How to Quickly and Easily Tell If Your Hard Drive is Formatted GPT

[TVeblen]

I have just started playing with my first UEFI system.

Normally when I receive a new laptop to set up for someone the first thing I recommend is that I reinstall W7 fresh. In preparing to do this the question immediately arose about whether the hard drive was formatted GPT or MBR.

I knew I could run Partition Wizard or any number of 3rd party tools to find out, but I was already in Windows and poked around and found this quick and easy method:

• Open Disk Management: Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management.
• Right click on the Disk Box (The smaller box on the left, with the Disk #, not the larger volume boxes)
• Select Properties > then go to the Volumes Tab
• And next to “Partition Style” it will list the format. "Master Boot Record (MBR)" or “GUID Partition Table (GPT)”.

Done

(Note: also here it lists the small Unallocated and Reserved spaces that Windows requires at the beginning and end of disks for it's housekeeping duties.)

I made a tutorial. Here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ly-tell-if-your-hard-drive-formatted-gpt.html

 

[bassfisher6522]

Nice find....very useful!

 

[essenbe]

Nice job. That can come in handy. Thanks

 

[Layback Bear]

Thanks TVeblen. How long did it take you to find that.

 

[Sardonicus]

Hmm!
I have a UEFI, I think I'll experiment with GPT booting.

Thanks

 

[TVeblen]

Thanks TVeblen. How long did it take you to find that.

Not long at all. I had just turned it on, was looking around at all the usual stuff, opened Disk Management, looked, and said to myselves: "Why is there no indication of the disk format? Grumble, grumble, sputter.....".

Then: "wait a minute...".

Then started right clicking everything.

Those MS engineers are smart guys, but they are a sneaky bunch!