Mbr & Gpt External Hard Disk
Want to Read More Information about MBR & GPT External Hard Disk?
Situation1: "Hello, everyone there! This morning, I was trying to use my newly purchased Seagate external hard disk and the computer Windows OS asked me to initialize this hard disk into MBR or GPT. Do you know anything about such MBR or GPT format external drive? Which one of them is better for me to install my computer information? Does it make a difference if I do choose no one of them? Thanks for any suggestion here!"
Situation2: "Hey, last Monday, when trying to install Windows 7 OS on my computer, I was asked to choose a storage device to hold and install this OS. So, I assigned the attached hard disk and was told this OS cannot be installed there since it had a MBR partition record, not GPT. What do you know about MBR and GPT disk? How can I convert the MBR hard disk to GPT? Thank you!"
The GPT and MBR hard disk are only two types of hard disks with different drive partition record information. Go read this article and see how differently they are. Of course, also learn how to convert your disk from MBR to GPT with ease.
What Are a MBR & GPT USB Hard Disk?
The MBR USB hard disk is also called Master Boot Record external hard disk and often uses the standard BIOS partition table. However, the GPT USB hard disk is fully named as GUID Partition Table external hard disk and often uses GUID Partition Table with unified extensive firmware interface. Hence, the MBR and GPT are only two different ways for hard disks to store partition information. Generally, with the MBR hard disk, you often can easily have four partitions to hold different computer data. However, if you want to create the fifth or more partitions, you are supposed to set it as an extended one. Moreover, generally, the maximum size of these set partitions is only 2TB. However, with the GPT hard disk, you often can have unlimited partitions and the maximum size of the divided partitions could be up to 256TB. Therefore, they are different in this degree.
What Are Differences between MBR & GPT External HDD?
As we’ve mentioned above, the MBR & GPT external hard disks are different. But, do you what are the differences between them? No panic! Here are some major differences between them for you:
1). Different primary partitions
The MBR external HDD can allows people to have only four primary partitions. In order to have more partitions for future use, you often need set the fourth one as the extended one and also divided it into two or more sub-partitions. However, with different partition information, the GPT hard disks often can allows people to have unlimited partitions theoretically.
2). Different maximum size of everything hard disk partition.
2). Different maximum size of everything hard disk partition.
The MBR external hard disk allows people to divide a hard disk partition with up to 2TB capacity. However, differently, the GPT USB hard disk allows people to have a hard disk partition with up to 256TB capacity.
3). Different compatibility
Honestly, the MBR hard disks are designed around the DOS days and are often compatible with many versions of Windows OS. That’s why many people still use such type of hard disks. However, the GPT hard disks are pretty different and are often used under Mac OS, most Linux, Windows 7, Windows 8 and upper versions. Therefore, when you need choose one from GPT or MBR formats, also take the computer OS into consideration.
Moreover, more importantly, since they do have no speed differences, unless you do want to create partitions more than four, it often is not necessary to change the MBR to GPT when your computer is using earlier versions of Windows 7. Of course, it’s all up to you.
How to Convert External Drive from MBR to GPT?
Use Mac OS, Linux, Windows 8, Windows 10 or the like OS and have to convert the MBR external hard disk to GPT for further use? OK! No matter why you need convert your drive from MBR to GPT, merely learn to change it from MBR to GPT like this:
Step1. Extract all important drive files to another different USB hard disk or storage device.
In case this converting process will delete or erase everything important stored inside, you are supposed to firstly back up your drive information to other storage devices. Just find your extra drives, flash drives or network storage to hold the original drive data well.
Step2. Delete all divided partitions or volumes.
Have you assigned external hard disk been divided into several partitions for managing your PC data well? If so, before converting process, also delete all related smaller partitions.
Step3. Right click MBR hard disk there and choose "Convert to GPT Disk".
Recover External Hard Disk Data When Convert Disk from MBR to GPT without Data Backups
It is always necessary to create MBR external hard disk data in advance before you convert your disk from MBR to NTFS, if you do not want to lose anything important stored on this drive. However, if you do have no idea about this tip and prepare no drive data backups firstly, also do not worry. After that disk converting process, you also can go use externalhard disk data recovery software to recover lost external drive data after format.
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