MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT (GUID Partition Table) are two different partitioning schemes for disks.
They determine how information is organized on a hard drive or SSD and how the partitions are visible to an operating system. Here are the main differences and characteristics of the two systems:
- Maximum number of partitions: Up to 4 primary partitions.
- An extended partition can be created to hold multiple logical drives.
- Compatibility: Works with older BIOS systems, making it suitable for older machines or operating systems such as Windows XP.
- Boot data: The boot loader and partition table are located in the first sector of the disk.
- Problem: No redundancy - if the MBR becomes corrupted, the disk can become unbootable.
2.) GPT (GUID Partition Table):
- Introduced: With UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) as a modern replacement for MBR.
- Maximum disk size: Theoretically supports up to 18 exabytes (EB).
- Maximum number of partitions: Up to 128 primary partitions (on Windows).
- Compatibility: Requires UEFI firmware and is supported by modern operating systems such as Windows 10, 11 and 12.
- Boot data: Redundant copies of the partition table are distributed across the disk, increasing reliability.
- Security: Uses CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) to detect corruption.
- Other benefits:
- Supports partitions larger than 2 TB.
- No dependency on an extended partition for additional drives.
3.) When should MBR or GPT be used?
- MBR:
- If you are using older operating systems (e.g. Windows XP or Windows 7 32-bit) or hardware that only supports BIOS.
- For disks under 2 TB when GPT is not required.
- GPT:
- For disks over 2 TB.
- For modern systems with UEFI firmware.
- If you need more than 4 partitions on one disk.
- For increased reliability and security.
4.) How to switch between MBR and GPT?
1. Important note: Switching between MBR and GPT will delete all data on the disk. Therefore, back up important data beforehand.
2. Conversion via Disk Management in Windows:
- Open Disk Management (e.g. via `diskmgmt.msc`).
- Right-click on the disk and select:
- Convert to GPT disk (for MBR).
- Convert to MBR disk (for GPT).
- Prerequisite: The disk must not contain any partitions.
3. Conversion via the command prompt:
- Use `diskpart` to delete and convert the disk.
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