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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