If you want to convert your current partition table from MBR to GPT, we recommend you:
The Windows 10 operating system was designed to install with the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) boot option and the resulting drive partition table GUID Partition Table (GPT). You may lose some support with the MBR partition table on Windows 10, such as system acceleration with Intel® Optane™ memory. If you recently installed the operating system and the BIOS was set to CSM, setting the legacy boot option in the legacy boot media partition.If you recently installed the operating system, setting the legacy boot option in the BIOS.After upgrading to Windows® 10 from an older operating system (OS) version, such as Windows 7* or Windows 8.1*.You might have the legacy boot option set in the BIOS: If you are accelerating the system disk (OS Installed) proceed with details below. Right-click left panel for the Disk being checked (for example Disk 0, Disk 1, and others) > Properties > Volumes. Open Disk Management by pressing Windows key + R > select Disk Management.If the drive is a secondary/data drive (no OS installed), you can use third-party applications such as EaseUS* to convert from MBR to GPT.
If you have the legacy boot option set in the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), it's possible the drive partition table is Master Boot Record (MBR). This article describes methods to convert SSDs from MBR (Master Boot Record) to GPT (GUID Partition Table) partition structure. We don't offer support for third-party tools. We don't endorse the content, products, or services offered.
Windows 7 and onward, however, can use GPT. If you deal primarily with drives below 2TB or older versions of Windows, you might be better off formatting all of your drives to MBR so that you don’t risk breaking compatibility with any of your hardware. There are some reasons to continue using MBR. This option lets you take advantage of the faster speeds, unlimited partitions, and significantly larger storage capacities.
If you get an external HDD or SSD, and your PC supports MBR and GPT partitioning, you should format the drive with GPT. Lastly, bootup is usually faster with GPT and UEFI. Other than the differences between MBR and GPT mentioned above, GPT can use newer device technologies, and it’s compatible with BIOS/MBR functions for backward compatibility of older, non-UEFI devices.
The GUID consists of details on drives, partitions, storage sizes, boot information, and other essential data related to boot and functionality. The data stored in the GPT header includes drive information in the form of a GUID partition table.
In GPT technical terms, MBR sector #1 (LBA 1) is LBA 0 for GPT, and GPT is sector 1 (LBA 1). However, GPT uses sector two because sector one gets reserved for MBR and BIOS compatibility. GPT uses UEFI firmware, and it also stores disk information, such as partitions, sizes, and other essential data, just like MBR does in sector one. Just like MBR, it also manages the creation and organization of partitions on the HDD. Next, the MBR activates the boot sector of the drive to launch the OS.
The PC’s/motherboard’s basic input/output system (BIOS) looks for the device with an MBR, and then it executes the volume boot code from the partition that has it. This identifier ensures that the correct drive and partition reads and writes data when using several disks, and it ensures proper PC functionality and security protocol for all read/write data transactions. Disk signature: Every drive needs a unique identifier, which gets created in the form of a signature.Master boot code: Sometimes abbreviated as MBC, the code executes the launch of the operating system and manages the configuration for the bootup process (to confirm any changes), such as detecting drives, calculating RAM (external), detecting displays, and other essential device and configuration information.The MPT provides all that essential information. For the OS and the PC to function correctly, they need a record of HDD partitions and sizes and a way to identify the bootable, active partitions. Master partition table: Abbreviated as MPT, the table stores all partition information found on each HDD, including their format type, capacity, and other necessary details.The MBR data stored in LBA 1 of the HDD includes the following: