How to find out what is worth GPT or MBR. How to find out what GPT or MBR drive is used in your computer? Setting up UEFI and installing Windows to GPT disk

GPT is new standardwhich displaces the MBR. What technology is better for work hard disk - this question is asked computer specialists and users of the PCs that set a new hDD in system. Essentially to shift old technology MBR came new GPT and it would seem that the answer to the question "GPT or MBR is better?" Obvious. But you should notice the events. Not always "newly" in everything and immediately replaces "well polished old".

Prehistory

We need a carrier for storing information. In computers for these purposes for several decades, and to this day, a hard disk is used. Operating systems (OS) are also recorded on this medium of information. In order for the PC to run the OS, first it will need to find logical diskon which it is located.

The search is carried out using the Basic Input / Output System, abbreviated BIOS), the MBR helps it in this.

MBR - what is it

MBR (Master Boot Record) translated into Russian "Home boot record"This is the first sector (the very first 512 bytes of the memory portion) of the information carrier (whether it is a hard drive (HDD) or solid State Drive (SSD)). MBR is intended for several functions:

1. Contains code and data (446 bytes - initial bootloader) that are required by BIOS, to start loading the OS.
2. Contains information about the hard disk sections (4 primary sections of 16 bytes each). This information is called Partition Table.
3. Guardians (0xaA55, size - 2 bytes).

OS boot process

Loading operating system After turning on the computer, the multistage process. Most PCs today prepare their hardware to work using the BIOS firmware. During the BIOS start initializes system devices, then searches for a loader in the MBR of the first storage device (HDD, SDD, DVD-R disk or a USB drive) or on the first section of the device (therefore, in order to download from another drive, you need to change the priority of the download in the BIOS).

Next, the BIOS transmits the loader control that reads the information from the partition table and is prepared to load the OS. Ends the process of our guardian - special 55h AH signature, which identifies the main boot record (OS load started). The signature is at the very end of the first sector, in which the MBR is located.

disadvantages

The MBR technology was first applied in the 80s in the first first versions of DOS. After time, the MBR was polished and running from all sides. It is considered simple and reliable. But with the growth of computing power, the need for large amounts of media memory has grown. Difficulties have arisen with this, since the MBR technology supports the work of only to 2.2 TB drives. Also, the MBR cannot support more than 4 major sections on one disk.

Features

GPT is located at the beginning of the hard disk, as well as the MBR, but not in the first, but in the second sector. The first sector is still reserved for MBR, which can also be in GPT disks. This is done in order to protect and in order to be compatible with the old OS. In general, the GPT structure is similar to the predecessor, with the exception of some features:

1. GPT does not limit its volume in one sector (512 bytes).
2. For the partition table in Windows, 16,384 bytes are redundant (if the sector in 512 bytes is used, 32 sectors are available by calculations).
3. GPT has a duplication function - the table of contents and partition table are recorded at the beginning and at the end of the disk.
4. The number of sections is not limited, but technically there is a limitation of 2,64 divisions due to the bit of the fields.
5. Theoretically GPT allows you to create disc partitions (with the size of the sector in 512 bytes; if the size of the sector is larger, then the size of the partition is greater) up to 9.4 zb (this is 9.4 × 10 21 bytes; to better seem to the size of the information media section It would have such a volume as 940 million discs of 10 TB each). This fact lowers the problem of limiting information carriers in 2.2 TB under the control of MBR.
6. GPT Allows you to assign a unique 128-bit identifier (GUID), names, attributes. By using Unicode Coding Standard, the sections can be named in any language and are grouped by folders.

Stages of OS download

OS loading occurs at all as in the BIOS. UEFI does not appeal for windows downloads To the MBR code, even if it is. Instead used special section On the Winchester, which is called "EFI System Partition". It contains the files that need to be run to download.

Boot files are stored in the directory / EFI /<ИМЯ ВЛАДЕЛЬЦА>/. This means that the UEFI has its own multizbar, which allows you to quickly determine and download applications necessary (in the BIOS MBR for this required third-party programs). Process uEFI downloads happens as follows:

1. Enabling computer → Hardware checking.
2. UEFI firmware is loaded.
3. The firmware loads the boot manager, which determines which disks and partitions will be downloaded by UEFI applications.
4. Firmware launches UEFI app with file Systemsoh Fat32 UEFISYS partition, as is indicated in the boot record of the firmware load manager.

disadvantages

The shortcomings of the GPT are available, and the most tangible of them - there is no technology support in the preacheable devices using the BIOS firmware. OS Windows family can distinguish and work with GPT partition, but not everyone can boot from it. I will give a visual example in the table.

