Step-by-step Guide: Clone MBR to GPT

Quick Navigation:

• 1. MBR and GPT - what are they?
• 2. Convert the GPT to MBR
• 3. Clone MBR to GPT with DoYourClone
• 4. Conclusion:

Most Windows users know the GPT and MBR for partitioning drives. Similarly, we are aware that MBR has its own set of constraints. In order to get the most storage space, the GPT approach is typically our first choice.

If you're concerned that the space on your present hard drive will soon be exhausted, you may decide to replace it or upgrade to a larger one. The storage capacities of modern hard disks are enormous. MBR disks, on the other hand, have a limit of 2 terabytes. Thus, initializing larger drives to GPT is preferable to maximize the available disk space. The user's previous hard drive could be a system disk formatted with the MBR, while the new hard drive would utilize the GPT partition style.

Clone MBR to GPT is a popular method for fixing this problem for many users. This article will clarify the differences between GPT and MBR and show how to clone an MBR disk to a GPT one.

MBR and GPT - what are they?

What is MBR?

The Master Boot Record (MBR) format was the standard until hard drives exceeded 2 terabytes. The Master Boot Record (MBR) governs the structure and placement of partitions on a hard drive. Since the MBR predates the GPT, it is backward-compatible with some Windows versions.

MBR employs the BIOS firmware and codes in the drive's first sector and has a maximum capacity of 2 terabytes. Only two gigabytes (GB) of a three-terabyte (TB) hard drive's partitions will be usable with an MBR-based system. Selecting MBR as the initialization method for a hard drive with a capacity of 2 terabytes (TB) or less is recommended.

What is GPT?

A GUID Partition Table is sometimes abbreviated as "GPT." It handles hard drive partitioning in the same way as MBT does. GPT uses the UEFI firmware to store disk information, including partitions, sizes, and other critical data, in contrast to the MBR, which stores the partition table.

One sector is reserved to maintain backward compatibility with MBR and BIOS when using GBT. With 512-byte sectors, the GPT can accommodate drives up to a maximum capacity of 9,400,000,000 TB.

If your hard drive is greater than 2 terabytes (TB), GPT can help your computer run more efficiently. However, UEFI-compatible OS and system software are prerequisites.

Convert the GPT to MBR

Due to the benefits of GPT disks, many users wish to clone their MBR disks to GPT. Disks with capacities greater than 2 terabytes (TB) are commonplace in modern PCs, and as a result, many large hard drives and solid-state drives (SSDs) are initialized as GPT disks by design.

However, cloning from MBR to GPT is impossible because the resulting disk would be unbootable. Converting the GPT to MBR is necessary before cloning an MBR disk to a GPT disk.

Clone MBR to GPT with DoYourClone

You may trust the complete copy of your hard drive made by DoYourClone, a disk clone tool developed by third-party developers. It works wonders if you want to upgrade to a larger disk without reinstalling Windows.

Cloning a disk from the Master Boot Record to the GUID Partition Table or vice versa allows for a speedy upgrade to a new hard drive. It's compatible with Windows 7 to Windows 11/12.

Using DoYourData Disk Clone, you can clone from MBR to GPT in the following ways:

Step 1. The first thing to do is to fire up DoYourClone and switch to Disk Clone Mode. Select the MBR disk as the source disk and select the GPT disk as the destination disk.

Step 2. Click Next, then preview the clone layout, Select “Check this if the destination is SSD” if the destination drive is a SSD. Then click on Clone button.

Conclusion:

In many scenarios, you might want to clone your MBR to acquire the disk. The GPT disk option is crucial to make more than four partitions. Additionally, GPT has several plus sides. Remember that copying an MBR disk to a GPT disk is easier and more convenient. To accomplish this, all you need is a disk cloning program that is both secure and reliable.

DoYourData Disk Cloning is professional Windows backup and cloning software that can clone Windows from a Master Boot Record (MBR) disk to a GUID Partition Table (GPT) disk, as well as restore an MBR Windows system backup image to a GPT disk, or clone a GPT disk back to an MBR disk.