In order for programs to have access to the disk space of the drive, it is not enough just to physically connect it to the motherboard. A prerequisite is the preliminary implementation of the so-called breakdown and the creation of a certain surface structure. Currently, there are two available standards (hereinafter we will talk about systems of the Windows family) - Master Boot Record (MBR, main boot record) and Extensible Firmware Interface (GPT, extensible firmware interface). Regardless of the name, they determine how information is stored, data on the beginning and end of each section, service records, etc.
Comparing "bosom enemies"
The MBR standard has been used since DOS, so it has been studied up and down. All existing applications can work with drives with a similar format, that is, compatibility is 100%. The prerequisites for creating something new were some of the limitations inherent in MBR. In particular:
- It is possible to work with drives with a volume of not more than 2 TB;
- with the breakdown, you can create only 4 main / main partitions, and all the rest of the space has to be given to extended and logical drives ;
- since the information about the partitions and the boot record are recorded in one place, in some cases they may be damaged with the need to be restored.
All this was successfully overcome in GPT. In addition, the developers have provided a mechanism that allows you to easily convert GPT to MBR and vice versa. Theoretically, this problem can be solved in a couple of clicks of the manipulator. However, in practice there are a number of nuances that make you carefully consider the appropriateness of this decision. Before deciding how to convert an MBR partition to GPT and vice versa, it is important to remember that to ensure the functionality of the last version of the partition table, support is needed from other components of the computer system. So, instead of BIOS, a newer UEFI should be used (that is, only new motherboards are suitable), and the operating system must be able to work with such a breakdown. If we talk about the Windows family, then this is a 64-bit eighth version. The previous Win 7 and Vista, although they see such discs, are not talking about full support.
The need for conversion
Each user has his own reasons forcing to convert the drive into one or another structure. The question "how to translate MBR to GPT" is most often of interest to curious users who, having read information about the supposedly increased performance of the new system, are resolved on this. Perhaps this is the most common reason.
Well, those who are interested in how to convert GPT to MBR are, as a rule, the owners of new laptops who decided that in their particular case such a forced transition is untimely. It is worth noting that it is far from always possible to manage the "little blood" and convert the GPT-disk into MBR while preserving all the data recorded on it. Therefore, before such an operation, all information of any value to the user must be copied to another intermediate medium.
Operating system installation
If you try to install a 32-bit operating system on a GPT partition, you will receive a message about the impossibility of such an operation. There is no way around this limitation. So, you must necessarily convert the GPT-disk to MBR. This problem can be solved in several ways. One of the simplest involves using the built-in features of the Windows system itself.
There are two options. The first is to convert a new drive during the installation phase of the OS. To do this, during installation, on the partition selection screen, press Shift + F10 and type diskpart in the line that appears. Next, in order to convert the GPT disk to MBR, use the list disk command. A list of partitions and media is displayed. Having carefully studied it, you need to specify select disk X (where X is the number in the list). After that, it remains to delete the partitions and recreate the structure, alternately using the clean and convert mbr commands. Actually, on new computers, whose hard drives are not “cluttered” with information, it’s very easy to get into how to convert GPT to MBR, because you can experiment with peace of mind: “breaking” something in this way will not succeed.
Built-in command line mechanism
In some cases, partial conversion of GPT partitions to MBR is necessary. For example, if several hard drives are connected to the motherboard (laptop) at the same time, on one of which the operating system of the Windows family of versions Vista-8.1 is installed and running, then the user has the opportunity to convert non-system disks into one or another structure.
This method is ideal for those who are looking for the answer to the question “how to convert GPT to MBR”, with several hard drives in their hands. This mechanism is an analog of yours, with the only difference being that it requires a running OS. That is why we emphasized that only those hard drives with which the operating system does not load are available for conversion. So, on the desktop, click Win + R and in the line that appears on the screen, type diskmgmt.msc. This launches a utility for managing all disks. Here, using the cursor, you need to select the desired partition on the drive and select "Delete Volume" through the menu of the right button. An operation should be performed for each letter. It is important not to make a mistake with the disk, so you need to check at least by capacity. Further, how to convert GPT to MBR is not complicated: you need to press the right button on the selected hard drive in the list and select the appropriate command that performs the conversion to disk with MBR partitioning.