Also, among the deficiencies, GPT can be allocated:

1. It is not possible to assign the name of the entire disk as separate sections (there is only your GUID).
2. There is a binding partition to its number in the table (third-party OS loaders prefer to use the number instead of names and the GUID).
3. PRIMARY GPT HEADER and Secondary GPT Header) are strictly limited in the amount of 2 pieces and have fixed positions. In case of damage to the media and the presence of errors, this may not be enough to recover data.
4. These 2 copies of GPT (PRIMARY and Secondary GPT Header) interact with each other, but do not allow you to delete and overwrite the checksum in case it is not correct in one of the copies. This means that it does not provide protection against bad (broken) sectors at the GPT level.

The presence of such shortcomings shows that the technology is not perfect enough and still need to work on it.

Comparison of GPT and MBR partitions

Although the concepts of MBR and GPT are quite different from each other, I will try to compare them in general terms.

Also visually compare the OS load through the old and new technology.

Conclusion

Before deciding that it is better than GPT or MBR, put the following questions:

1. Will I use a disc with the section I need to store data or as a system for downloading Windows?
2. If as system, what Windows will I use?
3. On my computer is worth bIOS firmware or UEFI?
4. The volume of my hard disk is less than 2 TB?

Answering these questions after reading the article you decide which technology is better in this moment For you.

P.S. motherboardsWhat are printed now, equipped with UEFI firmware. If you have this, it is preferable to use sections with gPT style (But again, looking at what goals you are pursuing). Over time, BIOS will go back and sooner or later, but most computerized devices will work with drives using GPT.

Install a new disk in Windows 8, and the system will ask what you want to choose - MBR or GPT. GPT is the newest standard, gratefully displacing MBR.
GPT has a lot of advantages, but the MBR still provides the greatest compatibility. In addition to Windows, GPT is used in, Mac OS X and other operating systems.

It is required to divide into sections before use. MBR (home boot record) and GPT (GPT partition table) are two different methods of viewing and storing information regarding disk partitions. It indicates where the sections begin, so that the operating system knew which sectors to which section relate, and which section is loaded. That is why you have to choose a MBR or GPT before creating partitions on the disk.

Disadvantages of MBR

MBR appeared together with the release of IBM PC DOS 2.0 in 1983. It is referred to as the main boot record, because it is a special boot sector located at the very beginning of the disk. This sector accommodates the operating system bootloader and information about the logical partitions of the disk. The loader is a tiny code fragment, loading a larger bootloader from another disk partition. If Windows installed on the computer, then the first part is located. windows bootloader. That is why you need to restore the MBR in the event of its overwriting and the impossibility of downloading Windows. If Linux is installed, then the GRUB loader is located in the MBR.

MBR is not able to work with discs whose container two terabytes exceeds. MBR supports before four main sections. If you need more of their number, you have to turn one of the main sections to the extended section and create logical partitions inside it.

Advantages of GPT

GPT is a new standard, slowly replacing the MBR. It is referred to as the GUID partition table, because all the disk sections are equipped with global unique identifiers, or GUID - so long arbitrary string that each GPT section in the world has its own unique identifier.

GPT is deprived of MBR shortcomings. Discs can be straightened volumetric, and limit sizes depend on the operating system and its file system. GPT allows for an almost unlimited number of partitions, and the limit sets the operating system - Windows allows up to 128 (!) Partitions on the GPT disk, and there is no need to create an extended partition.

On the MBR disk, the data and download data are stored in one place. If they are overwritten or damaged, the system fails. In contrast,

GPT holds a variety of copies of the data mentioned in a variety of discs, so it is radically reliable and is subject to recovery during data damage. GPT will save the cyclic redundancy control (CRC) values \u200b\u200bto check the data integrity. If they are spoiled, the GPT can notice the problem and try to restore damaged information from another point of the disk.

MBR is not able to find out whether the data has been violated, it becomes noticeable only if the system does not load or disk sections disappear.

Compatibility

GPT discs include a protective MBR. This species The MBR will report that the GPT disk contains the only section that occupies the entire disk. If you try to work with the GPT disk using the old utility that understands the exclusively MBR, it recognizes one section that occupies a whole disk. MBR ensures that old utilities will not take the GPT disk for a disk, not broken into partitions, and will not restart its GPT data with new MBR data. That is, the protective MBR prevents recording GPT data.

