How Do I Change from GPT to MBR in Windows 10?
As a Windows user, you are probably familiar with two types of partitions: GPT and MBR. When you install a new hard drive on a Windows computer, you must initialize the new drive before you can use it. In other words, you must configure the disk to run in GPT or MBR format. But does this mean that after initialization it is impossible to change the disk type from GPT to MBR? Of course not; this article will show you step-by-step how to change from GPT to MBR in Windows 10, 8, 7 and 11 using the command line without losing data. Additionally, there is an easier way to convert disks between MBR and GPT.
“Hello, I was using SSD because of its efficiency and now I want to convert GPT to MBR. I have tried many options, like: Diskpart: I tried booting in Windows 10 installation using Diskpart but got an error message: “The specified disk is not convertible.”.
Windows Disk Management: This is showing the option to convert to only a dynamic disk. Both solutions are not working for me. I do not know how to change GPT to MBR Please provide me with a suitable solution.”
Does the above query seem similar to yours? Do you want to change GPT to MBR in Windows 10? Just follow the blog and get the 2 most efficient methods to change from GPT to Master Boot Record (MBR).
What Do GPT and MBR Mean?
GPT and MBR are styles of hard drive partitioning, each with their own unique characteristics.
▸ GPT (short for GUID Partition Table) : This is a modern design for hard drive partition tables in newer systems that uses UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) instead of BIOS. The technology allows you to use large hard drives (more than 2 TB) and create an unlimited number of partitions, although the operating system limits them to 128.
▸ MBR (short for Master Boot Record) : Optimized BIOS mode for compatibility with modern systems. Unlike GPT, MBR allows you to create up to 4 primary partitions or 3 primary partitions and 1 secondary partition. However, MBR supports more systems and configurations than GPT.
Also read: How to Recover Deleted Files from Partitioned Hard Drive?
Why Change from GPT to MBR in Windows?
GPT is the future, with greater expansion and improvements than MBR in many areas. With this in mind, MBR is still attractive as it is compatible with older versions and there are situations where MBR should be used, such as:
- For some reason, you are still using an old version of Windows, such as Windows 95/98 or Windows XP.
When should I install 32-bit Windows? - If you’re using Windows XP or earlier, MBR is your only option, even if your system is 64-bit.
- When installing Windows, I receive the error message “Windows cannot be installed on this drive. The chosen disk is a GPT partition.”
How Do I Convert GPT to MBR Windows 10 Manually?
There are 2 manual solutions that you can use to convert the GUID partition table into an MBR.
- Convert GPT to Master Record Table Using Disk Management
- Change Disk from GPR to MBR Using CMD
1: Convert from GPT to MBR using Disk Management
This method can be applied to Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 and other versions below. Disk Management is an in-built utility provided by Microsoft to manage low-level corruption and space.
Follow the following instructions to get your work done:.
- Launch Windows ( any version )
- Go to the “Start” pane on the desktop.
- Type “Control Panel.”. A new window will appear.
- Now, select “Administrative Tools” from the option provided.
- Hit on the “Computer Management” choice.
Note: You have to delete all the partitions which were created before the conversion process
- To do so, go to the “Delete Volume” option and unallocate the space from each partition of the entire disk
- Now, right click on your disk and hit on the “Convert to MBR Disk” alternative
- Leave “Disk Management” when the process is completed. Now, use the disk to create new partitions
2: Change from GPT to MBR using CMD
Use the Diskpart technique, which can be easily executed using the Line or Command Prompt
Step 1. Go to the command prompt and type “list volume” in the Diskpart command line prompt. This command will check if there is any volume still unallocated on the GPT disk.
Step 2. Now, type “list disk” and press Enter. A list of all the disks will display on your screen. You just need to remember which disk you want to convert GPT to MBR.
Step 3. You have to type “Select disk 1” and finally enter “Enter” to select the disk.
Step 4. Type “convert mbr” after opting for the disk and pressing Enter, it will convert the GPT disk into an MBR disk.
Note: Conversion of GPT to MBR can only be done when the entire disk is fully unallocated. If the disk contains data, it is recommended to backup your data before changing from GPT to MBR. Otherwise, your data can get lost completely.
Recover Missing Files from GPT, MBR, and MFT Hard Drive Partitions with Data Recovery
If you have already made the mistake and your data is corrupted, go for PCVITA Hard Disk Data Recovery to recover lost files from GPT, MBR and MFT hard drive partitions. Any damage to a GPT, MBR or MFT partition can cause your hard drive to fail. Additionally, this file system represents the most important information about each file stored in the FAT or NTFS file system. In such situations, you can use this software
The tool will immediately display all files and folders on the software interface after scanning. With this technique, users can simply view the items they want to recover formatted files from external hard drives. With the help of this software, users can retrieve the recovered data completely or selectively from the desired folder on the local system.
Follow these 5 steps to complete this task
- Download and run the hard drive recovery software
- Select the device you want to restore and select scan options
- Preview the entire data from the selected folder
- Select the files you want to restore and click “Save.”
- Select the destination and export successfully.
Conclusion
This blog has resolved your query, “How Do I Change from GPT to MBR in Windows 10?”. But there are chances that your hard drive will get corrupted. You can only convert GPT to Master Record Table ( MBR ) only when the hard disk is completely empty. Unallocate all the space and then reboot your hard disk drive. If there is any corruption, easily recover permanently deleted files from Windows using third-party software, as already discussed in the blog