The nuances of using third-party programs
Of course, by the above methods, the conversion of GPT partitions to MBR is not exhaustive. There are much more flexible and convenient software tools. For example, the same Acronis DD, Paragon HDM, Minitool PW, etc. The peculiarity of working with them is the need to load the operating system from another hard drive, the so-called Liv CD-DVD, or a prepared flash drive that has the corresponding program. Since most often the need for a basic GPT to convert to MBR arises for owners of new laptops, it is in demand on Live DVD. First you need to download such an ISO image from the Internet on another computer and burn it to a CD, making the latter bootable. Then on the laptop you need to boot from this Live DVD, run the program to work with partitions and perform the conversion operation. In general, such disks are often very useful if, for example, you need to "cure" your computer of viruses or restore information.
Flash drive or disk
The downloaded image "Liv DVD / CD" can be recorded not only on a CD. The cost of USB flash drives is constantly decreasing, so it’s quite possible to consider purchasing a cheap small model designed specifically for emergency or recovery downloads. You can burn the ISO file and make the flash drive bootable using Rufus. After starting, you need to select the device and click on the icon with the CD, opening the explorer to indicate the location of the ISO. No further changes are required. It remains to press "start" and wait for the completion of the preparation of the flash drive.
How to boot from prepared media
If "Liv DVD" was recorded correctly, then you need to insert it into the drive and immediately after turning on the computer often press F12, which leads to the display of the boot source selection menu. Sometimes this function may be assigned to the F8. Usually, a prompt for this hot key always appears on the screen. The ideal option is to open the instructions for the board.
You can also select the download source in the BIOS itself (UEFI). To do this, after applying power, click the Delete button, and then in the settings find the item that allows you to select First Boot Device (main or first boot device). Regardless of which method is used, you need to choose CDROM or USB-Flash (if a flash drive is used instead of a disk).
The famous Paragon
People who happened to partition the disks in those days when the 40 GB hard drive seemed huge are probably familiar with the Paragon Partition Magic program. Its capabilities made it possible to "get up" with the drive a lot. Since then, much has changed, and the application has evolved into Paragon Hard Disc Manager (PHDM). And not at the expense of functionality. Using it, you can easily convert GPT to MBR. Paragon performs this operation so that all data on the drive remains intact. A great opportunity! However, it is recommended that you avoid conversion and breakdown from scratch whenever possible. This ancient rule is true today. So, after starting the application, a panel with disks will be displayed. The target is called “basic GPT”, the model is usually unknown. Selecting this line with the cursor, select "Convert to MBR" in the "Hard Disk" menu. After that, in the upper left corner, click the green checkmark to start the process. It will also display the time until completion. The data is saved. Note that in some combinations of “drive + motherboard configuration” using Paragon to solve this problem is impossible. It is also worth considering that PHDM version 15 at the time of writing of the article will cost the buyer almost 3 thousand rubles.
Immortal counterpart
The debate about which is better - the Paragon or its twin brother Akronis has still not ceased. Both programs have similar capabilities, so which one to use depends on the preferences of the computer owner. True, this is true only in the case of a trial period of use or "pirated" copies. The licensed version of Akronis-12 costs 1600 rubles. With this program you can easily convert GPT to MBR. Acronis Disc Director, like Paragon, performs conversion without deleting user data from the hard drive. After starting, the window displays the detected drives. The target will be designated as “base GPT”. You need to right-click on it and select the item that, after confirmation, starts the process of converting to MBR. So simple. In principle, the algorithm of actions is almost the same as for Paragon.
Free alternative
A great analogue to the above programs is the MiniTool Partition Wizard Professional. Although the ninth version costs almost $ 40, now you can get it on the stock for free. We will not compare the functionality of applications, since with the described task - converting GPT to MBR - they all do an excellent job. After the main program window appears, you need to select the desired GPT disk and convert through the menu.
Configuration
A prerequisite for using a GPT-partitioned disk is the UEFI system (evolutionary development of BIOS). By default, its settings are made for a GPT disk. For the conversion to MBR to be successful, you need to go to the UEFI settings (Delete button), select the Boot section, and set the Legacy mode in the Mode sub-item. You must also prohibit the use of Security Boot.