Windows is able to boot from GPT only on computers based on UEFI running 64-bit editions of Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and connecting server varieties. All versions of Windows 8.1, 8, 7 and Vista are able to read GPT discs and use them for storing data, but do not know how to load them.

Other modern OS also use GPT. Linux built-in GPT support. Apple's poppies no longer use the APT (Apple partition table), since they switched to GPT.

It is advisable to use GPT when installing a new disk, because it is a more modern and reliable standard. If there is a compatibility of compatibility with old systems - let's say the ability to download Windows from the disk on a computer with a classic BIOS - you have to select MBR.

But how the other task is solved - the transformation of the GPT in the MBR without losing data

If you are used to acting in the old manner, i.e. Old Good Bios plus a regular hard disk with a MBR table, then when installing Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems on modern computer With UEFI BIOS, you can encounter an error: "Installing Windows this disc Impossible. The selected disk is the MBR partition table. In Windows EFI systems can only be installed on the GPT disk. "
Ways to solve this difficulty two.

First - Switch UEFI to Leagcy Mode compatibility mode. But this is not the best output due to the fact that uEFI system more productive and perfect. In addition, there are 3-4 TB discs with a capacity of 3-4 TB, and MBR does not know how to work with more than 2TB sections. By the way, if you have an ordinary BIOS, you will not work at the GPT drive on the GPT drive at all.
Second - Convert partition table from MBR in GPT and install the system already on it. This is a more correct way out, because we will consider it now. In principle, we do not need any additional tools - everything is on installation disk. The following instruction is currently currently both for Windows 8 and for Windows 10. Single remark - you need blood flash drive For UEFI.
Let us cover the USB flash drive into the connector, load and start installing the system. Principle, all actions are performed as usual until you reach the selection of the section to install the system, where the "Installing Windows installation cannot be installed" is issued.
Now, to change the MBR on the GPT you need to run conversion. To do this, with the SHIFT + F10 buttons (on laptops, it is also necessary to press function key Fn, i.e. FN + SHIFT + F10) Run command line. Need a command in it diskpart. To call the built-in utility to work with disks and sections.

We gain command lIST DISK. To view the available disks:

Choose a disc that will be converted using the command sELECT DISK.. In my case, it is disk0, so the team will look like this:

Clean it with the Directive Clean.:

To convert the partition table from MBR to GPT, type the command convert GPT.:

If the conversion is completed successfully and the disk is converted - close the Discapart Utility EXIT:

Press the button Refresh And continue the installation of the system on. Separately, I want to note that with using diskpart You can overcome the entire hard disk, but most often it is easier to do it and is much more convenient using the Windows Installer's graphics menu.

Good day to all, dear readers. GPT or MBR? And what is it at all? What is the difference? Let me write about it in more detail. Connect a new disc to the computer under windows control 8.1 or 8, and you will ask you, you want to use MBR or GPT. GPT - New Standard And he gradually comes to the change of MBR.

GPT has many advantages, but MBR wins compatibility and still need in some cases. In addition, this standard supports not only Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and other operating systems can be used.

Before using the disk, it must be divided into partitions. MBR (Home Download) and GPT (GUID sections table) are two various methods Storage information about disk sections. This includes data on the beginning and end of the partitions so that the system knows how the sector owns, and which section is bootable. That is why you must choose a MBR or GPT before creating partitions on the disk.

Limitations MBR

The MBR abbreviation is decrypted as a main boot record. This standard was presented in 1983 with DOS 2.0 for IBM PC.

It is called the main boot record, since MBR is a special boot sector located at the beginning of the disk. This sector contains a bootloader for the installed operating system, as well as information about the logical partitions of the disk. The bootloader is a small piece of code that is usually used to download a large bootloader from another part or disk. If Windows installed on your computer, you will be the initial elements of Windows bootloader. That is why you have to restore the MBR if it was overwritten and Windows is not loading. If you have installed Linux, the MBR will most often contain the GRUB bootloader.

MBR works with discs of up to 2 TB., But it can cope with larger disks. In addition, the MBR supports no more than 4 major sections. If you need more, you will have to make one of the main sections "Extended section" and place logical partitions in it. However, most often you do not need this trick.

MBR He became an industrial standard that everyone used to create partitions on disks and downloads from them. From the very moment, some developers began to rely on tricks like extended sections.

