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

There are situations in which you need to convert a disk from MBR to GPT or from GPT to MBR. The concern is how to get it done without losing files. Given that, we will show you how to convert MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR without data loss in Windows 10.

Best Way to Convert MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR without Data Loss in Windows:

• Install and run the disk converter, right-click the MBR disk and choose "Convert to GPT" or "Convert to MBR".
• Click the "Execute 1 Operation".
• Click the "Apply" button.
• Learn more details>>

This is a how-to tutorial to learn about how to convert MBR to GPT without data loss. Reading for 3-4 minutes, you can get a best way and other 3 solutions.

• Best Way to convert MBR to GPT without Losing Data (For Beginners)
• Tip 1. Convert MBR to GPT CMD using Diskpart utility (Need to Delete Partitions)
• Tip 2. Use Disk Management to convert MBR to GPT (Need to Delete Partitions)
• Tip 3. Apply MBR2GPT.exe to convert MBR to GPT (Complicated, Suitable for Advanced Users)

Why Convert MBR to GPT?

No matter whether you know MBR and GPT, you must have encountered such a situation. Your disk has 4TB of space, but you can only use 2TB of space. Why does a 4TB hard drive only show 2TB? This is because MBR only supports up to 2TB volume size and 4GB file size. Unlike MBR disk, GPT disk doesn't have such limitations. You can see their difference in this table.

Converting from MBR (Master Boot Record) to GPT (GUID Partition Table) can offer several significant advantages, particularly for modern computing environments. Here are the key reasons why one might consider converting MBR to GPT:

• 📌Overcoming Storage Limitations: GPT supports much larger disk sizes, up to 9.4 zettabytes (ZB), compared to MBR's 2 terabytes (TB) limit. This makes GPT more suitable for modern high-capacity drives.
• 📌Number of partitions: GPT allows up to 128 primary partitions, while MBR is limited to 4 primary partitions or 3 primary and 1 extended partition. This provides greater flexibility in organizing data and partitioning drives.
• 📌Compatibility with modern systems: GPT works with UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), which is the modern replacement for BIOS. This enables faster boot times and better security features.

After learning why GPT exceeds MBR, let's explore how to convert MBR to GPT without losing data.

How to Change MBR to GPT Without Losing Any Data

Step 1. Download and launch EaseUS Partition Master on your computer.

Step 2. Go to Disk Converter, select "MBR => GPT" and click "Next" to continue.

Step 3. Select the target MBR disk that you tend to convert to GPT, and click "Convert" to start the conversion.

Important: You need to pay attention to one thing. If the disk you want to convert is the system disk, make sure the computer's motherboard supports the boot mode of the target partition style. Remember that MBR supports BIOS, and GPT supports UEFI. EaseUS Partition Master will guide you to change the boot mode after conversion.

Other 3 Ways to Convert MBR to GPT

You can learn three other ways to convert MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR in this article. Note that these three solutions will cause data loss if you forget to back up partitions. Looking for a data protection solution? Go back to using EaseUS Partition Master.

So we strongly recommend you back up your files in advance and then perform data restoring after the conversion. If there are lots of files on your disk, you are recommended to back up your data effectively using the free backup software - EaseUS Todo Backup. 

Tip 1. Convert MBR to GPT Using DiskPart Tool

The Diskpart tool can convert MBR to GPT in CMD. However, when changing the disk to GPT, Diskpart will delete all files and folders from your hard drive. After backing up the files, follow the steps below to use Diskpart in CMD to convert MBR to GPT.

Step 1. Type CMD in the Search box. Right-click Command Prompt and choose "Run as administrator". If CMD isn't available, you can use PowerShell instead.

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

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

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

Step 5. Now type clean and press Enter. This command will remove all the files and partitions from your hard drive, so back up all important files in advance.

Step 6. Type convert gpt and press Enter.

This method is not suitable for computer beginners. If you mistakenly cleaned a partition using DiskPart, you can undo DiskPart clean to retrieve your files.

