can be up to 2^64 logical blocks in length, and logical blocks could be 512 bytes or 4K in size. Therefore, a GUID partition table disk can grow to a very large size compared with MBR partition table disks. Actually, there is no need to talk about disk or partition capacity limit of GPT since there will be no hard disk exceeding the limit in a very long time.

Fourthly, MBR Differs from GPT in Compatibility

All current Windows operating systems can use GPT partitioned disks for data, such as Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2016, but only their 64 bit versions support booting from GPT disk when UEFI boot mode is supported and enabled.

In addition, the 32 bit version of Windows XP can only see the Protective MBR, and even the 64 bit version can use GPT disk for data only.

At Last, They Have Different Boot Mode

If motherboard of your computer supports Legacy boot only, you can only boot Windows from MBR disk. To install Windows on GPT disk under this mode, you'll receive the error message 'Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style'.

Or Windows won't start if it is already installed on GPT disk under Legacy boot mode.

However, if motherboard of your computer supports UEFI boot only, you can only start Windows from GPT disk. To install Windows on MBR disk, you'll receive the error message 'Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disk'.

Similarly, Windows will be unbootable if it is already installed on MBR disk in UEFI boot mode.

But luckily, current motherboards support both Legacy boot and UEFI boot, so you only need to enable the CSM (Compatibility Support Module) in BIOS when you want to boot Windows from both MBR disk and GPT disk, or enable UEFI when you want to boot from GPT disk, or enable Legacy BIOS while you plan to boot from MBR disk.

In addition, even if your motherboard supports one boot mode only, you can still find solutions from the article Windows Cannot Be Installed to a Disk? Here Are Solutions.

Then, let's talk about which partitioning scheme is better, MBR or GPT.

MBR vs. GPT: Which One Is Better or Which One to Choose

Please read all contents in this part and then choose the most proper partitioning scheme for your SSD, HDD, or even removable device.

GPT is better if you are planning to create more than 4 par

Minitool Partition Wizard Mbr To Gpt