How to Convert MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR in Windows 11/10 Without Data Loss

MBR and GPT are two styles of partitioning for storage devices, each with its own pros and cons. You may need to convert disk from MBR to GPT or vice versa when you want to use the disk more appropriately according to the features of the partition style.

4 Ways to Convert MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR Without Data Loss (UTF-8)

In this post, you can learn 4 methods to convert MBR to GPT or convert GPT to MBR. The first solution is the most recommended one. You can convert to GPT without data loss even if you have little technical knowledge.

• Tip 1. Convert MBR to GPT using Disk Management Utility without deleting partitions
• Tip 2. Convert MBR to GPT with Diskpart Utility via CMD requiring partition deletion
• Tip 3. Convert MBR to GPT through Disk Management requiring partition deletion
• Tip 4. Convert MBR to GPT using MBR2GPT.exe (advanced method)

How to Break the 2TB File System Limit in Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 MBR

Whether you know it or not, you may have encountered the situation where your 4TB hard drive shows as only 2TB usable and the rest seems to be wasted. Why does a 4TB hard drive show as 2TB? That's because your hard drive is formatted as MBR.

Unlike MBR disks, GPT disks have no such limitations. You can see the differences in this table.

Thus, if you want to break through these limitations of MBR disks or have important files on the disk and are afraid of data loss, it's better for you to convert MBR to GPT.

Tip 1: Convert MBR to GPT in Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 Without Data Loss

The partition tool - tools Partition Master can perfectly meet your need to convert MBR to GPT without data loss. No matter you want to convert MBR to GPT or change GPT to MBR, this software can help you perform the conversion without deleting disk volumes.

Whether you're a computer novice or an expert, you can now easily use this tool to seamlessly convert MBR to GPT without losing any data, compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7.

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Step 1. Download and run the Partition Master tool on your Windows computer.

2. Right-click on the MBR disk you want to convert and select “Convert to GPT Disk”.

Step 3: Next, click on the “Perform 1 Action” button from the toolbar and select “Apply” to start the conversion process.

Note: There's one thing you need to bear in mind. If the disk you're converting is a system disk, make sure your computer's motherboard supports the boot mode corresponding to the target partition style. Remember, MBR supports BIOS, while GPT supports UEFI.

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Tip 2: Convert MBR to GPT with DiskPart Utility

You can convert MBR to GPT via the Diskpart tool in CMD. However, please note that when converting a disk to GPT, Diskpart will delete all files and folders on the hard drive.

Therefore, we highly recommend that you back up your files in advance and then perform data recovery. If there are many files on the disk, we suggest that you use the free backup software tool to back up your data effectively.

After backing up your files, follow these steps to convert MBR to GPT using Diskpart in the CMD:

Step 1: Type cmd in the search box, then right-click Command Prompt and select "Run as administrator." If you can't use CMD, try PowerShell instead.

Step 2. Open the Command Prompt and type DiskPart, then press Enter.

Step 3: Type list disk and press Enter. (Note the number of the disk that you want to convert to GPT.)

Step 4. Type select disk X (replace X with the correct number of your hard drive).

5. Type clean and press ↵ Enter. This command will erase all partitions and files on the disk, so back up all important files beforehand.

Step 6: Type convert gpt, and press Enter.

This method is not recommended for computer novices. If you accidentally clean a partition with DiskPart, you can undo DiskPart clean command to get your files back.

How to Install Windows 10 on GPT Partition?

Can't install Windows 11/10 on GPT partition? This page shows you the easiest way to successfully install Windows 11/10 on GPT partition.

Tip #3: Convert an MBR Disk to GPT Using Disk Management

As with using CMD, you need to delete all partitions on the disk with Disk Management. Before converting a disk from MBR to GPT or vice versa, it's recommended to back up the disk. If you deleted partitions by mistake, you can use a partition recovery software tool to restore lost data and partitions.

Step 1: Right-click "This PC", select "Manage", and then enter "Disk Management".

Step 2: Right-click on the partition of the target disk and select "Delete Volume..."

Step 3: Once the drive is empty (显示为 Unallocated), right-click on it and select “Convert to GPT disk.”

Tip 4: Convert MBR to GPT without Data Loss Using MBR2GPT

MBR2GPT.exe is an built-in Windows utility used to convert a disk from MBR to GPT. The advantage of this tool is that it doesn't corrupt files on the disk during the conversion process.

However, this is not recommended, as it's complicated to use, and based on feedback from other users, you might run into various issues. Also, it's available only on Windows 10 version 1703 and later.

Run the MBR2GPT command in a WinPE environment to convert MBR to GPT.

Step 1. Click the “Start” button > Click the “Power” button > Hold the “Shift” key and click “Restart” to open the “Advanced Startup” screen.

Step 2: Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.

Step 3. At the command prompt, enter each of the following commands in order, pressing Enter after each one:

These commands translate to:
• mbr2gpt /validate: Validate if an MBR disk can be converted to GPT format
• mbr2gpt /convert: Convert an MBR disk to GPT format

After running these commands, your disk will be converted from MBR to GPT without losing any data.

Run MBR2GPT on a full version of Windows to convert from MBR to GPT

The MBR2GPT tool is designed to be run from the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) command prompt, but it can also run on a full Windows 10 operating system (OS) by using the /allowFullOS option.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as an administrator on your Windows 10 machine.

Step 2. Enter each of the following lines at a prompt, pressing Enter after each one.

These commands in Chinese translation are:
• mbr2gpt /验证 /允许完整操作系统
• mbr2gpt /转换 /允许完整操作系统

You can refer to the detailed information about MBR2GPT.EXE in the relevant Microsoft document.

How to Enable UEFI Mode After Converting System Boot Disk to GPT

If you've converted your system disk (MBR) to GPT, you'll need to enable the UEFI boot mode on your computer to make the operating system bootable. Here's how:

Step 1. Restart your computer and press F2, F8, F12, or Del to enter the BIOS boot menu.

Step 2. Look for the Boot options menu and enable UEFI mode.

• Set Boot CSM to Enabled.
• Set Boot Device Control to UEFI Only.
• Set Boot from Storage Device to Use UEFI Driver First.

Step 3. Place the UEFI OS boot option at the top of the boot priority list.

Step 4. Save the changes and exit the BIOS, then reboot your computer from the GPT disk.

Then, wait patiently as your computer will automatically boot from the GPT disk.

Bottom line

After reading this guide, you'll find that using the Partition Master tool is the easiest way among the four solutions to convert MBR to GPT without data loss. With this tool, you can directly convert MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR without deleting any partitions.

If you opt to convert from MBR to GPT using Disk Management or DiskPart, remember to back up your disk first. If you attempt to use MBR2GPT.exe, make sure your disk meets Microsoft's requirements; otherwise, the conversion will fail with an error.

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