My new PC build and GPT and MBR settings choice

[Box Brownie]

Hi all

In planning my new build I will doing the following:-

Cloning my C and E drives to M2.SSD drives and also copying/cloning my data drives to larger HDDs

The new M2 drives are 500GB for the OS and 1TB for the programs with the HDDs being 4TB and 6TB (possibly a third one at 6TB?)

Now my old motherboard has a Legacy BIOS but the new one is UEFI and my understanding is that with UEFI the GPT setup drives are best, where above 2TB.....

So what to do in regard to the 500gb and 1TB M2 drives ~ MBR or GPT and as the data drives are only data can they be GPT?

But bear in mind I am initialising all of them on this older legacy BIOS PC but will not be using the drives on this this, therefore:-
If I initialise them as GPT will Windows 10 recognise them so that I can make the clones & copies
NOTE looking at the first M2 that I initialised GPT was already selected but to test I used MBR! I can of course redo that step and try GPT but hesitated.

 

[Milo King]

OK if you are building a new computer with all new parts, motherboard etc., then you need to install your operating system and programs from scratch, cloning the drives will not work.

As far as just data/storage* drives are concerned you can clone those onto bigger, or same size, drives and should be able to use them on your new system.


*Documents/pictures/videos/music etc.

 

[Box Brownie]

OK if you are building a new computer with all new parts, motherboard etc., then you need to install your operating system and programs from scratch, cloning the drives will not work.

As far as just data/storage* drives are concerned you can clone those onto bigger, or same size, drives and should be able to use them on your new system.


*Documents/pictures/videos/music etc.

I beg to differ on the question of cloning.....with criteria.

I have a new W10 license ready to hand., so my intention is not to create an "illegal copy" of my current PC

AFAIK W10 is much more tolerant in respect of the method I am anticipating will/should be fine as I will have all the motherboard drivers ready to hand.
NB the motherboard brand is the same as the old one, they continue to use the same audio and network chips. Though of course the m/b chipset is different!

PS in regard to the initialisation type
The motherboard BIOS has a function setting to recognise a legacy bootable drive i.e. one based on MBR
"CSM Support
Enables or disables UEFI CSM (Compatibility Support Module) to support a legacy PC boot process.
Disabled Disables UEFI CSM and supports UEFI BIOS boot process only.
Enabled Enables UEFI CSM."

If the default is "Disabled" then I will need to enter the BIOS settings at POST and change it so that the drive is recognised as the 'boot drive' (on the surmise that based on the 500GB size I initialise as MBR not GPT ~ though my question still stands re: choice of MBR or GPT)

 

[Paulie-W]

I cloned, and converted to GPT, as it's a requirement of Win 11, without any issues at all.

 

[Box Brownie]

I cloned, and converted to GPT, as it's a requirement of Win 11, without any issues at all.

Yes, that is what I read.....though for now I am happy to stick with W10.........until W11 is forced on me NB though in Win updates I get a reminder about W11 and my current PC not being suitable!

In regard to MBR vs GPT, I read that GPT is aimed(?) at drives above 2TB but my new OS and programs drives are 500GB and 1TB respectively..

Therefore can I please ask, what size was your drive and once cloned were you able to see the contents in Windows Explorer on the original source PC ?

Edit ~ looking reveals very little info about setting up sub 2TB drives as GPT..............most info on this simply says MBR is better suited to sub 2TB drives but there is nothing by way of explanation but repeated mention that GPT is best(?) where the motherboard supports UEFI BIOS. So all a bit vague

 

[Paulie-W]

Yes, that is what I read.....though for now I am happy to stick with W10.........until W11 is forced on me NB though in Win updates I get a reminder about W11 and my current PC not being suitable!

In regard to MBR vs GPT, I read that GPT is aimed(?) at drives above 2TB but my new OS and programs drives are 500GB and 1TB respectively..

Therefore can I please ask, what size was your drive and once cloned were you able to see the contents in Windows Explorer on the original source PC ?

