Why GPT instead of MBR partitions for boot drive?

x509 · 11 May 2016

SonicBlue said:

MBR limits the maximum addressable storage space of a disk to 2 TerraBytes (2³² × 512 bytes). NOT Giga

SonicBlue,

The part of your earlier post that I did not understand was:

Actually I prefer MBR for the dual boot situation, as where if you wish to access the other os is not possible with GPT.

cereberus · 12 May 2016

SonicBlue said:

MBR limits the maximum addressable storage space of a disk to 2 TerraBytes (2³² × 512 bytes). NOT Giga

GB - obviously a typo.

To be pedantic, it is 2 TiB (2.2 TB to one decimal place).

cereberus · 12 May 2016

x509 said:

SonicBlue,

The part of your earlier post that I did not understand was:

Actually I prefer MBR for the dual boot situation, as where if you wish to access the other os is not possible with GPT.

Of course you can dual boot with other OSs in UEFI - it simply depends if other OS is UEFI/secureboot compatible.

e.g. Many linux installs can handle uefi/secure boot.

SonicBlue · 12 May 2016

Yes that is true but can you access the other OS from within the other?

NavyLCDR · 12 May 2016

SonicBlue said:

Yes that is true but can you access the other OS from within the other?

Yes

topgundcp · 12 May 2016

x509 said:

Old Mike,

Thanks. For me the deal clincher was secure boot that protects against rootkits. Now I'm going to try that utility that allows conversion in place from MBR to GPT.

x509

Be careful if you use this utility. It only applies to a non system disk (ie. data only). If you convert for Windows disk, you won't be able to boot.

If you wish. You can try this procedure for Windows system disk:
GPT disk conversion for both data drives and C drive - Windows 10 Forums

Whatphoeb · 12 May 2016

UEFI only support GPT. In most cases, you will be fine with either MBR or GPT. It is only when you need to have a partition bigger than 2TB, that you need to use GPT, or convert MBR to GPT.

badrobot · 12 May 2016

I use both MBR and GPT on my main rig. Windows 10 10586 on GPT as my day to day OS and Windows 10 Insider Preview on MBR. I prefer this setup because the 2 don't see each other whatever mess I make with the Preview OS. I don't get boot issues at all. Totally independent of each other. But I guess it depends on motherboard. I have an ASRock Z97 Extreme6. The GPT disk is a 2100MBps Samsung SM951 M.2 SSD while the MBR is just a regular Samsung Evo SSD.

This is not a dual boot setup. I select a boot device on start up.

jimbo45 · 14 May 2016

Hi there

Secure boot is a "Go and do something that rhymes with Duck" word - especially if you want to test / run alternate OS'es / boot from USB sticks etc.

UEFI enabled boot does not need to have secure boot - but it DOES require GPT so that's a good reason to start with. Most people though usually have a small SSD (up to say 256GB) and reserve that for OS and applications so it really doesn't matter if it's MBR or GPT.

For HDD's > 2 TB you will have to have GPT in any case. The only reason I still bother about MBR is that if you have something like a bootable rescue USB and several computers including some older ones having a BIOS MBR boot makes the device more flexible.

IMO though for most people stick these days with GPT - but forget SECURE BOOT unless you are forced to use it -- it's a real pain when you need to backup / restore a system with external media / boot devices.

BTW Rootkit viruses (as are most viruses in general) so "Last Century" -- Criminals get much more money by simple SCAMS these days that just rely on Lack of Brain Power of the average user -- such as "Fake websites", emails with dubious attachments, emails from what looks like official bodies requesting money / passwords etc.

I've used some sites (not allowed to be mentioned here - but Felines and ships with black flags and skull and X-bones might be mentioned !!!) to get TV / movies that are "Geo-Blocked" and aren't likely to be shown where I live --Happy to PAY for content but if the Movie people won't see sense then the alternative is the only option - and THEY lose money !!! -- and can say never got anything nasty from those places.

By all means install / use AV software to protect your system --but threats from "Technology" aren't anything like as dangerous as those hideous scams that people fall into every day.

Remember --The price of Education is expensive -- but the price of Ignorance is Astronomical " -- anon --don't know who quoted that but it's so very true.

Cheers
jimbo

SonicBlue · 14 May 2016

jimbo45 said:

Hi there

UEFI enabled boot does not need to have secure boot - but it DOES require GPT so that's a good reason to start with. Most people though usually have a small SSD (up to say 256GB) and reserve that for OS and applications so it really doesn't matter if it's MBR or GPT.

For HDD's > 2 TB you will have to have GPT in any case. The only reason I still bother about MBR is that if you have something like a bootable rescue USB and several computers including some older ones having a BIOS MBR boot makes the device more flexible.

IMO though for most people stick these days with GPT - but forget SECURE BOOT unless you are forced to use it -- it's a real pain when you need to backup / restore a system with external media / boot devices.

BTW Rootkit viruses (as are most viruses in general) so "Last Century" -- Criminals get much more money by simple SCAMS these days that just rely on Lack of Brain Power of the average user -- such as "Fake websites", emails with dubious attachments, emails from what looks like official bodies requesting money / passwords etc.

I've used some sites (not allowed to be mentioned here - but Felines and ships with black flags and skull and X-bones might be mentioned !!!) to get TV / movies that are "Geo-Blocked" and aren't likely to be shown where I live --Happy to PAY for content but if the Movie people won't see sense then the alternative is the only option - and THEY lose money !!! -- and can say never got anything nasty from those places.

By all means install / use AV software to protect your system --but threats from "Technology" aren't anything like as dangerous as those hideous scams that people fall into every day.

Remember --The price of Education is expensive -- but the price of Ignorance is Astronomical " -- anon --don't know who quoted that but it's so very true.

Cheers
jimbo

Oh so true!