GPT means GUID partition table. This is a new standard that gradually comes to the MBR change. It is part of the UEFI, and the UEFI replaces the old uncomfortable BIOS just as GPT replaces the MBR to something more modern. It is called the GUID partition table, since each partition on your disk is assigned a "unique global identifier" or GUID - a random line of such a length that each GPT partition on Earth is likely to have unique identifiers.

This system has no restrictions in contrast to MBR. Discs can be much more comprehensive, and the limit on the size will depend on the operating and file systems. GPT allows you to create a practically unlimited number of sections. Everything will depend on your operating system. For example, you can create up to 128 sections on the GPT disk, so you no longer have to mess with advanced sections.

On the MBR disk, partition data and boot information are stored in one place. If these data is damaged or overwritten, you have problems. GPT stores several copies of these data throughout the disc, so it works much faster and allows you to restore damaged information. GPT also stores the cyclic redundancy code (CRC) to know exactly that these are intact. If the information is damaged, GPT notices the problem and tries to restore the damaged data from another disk space. MBR cannot learn about information damage. You will see that there is a problem only if you can't download the system or one of the disk sections will disappear.

Compatibility

GPT disks usually include " protective MBR" This type of MBR informs the system that the GPT disk represents one large section. If you try to configure the GPT disc with an old instrument that can only read the MBR, it will see one section spreading to the entire disk. Thus, the MBR prevents the situation in which the old tools will consider the GPT disk unimputed and will rewrite the MBR GPT data. In other words, the protective MBR protects the GPT data from overwriting.

Windows can be downloaded from GPT only on computers with UEFI running 64-bit versions of Windows 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and relevant server versions. All versions of Windows 8.1, 8, 7 and Vista can read GPT discs and use them for data storage, but they cannot boot with them.

Or which technology to choose?

For frequent, buying a laptop or system unitYou already have on board the installed operating system. So, you can't do any choice - everyone has already done for you. As a rule, the choice is always made by a manufacturer or a computer collector in favor of new technologies. Currently used GPT technology together with BIOS-UEFI.

Let's in order.

We'll figure it out what MBR is.

Wikipedia says MBR - Master Boot Record - home boot record. That is, simple language is the code that is necessary to start the operating system installed on your computer. This code - MBR is usually located in the first sector of the hard disk and does not exceed 512 bytes.

When you turn on the computer, the BIOS determines where and which operating system is installed with you and starts it, and the MBR recording helps it in this. The MBR contains all information about the sections of your hard disk (or disks), and the code that runs the operating system.

In more detail, how the load is loaded, the entire algorithm is described in Wikipedia.

This technology Easy and reliable, used for many years. With the development of technologies, progress, several flaws were revealed:

MBR does not support more than 2 TB discs.

Also, more than 4 major sections on one disk are not supported.

Now let's talk about GPT.

Now used in modern laptops and GPT computers.

GPT or GUID Partition Table - a new standard of partition tables on the disk and is used in conjunction with EFI ( EXTENSILE FIRMWARE INTERFACE - Expandable firmware interface).

GPT is located at the beginning of the disk, but it leaves the place for the MBR at the beginning of the disk. That is, they can exist together, but as a rule, for compatibility with old operating systems.

The essential advantage of the GPT is that more than 2 TB discs can be supported, partitions of up to 9.4 zb (9.4 × 10 21 bytes) can be created theoretically (9.4 × 10 21 bytes).

(1 zettabay \u003d 1 000 000 000 TB)

Among the deficiencies GPT, this is not all 32 bit operating systems support drives with GPT, only starting with Windows Vista.

If you have a 64-bit Windows operating system, then it necessarily recognizes GPT.

Load the operating system with GPT can only Windows 8 and above, as well as with the BIOS with UEFI. That is more modern versions. Some manufacturers made it possible to update your BIOS to the necessary version with UEFI support, but not all, you need to find out if you have such an opportunity.

For more information about the GUID Partition Table (GPT) - read Wikipedia ,.

So, what to choose?

When choosing, you must consider several factors:

1. What windows version You are going to use.
2. What a hard disk by volume will be used in your computer, laptop.
3. Availability uEFI support In your BIOS.

If you use more old version, for example, XP is preferable to MBR.

If your BIOS supports UEFI, you can use GPT and a more modern operating system, even preferable.

In each case, you need to solve separately that you cannot use it unambiguously, which is better. MBR - support all operating systems. GPT supports wheels with large volume and is possible to load the operating windows systems 8 and above and only if there is support for UEFI in BIOS.