How to Convert External Hard Drive to GPT without Data Loss?
Why should you convert external hard drive to GPT disk?
The hard drive can be divided into two types: MBR and GPT. MBR, or Master Boot Record, supports up to 2TB volume capacity and allows up to 4 primary partitions, but if more are needed, one primary partition must be converted to an extended partition with additional logical partitions.
The GPT disk, unlike MBR, supports disks larger than 2TB and allows for more than four primary partitions, making it a more modern and versatile option.
Users may want to convert an external hard drive to GPT to have more partitions for flexible file storage or to utilize the full capacity of larger drives (e.g., 3TB or 4TB), which may only show 2TB in Disk Management.
Convert external hard drive to GPT with Disk Management
To convert an external hard drive to GPT, use the Windows Disk Management tool, which is built-in to the Windows OS, to perform the conversion.
1. Connect the external hard drive to the computer using a USB cable.
1. Right-click on "This PC" on the desktop and select "Manage".
2. Select "Disk Management" under "Storage".
3. Right-click on the MBR disk, select "Convert to GPT Disk" to rewrite the disk's partition table and convert it to a GUID Partition Table (GPT) disk. This will allow for larger partition sizes and more partitions than the traditional MBR disk.
To change a master boot record (MBR) disk to a GUID partition table (GPT) disk using Windows Disk Management, you must first back up your data, as deleting all existing partitions is required, making it impossible to convert the disk to GPT otherwise.
Convert external hard drive to GPT without erasing any data
Qiling Disk Master Standard is a software utility that converts MBR to GPT without deleting data, even with large amounts of data on an external hard drive. It also features partition management, including formatting, deletion, and MBR rebuild, making it a useful tool for disk management. However, converting a system disk from MBR to GPT or vice versa requires the Professional edition.
You can follow the steps below.
To convert a removable disk to GPT, launch Qiling Disk Master and right-click the removable disk, then select "Convert to GPT" from the context menu. This will initiate the conversion process. (Note: I removed the "Step 1" as it's not necessary in this rewritten version)
The selected disk will be immediately converted to a GPT disk.
Conclusion
Converting an external hard drive to GPT can be done in two ways. One method is to use Disk Management, but this requires deleting all partitions, resulting in data loss. A better alternative is to use Qiling Disk Master Standard, which can convert the external hard drive from MBR to GPT in just a few clicks without deleting any partitions. This is especially useful for Server users, who can use the Server edition of Qiling Disk Master Standard, compatible with Windows Server from 2003 to 2022.
FAQs about converting external hard drive to GPT
Should an external hard drive be MBR or GPT?
Whether an external hard drive should be formatted as MBR (Master Boot Record) or GPT (GUID Partition Table) depends on your specific needs and the characteristics of the drive. Some older operating systems, such as Windows XP and Vista, only support MBR, while newer systems like Windows 10 and macOS support both.
What are the advantages of using GPT for my external hard drive?
The GPT (GUID Partition Table) format offers advantages over the traditional MBR (Master Boot Record) format, including the ability to support larger storage capacities and improved data integrity.
Are there any potential data loss risks when converting to GPT, and how can I safeguard my files during the conversion?
Converting a disk using Disk Management can result in data loss. If you want to convert an external disk, it's recommended to use a third-party tool that can safely convert the data. A professional tool like Qiling Disk Master is suggested for this task.
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