MBR to GPT in LINUX on windows pc

buttle

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Is it possible to convert an MBR disk to GPT using a linux tool, without loosing any data on the windows disk?
 


i'm still only running on 3 pistons ..due to ..you don't need to know but ..

well this is my laptop partitions
/dev/sda1 partition is 100MB of type EF00
my laptop had windows 10 and used uefi , i wiped everything then recreated eft partition using cgtool from slackware.

if you are going to use something similar then in theory all you have to do is shrink windows by 100MB and create the EFI partition which GPT will use . probably do a defrag , then attempt to resize using GParted.

I guess then it would be a case of re-installing grub ?


best wait for other replies as i'm a roof short of a slate at the moment
 

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probably someone on all 4 cylinders can clarify if you need an extra efi partition , want to use GPT but don't want to use uefi , wiz maybe ?

friend of mine is a student with a WIN 10 laptop and needs a virtual machine to access online tutorial. Apparently only available with UEFI disk...!

1. she does not want to reinstall win10
2. all the 'FREE' apps available on the web are NOT FREE!
3. she does not want to lose any data
 
probably someone on all 4 cylinders can clarify if you need an extra efi partition , want to use GPT but don't want to use uefi , wiz maybe ?

It's depends on on the BIOS/UEFI manufacturer/version.

I have some that support GPT under BIOS. It seems there was a period of "hybrid"
BIOS types for a while.

Most of my newer computers like UEFI though. (Also, most of them have drives larger than 2T)

Some support MBR/DOS under UEFI. Some don't.
 
Is it possible to convert an MBR disk to GPT using a linux tool, Answer = Yes
without loosing any data on the windows disk? Answer = Probably - maybe - but...
1. she does not want to reinstall win10
2. all the 'FREE' apps available on the web are NOT FREE!
3. she does not want to lose any data
1. There is a distinct possibility she will end up having to re-install Win 10.
2. Linux tools are available.
3. Data loss is very possible and even quite likely. Make backups!

Any time one starts messing with the partition table there is a possibility of data loss. Be prepared.

Put this in your search engine and you will find some good results - "convert an MBR disk to GPT".
Such as:
 
It's been my experience that if you change the partition table type, you WILL lose data!
Almost all of the utilities I use, fdisk, gdisk, gparted, and the (built-in BIOS/RAID tools)
warn you that if you re-create the partition table, it WILL erase all your data.

If you're a GUI person, gparted is probably the easiest way.
If you're a CLI person like me... fdisk is the way to go.
 
Yes, if you change the partition table on a physical hard drive, data will be gone. If Windows exists on one physical hard drive and Linux exists on another physical hard drive, and you convert the physical hard drive that has Linux installed from MBR to GPT, then only that one physical hard drive is affected.

I keep saying physical hard drive, because some Windows users ( the smart ones here notwithstanding!) think in terms of C: and D: on one physical drive as being two drives.

It should go without saying, but backup ALL your important data first, regardless of where it lives on that machine. People sometimes make mistakes and make irreversible changes to the wrong drive!
 


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