Disk conversion: MBR to GPT

You might want to convert an MBR basic disk to a GPT basic disk if you need:

  • More than 4 primary volumes on one disk.
  • Additional disk reliability against any possible data damage.

The basic MBR disk that contains the boot volume with the currently running operating system cannot be converted to GPT.

To convert a basic MBR disk to basic GPT disk

  1. Right-click the disk that you want to clone, and then click Convert to GPT.
  2. By clicking OK, you will add a pending operation of MBR to GPT disk conversion.
  3. To complete the added operation, commit it. Exiting the program without committing the operation will effectively cancel it.

A GPT-partitioned disk reserves the space in the end of the partitioned area necessary for the backup area, which stores copies of the GPT header and the partition table. If the disk is full and the volume size cannot be automatically decreased, the conversion operation of the MBR disk to GPT will faill.
The operation is irreversible. If you have a primary volume belonging to an MBR disk and convert the disk first to GPT and then back to MBR, the volume will become logical and cannot be used as a system volume.

Dynamic disk conversion: MBR to GPT

The bootable media does not support direct MBR to GPT conversion for dynamic disks. However, you can perform the following conversions to reach this goal:

  1. MBR disk conversion: dynamic to basic using the Convert to basic operation.
  2. Basic disk conversion: MBR to GPT using the Convert to GPT operation.
  3. GPT disk conversion: basic to dynamic using the Convert to dynamic operation.