Three Ways to Convert MBR to GPT Disk on Windows 11/10 [2024]

Generally, you can convert a disk from MBR to GPT using Windows Disk Management, DiskPart command, or a third-party tool. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. The most recommended way to convert MBR to GPT is to use the EaseUS partition manager, which makes it easy to change an MBR disk to GPT disk without deleting any disk volumes.

"What's the best way to convert the drive without losing data in my other partitions (that weren't formatted)?"

Have you been bombarded with an array of "MBR to GPT" information on the search page? In this article, we'll cut through solutions to convert MBR to GPT in 3 methods, together with a third-party partition tool, disk management, and diskpart.

If you choose the Windows built-in tool, both two tools need to delete existing disk volumes. To avoid data loss, you can choose the better one, EaseUS Partition Master, to change partition style in 3 easy steps.

When Do You Need to Convert MBR to GPT

Both MBR and GPT are the partition styles of Windows. Briefly speaking, the partition style is used to tell Windows how to access the data on the disk. Generally, you can use your disk smoothly regardless of the partition style. But there do exist some situations in which you need to convert MBR to GPT or vice versa:

• You want more partitions on your hard drive

MBR disks support only four partition table entries. That is to say, it only allows users to create four primary partitions at most. A secondary structure known as an extended partition is necessary if more partitions are wanted. 

• Your hard drive is larger than 2TB

GPT (GUID Partition Table) is more robust and allows for volumes bigger than 2TB. Thus, if your hard drive is over 2TB, you may prefer the GPT partition style in order to use the disk space fully. (If the disk over 2TB uses the traditional MBR partitioning method, you can only use 2TB of storage at most.)

• You want to perform system clone

As you may know, MBR and GPT disks use different boot mode. (MBR disks support BIOS and GPT disks support UEFI mode.) When you want to clone Windows or migrate OS, you need to make sure both the source disk and the target disk have the same partition style to ensure you can boot your computer from the target disk smoothly.

3 Ways to Convert MBR to GPT Without Data Loss in Windows 11/10

As mentioned, there are three ways you can apply to convert an MBR disk to GPT disk, including using Disk Management, DiskPart command, or third-party software.

Method 1. Change MBR to GPT with Reliable Partition Tool (Fast, No Data Loss)

If you use the Windows built-in utilities, be it Disk Management or diskPart, to convert your MBR disk to GPT disk, you need to delete all the existing volume on your hard drive. Thus, if you want to convert MBR to GPT disk without losing data, you need to back up the whole disk in advance, which could be time-consuming since a disk always stores gigabytes of files.

Given that, you are recommended to try the trustworthy partition tool - EaseUS Partition Master. This software will help you convert an MBR disk to a GPT disk directly without losing data. With EaseUS Partition Master, you don't need to delete the disk volumes using Disk Management or DiskPart. All you need to do is to select the disk and choose "Convert to GPT".

Step-by-Step Guide:

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.

Video Tutorial Guide to Convert MBR to GPT:

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Method 2. Convert MBR to GPT Disk with Disk Management

You need to delete all the volumes on your hard drive before the conversion, or you will see the "Convert to GPT Disk" is greyed out in Disk Management. Thus, if you have files existing on the disk you want to convert, back up all the files at the very beginning. Generally, you can back up a disk by copying files and folders manually, which will undoubtedly take a long time. If you want to make a backup effectively, you can use the free backup software - EaseUS Todo Backup, which is much faster than copying and pasting files.

After you keep your data safe, you can now follow the steps below to convert your MBR disk to GPT disk in Disk Mangement.

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..." (If you accidentally deleted a volume in Disk Management, you can recover the partition and the files on it referring to the linked article.

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

Now you have successfully converted the MBR disk to GPT disk. In order to use the hard drive for data storage, you need to create new volumes on the disk. (If you use the EaseUS partition tool, you don't need to perform these operations. Instead, you can use it directly after the conversion.)

Step 1. Right-click the unallocated space and choose "Create New Simple Volume..."

Step 2. Then you will see the "New Simple Volume Wizard" dialog box, click "Next" to continue.

Step 3. Follow the wizard to specify volume size, assign drive letter or path, and format the partition. Afterward, a new simple volume will be created. You can repeat the process to create more partitions on the disk.

Step 4. You can copy the files you have backed up back to your disk according to your needs.

Method 3. Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk Using DiskPart

DiskPart is a command-line utility in Windows that can be used to manage disk or disk partitions. Thus, you can also apply this tool to convert MBR to GPT disk. However, like using Disk Management, you are also required to delete the volumes on the disk before the conversion, which means data backup is also necessary if you prefer this method.

Step 1. Click the "Start" button and type cmd.

Step 2. Right-click "Command Prompt" and choose "Run as administrator".

Step 3. When you see a dialog box asking you for permission, click "Yes".

Step 4. Enter the following commands one by one to delete the volumes on the disk:

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk 1
• clean

If you mistakenly cleaned a partition, you can undo DiskPart clean to retrieve your files.

Step 5. After deleting the partitions on your disk, you can now convert MBR to GPT:

• list disk
• select disk 1
• convert gpt
• exit

The Bottom Line

Actually, the biggest difference between using the Windows built-in utilities and third-party software is whether to delete the disk volumes. As you can see from the details above, using EaseUS partition software, which can serve as an MBR to GPT converter, is the easiest way to change an MBR disk to a GPT disk. Besides, the tool can also help you clone disks, merge partitions, shrink partitions, migrate OS... Using a convenient tool is recommended if you want to convert a system disk from MBR to GPT. 

FAQs About Convert MBR to GPT

If you have more questions about converting MBR to GPT, follow and find the following questions and answers listed below:

1. Can I convert MBR to GPT without formatting?

Yes, you can convert MBR to GPT without formatting by turning to reliable disk conversion software like EaseUS Partition Master.

Its disk conversion features can assist you in converting a disk between MBR and GPT successfully without deleting volumes or formatting. You can simply use the guide in Method 1 on this page for help. 

2. How to convert MBR to GPT without operating system?

• Launch EaseUS Partition Master, and go to Disk Conversion section.
• Select "Convert to GPT" and select the target MBR disk that you want to convert.
• Then, select "Convert".

3. How to convert MBR to GPT with Command Prompt?

Open Diskpart and type the next command lines one by one, and hit Enter each time:

• list disk
• select disk 1
• clean
• list disk
• select disk 1
• convert gpt
• exit