GParted: Convert MBR to GPT without Data Loss Step by Step

Have no idea how to convert MBR to GPT with GParted

“Hey, guys! I am attempting to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 on this PC but it’s asking for GPT. I know that I need to convert my MBR to GPT disk so that it can work normally. But how to do it? I have the GParted tool, and I want to know how GParted converts MBR to GPT? Is there anyone who knows the operation steps? Other effective ways are also acclaimed. Thank you!”

Besides the scenario, there are so many situations in which you need to convert MBR to GPT disk. For example:

The 4TB hard drive only shows 2TB, which is because the hard drive is an MBR disk and an MBR disk only supports up to 2TB capacity. If you want to fully use the hard drive, you need to convert MBR to GPT, which supports up to 9.4 ZB of storage.

b) If you need more than 4 primary partitions on the hard drive, you need to convert MBR disk to GPT because the MBR disk only supports up to 4 primary partitions or 3 primary partitions plus 1 extended partition while GPT disk allows you to create 128 primary partitions on the hard drive.

About GParted

According to Wikipedia introduction, GParted (acronym of GNOME Partition Editor) is an official GNOME partition-editing application. It can be used for creating, deleting, resizing, moving, checking, and copying disk partitions and their file systems. Besides, you can also use GParted to convert the disk from MBR to GPT. The GParted is written in C++ and Linux operating systems, and the GParted Windows ISO file can be downloaded and burn to a CD.

8 Steps to use GParted to convert MBR to GPT in Windows PC

As it is mentioned above, GParted is written in Linux, so in order to use it to convert the disk from MBR to GPT partition style in Windows computer, users have to burn the GParted ISO files to a CD and then boot Windows PC from it, and finally convert MBR to GPT. The specific steps are:

Warning: please backup the MBR disk in advance because GParted converts MBR to GPT will erase all data on the disk.

Step 1. Download GParted ISO files and burn them to a CD.

Step 2. Put the CD into your CD drive. Boot Windows computer from the CD by changing the boot order.

Step 3. Once you boot to GParted, you’ll get a similar screen to what is shown below. It should be set to GParted Live, which is the default setting.

Step 4. Next, you’ll get a screen asking about what keymap to use. By default, just select “Don’t touch keymap”.

Step 5. Then you will be asked which language and which mode you want to run. Again, the default values are all fine, just press Enter.

Step 6. Then the GParted window will open. To convert MBR to GPT, choose “Device”> “Create Partition Table”.

Step 7. Then choose “GPT” in the pop-out mini window.

Step 8. Now, you can click “Apply” to start converting MBR to GPT using GParted.

It’s impossible to convert MBR to GPT using GParted without any data loss unless you make a backup first. Besides, downloading GParted ISO files and booting the PC from the Live CD are indispensable steps to perform MBR and GPT conversion, or other disk partition management operations under the Windows environments.

Therefore, for most ordinary Windows computer users, the operation is somewhat complicated and for laptop users, it's most likely that they don’t have a CD drive on their machine. So here we would like to introduce a better tool to convert MBR to GPT without erasing all data inside and can be performed within Windows (no need to download any bootable files or burn them to a device).

An alternative to GParted to convert MBR to GPT without data loss

Our recommendation is AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This software is compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7 and Windows XP/Vista (all editions). With it, you can convert either system disk or data disk between MBR and GPT without data loss. Meanwhile, unlike using Disk Management and DiskPart, the partitions on the target disk won’t be deleted or erased during the conversion.

Moreover, you don’t need to enter WinPE mode to perform the conversion even if you are converting the boot disk as long as you can boot into Windows normally. Now, you can follow the steps below to convert MBR to GPT with AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.

✍ Tips:
● If you are converting MBR boot disk to GPT disk for Windows 11, make sure that your machine supports EFI/UEFI mode. Otherwise, you cannot boot successfully from the disk after conversion.
● To avoid data loss caused by unexpected accidents like power failure, it is always a great idea to back up data before proceeding.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. You will see your disk(s) on the main interface. Select the MBR disk you need to convert to GPT, right-click it and then, select Convert to GPT in the pop-up menu.

Step 2. It will pop up a window to ask if you are sure to convert the MBR disk to GPT disk. Click OK.

Step 3. You will back to the main interface, and you can see that the disk has already been changed into a GPT partition table. Don’t forget to click Apply at the toolbar.

Wait a minute until the conversion is over.

Using AOMEI Partition Assistant to convert MBR to GPT without losing data is such a simple thing. Inverse, you can use it to convert GPT to MBR while keeping old data on the disk. If you need to convert GPT boot disk to MBR disk, make sure your computer supports Legacy BIOS mode.

If you cannot boot into Windows and wish to convert MBR to GPT without accessing OS, you can first use AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional to create a Windows 11 bootable media on a working computer, then boot the computer, which cannot boot into OS or has not installed OS yet, from the bootable device, then follow the above instructions to convert MBR to GPT, or GPT to MBR.

Conclusion

AOMEI Partition Assistant should be the best alternative to GParted to convert MBR to GPT without losing data. In the simple interface, you can do it easily even you are not familiar with computers. AOMEI Partition Assistant also supports other disk partition managements such as migrating OS to SSD/HDD, extending NTFS system partition without a reboot, splitting a large partition into two smaller ones, quickly partitioning a large hard disk, etc.

If you are working with Windows Server 2003, 2008 (R2), 2012 (R2), 2016, or 2019 and 2022, you can try AOMEI Partition Assistant Server to adjust your operating systems.

FAQs about Gparted

What is GParted?
GParted is a popular open-source partition editor that allows you to manage disk partitions. You can use it to convert from MBR (Master Boot Record) to GPT (GUID Partition Table) to take advantage of GPT's features, like support for larger drives and more partitions, without losing data.

What are the prerequisites for using GParted for this conversion?
Before using GParted to convert MBR to GPT, ensure that your data is backed up, your hard drive is in good health (without errors or bad sectors), and you have a bootable GParted USB or CD/DVD.

Is there any software you recommend for MBR to GPT conversion if I don't want to use GParted?
There are various third-party tools available for MBR to GPT conversion. AOMEI Partition Assistant is a practical tool for you. It has easy operation, user-friendly interface and high-safety. You can quickly and safely convert data disk and system disk to MBR or GPT disk.