Can I convert a MBR to GPT drive in Windows 8.1 Pro
- Thread starter Fish0Man
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xCarrotz
Honorable
- Nov 12, 2013
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from what i know there is no way of changing the drive from MBR to GPT without destroying the data on it, the only option i know of would be to backup all your data onto an exteral hard-drive then put the data back on after changing to GPT.
as for actually changing the style i have never had to do that but the link below should help:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn336946.aspx
let me know if it worked and what you think!
as for actually changing the style i have never had to do that but the link below should help:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn336946.aspx
let me know if it worked and what you think!
Tom Tancredi
Judicious
- May 9, 2013
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Short answer: This isn't a Windows settign problem your confusing a hardware specification with a software solution. Gpt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table) is a combination of using the new UEFI instead of BIOS and having a MANUFACTURED 4K HDD instead of the older 512K most people were used to. So upgrading your OS has nothing to do with this if your hardware was never built with UEFI and hosting a 4K HDD, nor can you "install it" either.
Most modern systems no longer use BIOS and instead use UEFI, which is to say that there is no mini program asking "what hardware are you" when the hardware boots up, then passes that info to whatever OS your using. UEFI now is a software solution that just indexes the hardware and then interacts with the software to run things instead.
Modern HDDs were changed with the higher capacity into 4K elements to store data bits of data, instead of wasting a 512K bit which would allocate 512K worth of bits even if say there was only 5K of bits actually stored, thus rendering alot of space on the HDD wasted. To increase 'space' and performance bits are instead stored in 4K standard, which is based on how the drive is made, not a simple 'format it in 4K mode'. Again this is hardware, not OS differences.
For both UEFI and 4K drives to work, only Windows 7 SP1 through Windows 8 has the code to understand how to talk to these elements, no other Microsoft OS works with UEFI and 4K drives, and there is no patch to make 'unsupported' OSes work either. So for example someone still on XP or Vista gets a new computer and tries to install to it instead of Windows 8, wont' work, that old OS doesn't understand what UEFI nor 4k storage means and can't install to it much less 'talk' to it to process data.
Most modern systems no longer use BIOS and instead use UEFI, which is to say that there is no mini program asking "what hardware are you" when the hardware boots up, then passes that info to whatever OS your using. UEFI now is a software solution that just indexes the hardware and then interacts with the software to run things instead.
Modern HDDs were changed with the higher capacity into 4K elements to store data bits of data, instead of wasting a 512K bit which would allocate 512K worth of bits even if say there was only 5K of bits actually stored, thus rendering alot of space on the HDD wasted. To increase 'space' and performance bits are instead stored in 4K standard, which is based on how the drive is made, not a simple 'format it in 4K mode'. Again this is hardware, not OS differences.
For both UEFI and 4K drives to work, only Windows 7 SP1 through Windows 8 has the code to understand how to talk to these elements, no other Microsoft OS works with UEFI and 4K drives, and there is no patch to make 'unsupported' OSes work either. So for example someone still on XP or Vista gets a new computer and tries to install to it instead of Windows 8, wont' work, that old OS doesn't understand what UEFI nor 4k storage means and can't install to it much less 'talk' to it to process data.
Darkbreeze
Retired Mod
- Jun 24, 2014
- 80,408
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I realize this is an older thread and I'm not attempting to Necro it either but I just though I'd add, since I came across it, that it can be done and is outlined here:
http://www.mpspartners.com/2013/10/how-to-convert-windows-7-on-mbrbios-to-gptuefi/
http://www.mpspartners.com/2013/10/how-to-convert-windows-7-on-mbrbios-to-gptuefi/
Tom Tancredi
Judicious
- May 9, 2013
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Notes article, but OP inferred from post "I changed Windows versions so I can change how a harddrive is formatted right?" without knowing that it has nothing to do with changing Windows. That I think is the main crux (note I specified what MBR / GPT are and NOT software based) that the OP realized they made a mistake.
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