Should I Change My Boot SSD and Storage to GPT?
Hello all, I recently got a new m.2 970 Evo plus, and two new HDDs, and when I went to initialize my new HDDs, I realized that all my existing drives are configured as MBR. Now, is it worth converting them all to GPT? I'm also confused as my old current boot drive, a regular M. 2 970 evo, is configured as MBR, but I didn't think Windows 10 could boot from MBR if my motherboard is UEFI.
Best Answered by
Roxanne· Answered on Sep 19, 2023
You are right. If your Windows 10 is restored on an MBR disk, the UEFI-based motherboard can't boot from it. Thus, you need to convert the M. 2 970 Evo from MBR to GPT. However, you need to check the storage capacity of the new HDDs to decide whether to convert them to GPT. For instance, if the HDDs can hold more than 3 TB, you can change them to GPT for better features. If they can stand up to 2 TB, disk conversion is unnecessary.
Let me introduce two reliable ways to help you convert the M.2 disk to GPT. The first method is to use Disk Management in Windows. Since this method will cause data loss, make sure you have backed up the whole disk in advance. Here is how to do so:
- Right-click "This PC" on the desktop, and choose "Manage" > "Disk Management."
- Right-click the volumes on your M.2 disk and select "Delete Volume..."
- When your disk shows as unallocated space, right-click it and choose "Convert to GPT Disk."
If you don't want to delete any data or worry about the dependability of data backup, EaseUS Partition Master can fulfill your requirements for data security. It leads the way in converting partition style without erasing data or deleting partitions.
Following are the specific steps for converting M.2 disk to GPT using EaseUS Partition Master:
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master after downloading it on your PC.
Step 2. Head to the "Convert MBR to GPT" feature under the "Disk Converter" tool, and click "Next."
Step 3. Choose the M. 2 970 Evo disk you want to convert and click the "Convert" button to continue.
Your SSD will become a GPT disk after completing the above steps. Nevertheless, double-check to ensure the BIOS mode is UEFI and the computer boots from this M.2 SSD.
Further Reading: How to Know If Computer Using UEFI or Legacy