To Convert GPT to MBR Using Command Prompt:

• list disk
• select disk *
• clean
• convert mbr
• exit

Tip 2. Convert MBR to GPT Disk with Disk Management

Similar to using CMD, you also need to delete all partitions on your disk using Disk Management. Before you convert the disk from MBR to GPT or from GPT to MBR, you should back up your disk. If you want to recover a deleted partition, you can use a partition recovery software tool to get your lost data and partition back.

To Convert MBR to GPT:

Step 1. Right-click on "This PC", choose "Manage", then head to "Disk Management".

Step 2. Right-click the volumes on your target disk and choose "Delete Volume..."

Step 3. When your disk becomes empty (shows as unallocated space), right-click your disk and choose "Convert to GPT Disk".

To Convert GPT to MBR in Disk Management:

• Right-click on a volume and select Delete Volume. Delete all volumes.
• Right-click on the disk and select Convert to MBR Disk.

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Tip 3. Convert MBR to GPT Without Losing Data with MBR2GPT 

MBR2GPT.exe is a Windows built-in tool used to convert the disk from MBR to GPT. The advantage of this tool is that it won't destroy the files on your disk during the conversion.

But that's not recommended since it's complicated to use and you may encounter various problems according to the feedback from other users. Besides, it's only available in Windows 10 version 1730 and later.

1. Run MBR2GPT in WinPE to Convert MBR to GPT CMD

Step 1. Click the Start button > click the Power button > hold the Shift Key and click Restart to access the Advanced Startup screen.

Step 2. Navigate to "Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt."

Step 3. In Command Prompt, input these commands orderly, and press Enter after each command line.

• mbr2gpt /validate
• mbr2gpt /convert

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

2. Run MBR2GPT in Full Windows OS to Convert MBR to GPT

MBR2GP tool is designed to be run in a Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) environment command prompt, but can also be run from the full Windows 10 operating system (OS) by using the /allowFullOS option.

Step 1. Run Command Prompt (Admin) on your Windows 10.

Step 2. Type the command lines below and press enter after each one.

• mbr2gpt /validate /allowFullOS
• mbr2gpt /convert /allowFullOS

You can check the details of MBR2GPT.EXE in the related Microsoft documents.

If you are still not sure about the conversion process. you can check this tutorial video for more detailed information:

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Best Way to Convert MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR Without Data Loss

The disk conversion tool - EaseUS Partition Master perfectly meets your demands of changing MBR to GPT without data loss. Whether you want to convert MBR to GPT or convert GPT to MBR, you can apply this software to get it done without deleting the volumes on your disk.

Whether you're a computer novice or an expert, this tool makes it easy to change the partition style in Windows 11/10/8/7 now.

How to Enable UEFI Mode After Converting System Disk to GPT

If you have converted a system disk (MBR) to GPT, you need to enable the UEFI boot mode on your computer to make the OS bootable. Here are the steps:

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

Step 2. Locate the "Boot" options menu and enable the UEFI mode.

• Set Launch CSM to Enabled.
• Set Boot Device Control to UEFI Only
• Set Boot from Storage Devices to UEFI driver first

Step 3. Set the UEFI OS Boot option at the top of the Boot Priority List.

Step 4. Save the changes and exit BIOS, reboot PC from the GPT disk

After this, wait patiently. Your computer will automatically boot from the GPT disk

The Bottom Line

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

If you prefer using Disk Management or DiskPart to convert MBR to GPT, remember to back up your disk in advance. If you attempt to use MBR2GPT.exe, make sure your disk meets Microsoft's requirements; otherwise, the conversion will not proceed and an error will occur.

Convert MBR to GPT CMD FAQs

1. How do I change from GPT to MBR for free?

• Download, install, and open EaseUS Partition Master Free for all users.
• Click "Disk Converter" and select "Convert GPT to MBR".
• Follow the instructions.

2. Can I convert MBR to GPT without formatting?

Yes, the way to convert MBR to GPT without formatting is to run a third-party MBR to GPT converter, EaseUS Partition Master.

3. How do I create a GPT partition in CMD?

Open Command Prompt and type the following commands:

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk X
• clean
• convert gpt