Convert GTP to MBR without losing data? With losing data?

I

idyll

n00b
Joined
Jul 11, 2004
Messages
50
I want to install TrueCrypt on my Lenovo Helix laptop but it requires for the hard drive to use a MBR partition format rather than GPT.

I tried to boot using Paragon Hard Drive Manager 14 Pro but do not have the option to convert to MBR from GPT in there.

Is there any way I can keep all of my data and convert the hard drive to a MBR format? If not, will I need to clear out the hard drive, convert it to MBR somehow, and then re-install Windows 8? I assume I won't be able to use the image backup I created either of my system either.
 
DOMHG!!!

Perhaps you are asking for help to confirm what you already know, but no, yes and probably.

MBR and GPT are metadata used for keeping track of the layout of everything on a given disk. Therefore they aren't specific to a partition, but a disk. If you have a laptop with one hard drive then your disk would have one partition table (either MBR or GPT).

It doesn't look like the native windows utilities support converting from GPT to MBR or even MBR to GPT. From here:

Before you convert a disk, be sure to backup anything that you do not want to lose on that disk. Converting the disk requires that all partitions and volumes are deleted on the disk first.

I saw links on microsoft's website which said the same thing.

More generally it looks like it is possible to convert from mbr to gpt in most cases:

http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/mbr2gpt.html

Trying to do the conversion the other way around is risky.

So yes. You should delete *everything* even the partitions on your hard drive and change the disk to a MBR volume. It would be easiest to connect your hard drive to a separate computer to do this, but the windows install disk might also have a utility for making an mbr disk before you install windows.

This means you will loose *all of your data including any image backups if you placed them on the same disk as your operating system.
 
Thanks! That's pretty much the conclusion I came upon as well.

Apparently, Paragon's Hard Drive Manager 14 Pro should support converting from GPT to MBR and vice versa, but it does not give me the option to when I boot from it. Maybe this is because the main drive is using the GPT format and has Windows / data on it. Maybe it would let me convert it to MBR once I delete everything on the drive.

Regarding the Windows image backup, I mean I made an image backup of my Windows and data to a external hard drive so that I can get all of my personal files back should I re-install Windows. The problem is, I believe this backup image saves the UEFI / GPT format as well so I do not think I could use it to recover my files on a MBR disk.
 
Right to be clear you can always switch between mbr and gpt if you first delete everything on the hard drive.

Many utilities won't let you attempt to change until you delete everything (i.e. all partitions) on the disk.

I have no experience with paragon's hard drive manager, but if it is worth anything it should be able to change the partition table on an empty drive, i.e. after you delete everything. Even if it can't there are plenty of free utilities that can. Your windows install disk for one and just about any linux distro for another.

I also have no experience with your back up utility. If your "windows image backup" only saves partition information I think there is a good chance you should be able to restore it to a disk using mbr.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top