New
#40
Last edited by Brink; 12 Mar 2013 at 23:42. Reason: added quote
Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk
-
-
New #41
Hello,
I have a UEFI BIOS, but my Hard Disk is MBR. Would it work if I ran a Windows Backup, then ran the WinRE from the install disc, convert the drive to GPT and then restore the drive image? Or, will doing the whole process force the drive back into MBR again?
-
New #42
Hello Honeycomb,
Unfortunately, when you restore the system image, it would return the disk back to how it was when the image was created. In this case, it would indeed go back to MBR.
-
New #43
Brink, I have a laptop with Core i5, 1TB HDD and 16GB of ram that I bought for a VM lab. I've got W7 on 330GB at the start of the disk, this is so it can be used as a normal laptop for things that I need that for. So I have 600GB unallocated after that which I want to use as a datastore for the VMs.
I've installed VMWare ESXi 5.1 onto an 8GB Sandisk Cruzer Fit mini USB drive which stays in the laptop all the time. I boot to that whenever I want to start my ESXi server, all that works fine, the problem I'm having is getting that 600GB space available to ESXi which requires GPT. Formatting the drive in windows (in all possible ways) doesn't help, the disk has to (or has to appear to) become GPT at this point if I'm going to get further with this. ESXi can see the disk obviously, but it can't work with the partitions so only gives the option to format the whole thing which would get rid of my W7 install.
Anyway, did you read the link I posted, seriously read the Windows bit at the bottom, this guy reckons it can be done.
-
New #44
LazyD,
Yeah, I even read it twice to make sure I didn't miss anything. It's a great idea, but I just don't see it working, or working very well.
If able, adding a second hard drive as a data drive, and converting it to GPT would be the safest bet for this to successfully work for you.
-
New #45
Yes this wouldn't be a problem at all on a desktop but I can't add a second drive to this laptop.
-
New #46
I'm afraid you may be out of luck then unless your motherboard has a UEFI firmware chip instead of BIOS.
-
New #47
Can GPT & MBR co-exist on the same OS .
Almost out of space I decided to add a new 3TB int drive. It has been installed but has yet to be formatted.
Id like to use GPT on it. But only if win7 can work with both partition types together.
Thanks for the help
D
-
New #48
Hello Daisuke, and welcome to Seven Forums.
Yes, you sure can have multiple GPT and MBR disks together. :)
It's just that a single disk (hard drive) can only be GPT or MBR, but not both.
-
New #49
Great thats exactly what i needed to know thanks for the help and getting back to me so quickly.
Daisuke
Off Topic,
There seems to be beyond measure the amount of over complicated info on GPT and MBR.(on topic together) But that simple answer you provided me with. Even the forum that has answered my questions when need has risen over the past 10 years almost. Couldnt answer the question. Instead the person that replyed, started writing thats its possible to convert all my discs to GPT and heres how .... then pointed me to this topic on your forum.
Naturally even though its been about 10 years now. Its obvious that the level of compentence of the person that helped me has sunk down to passing the question off to another forum insteaad of doing the work and answering the question. I asked the exact same question. TY
Quote
Related Discussions