How to check the standard hard drive of GPT or MBR

Both GPT or MBR standards are hard drive standards that specify how to import or export data, drive partitions. MBR stands for Master Boot Record and GPT for GUID Partition Table. Each standard has its own characteristics such as GPT standard, so it has many advantages and advantages over the MBR standard, launched earlier.

However, the MBR standard has the advantage of being compatible with all operating systems, while GPT will only support Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 64 bit versions. In addition, the MBR standard can be used on computers that use the standard BIOS or UEFI, but GPT will only work on UEFI standard computers. So do you know the computer hard drive is using GPT or MBR standard? The following article will guide you how to check the hard drive of GPT or MBR standard.

1. Concept of UEFI standard in computers
2. How to fix "The disk selected has an MBR partition table" when installing Windows
3. 4 simple ways to check the configuration and hardware information of computers and laptops

Instructions for viewing standard hard drives GPT or MBR

As mentioned above, if the computer you are using is 32-bit Windows, then the hard drive in use is the MBR standard. The standard GPT hard drive will only support 64-bit Windows, so if the computer is a 32-bit Windows, the hard drive cannot standard GPT.

1. How to check the running version of Windows

To check if the standard GPT or MBR hard drive is available, there are two ways through the Comand Line and Disk management.

Method 1: Check the standard hard drive through the Comand Line

Step 1:

Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run dialog box and then enter the keyword diskpart and select OK to access.

1. About the Diskpart command line utility

Step 2:

Appears the Diskpart interface. Here the user enters the list disk and presses Enter. Immediately a list of hard drives is available on the computer and connected to the computer, such as a computer hard drive, portable hard drive, USB, CD, .

A hard drive can consist of multiple partitions that you often call drives C, D, and E.

In the information below the Disk column, Size is the name and capacity columns of the hard drives. Disk drive on the computer is always Disk drive 0. Also Disk 1 is the mobile hard drive I plugged into the machine, Disk 2 is USB, depending on the computer connected to any external hard drive or not.

We will pay attention to the Gpt column , if the hard drive name in the Gpt column has a *, then the hard drive follows the GPT standard .

If the hard drive without the * is the MBR standard .

Method 2: Check standard hard drive with Disk management

Step 1:

At the screen interface, right-click This PC select Manage , if using Windows 8 and Windows 10. From Windows 7 or below, right-click My Computer and select Manage.

Step 2:

The Computer Management dialog box appears. Here click on Disk Management in the list on the left. If not, click on the arrow icon in Storage to expand the display list.

Step 3:

Looking to the right content will see a list of hard drives on the computer including Disk 0, Disk 1, Disk 2, etc. Just as when checking the hard drive on the Disk management, we will know 1 computer There is only one hard drive and many hard stock partitions are C, D, E, . Hard Disk Disk 0 is always the hard drive containing the partition where the operating system is running.

Continue to right click on Disk 0 and see if there is a line Convert to MBR Disk, then your hard drive is a GPT drive.

If no line Convert to MBR Disk appears, right-click the hard drive and select Properties .

Step 4:

A new window appears. Here click on the Volume tab . Then look down at the Partition style with the GUID Partition Table (GPT) line , so the hard drive you use is GPT .

Otherwise, the Master Boot Record (MBR) line appears , the hard drive you use is MBR .

These are two ways to check if Windows computer hard drives are GPT or MBR. Two ways to check on the Comand Line and Disk management are simple, you can choose 1 of 2 ways to use. If the computer is using 32-bit Windows, you can be sure that the hard drive is in MBR standard. If using 64-bit Win, we will need to take a test step to determine GPT or MBR standards.

See more:

1. How to delete a partition on Windows hard drive?
2. How to move or resize the Windows hard drive partition
3. Restore deleted drive partitions with Active Partition Recovery

I wish you all success!