Edit ~ looking reveals very little info about setting up sub 2TB drives as GPT..............most info on this simply says MBR is better suited to sub 2TB drives but there is nothing by way of explanation but repeated mention that GPT is best(?) where the motherboard supports UEFI BIOS. So all a bit vague

Mine was all a bit ad hoc as It went from a standard HDD to 500gb Sata SSD, then to 1tb chip drive (cant remember whet they`re called). I use the chip drive as the main kicker, and everything else (pix, music and game files etc) are on a 4tb HDD

I used easeus, to clone and swap, but it was a while back now. I do remember the free trial of the pro version, covered all I wanted to do. They were very good at coming back to me with answers to my questions too.

 

[Snapsh0t]

I'd let it go for GPT. I've just checked my desktop PC and the 500GB boot M.2, the 2TB data M.2 and 4TB backup SATA SSD are all GPT. This was from a scratch setup W10.
Of course, the cloning software may not permit changing the partition style. I use Acronis and I'm pretty sure that keeps the original partition style when cloning a complete drive.

 

[Box Brownie]

Well a slight though understandable oddity

I have now cloned my C drive (I do have another MS License to use in the new PC.

I initialised the M2 drive as GPT but Acronis True Image for Crucial advised that it was reinstating the MBR (the drive is 500GB and the original source drive if MBR).

Also, I forgot to allocate a drive letter to the new M2 and the cloning process did not give a letter and as such I cannot see the drive whilst USB connected....though the Disk Manager 'sees' it BUT does not show it as having a Boot description.

Of course there cannot be two off C Drives in this situation.

Edit
I suppose one way of testing it's Boot function is to disconnect the current C drive and upon restart go into the BIOS and change the boot drive to USB ?

If all AOK then in the new PC I would need to enable CSM to let boot from an MBR drive.

Edit2
Well, I have tried to boot from the USB connected C drive and it does not do so as it fails to find the Boot Disk. Bearing in mind the age of the PC, even though USB-HDD is the most logical option (others FDD , CDROM) is selected.

Edit3
First thought is that all is well and the new PC will recognise it as Boot Disk
PS I have found (doh!) that in Disk Manager that I should be able to allocate a Drive Letter and perhaps/all being well Windows Explorer will see it so that I can at least check that all the folders etc have indeed been cloned over to it.

Hence again AFAIK whatever drive letter I give it in this PC, on the new one it will detect it as the Boot Disk and assign it as the C Drive.

 

[Box Brownie]

FWIW

I assigned a drive letter to the cloned drive and voila Windows Explorer can see drive and its contents which show all the C Drive contents ~ I can only surmise that the new build will recognise the drive as Boot Drive and assign as "C Drive".......................fingers crossed

 

[Box Brownie]

As mentioned the Acronis True Image insisted on re-initialising the GPT to MBR.

With my E drive I cloned it to the 1TB M.2 but Acronis did not change its GPT status. I wonder if that was capacity (500GB vs 1TB) and/or that boot drive clone compared to non-boot drive cloning

So, all being well the only lack(?) will be the inability to utilise "Secure Boot" as that is only available if the boot drive is GPT not MBR!

PS none too sure whether the lack of Secure Boot is anything I need to be (overly?) concerned about

 

[Paulie-W]

Other than Win11, I don't think so

 

[Box Brownie]

Other than Win11, I don't think so

Thanks for the insight

RE: W11 ~ as a W10 Pro user AFAIK I can delay W11 being foisted upon me...........until after W10 goes truly EoL but my brief reading of W11 is that is dependent on TP2.0 security chip(?) but is it also requiring Secure Boot? If so that will leave many with Legacy BIOS a bit out on a limb

 

[Paulie-W]

Thanks for the insight

RE: W11 ~ as a W10 Pro user AFAIK I can delay W11 being foisted upon me...........until after W10 goes truly EoL but my brief reading of W11 is that is dependent on TP2.0 security chip(?) but is it also requiring Secure Boot? If so that will leave many with Legacy BIOS a bit out on a limb

I got lucky with a b450ii, which seems to be fine. My old boot was legacy, but the cloning and conversation to GPT went ok, as daunting as it was

 

[Box Brownie]

I got lucky with a b450ii, which seems to be fine. My old boot was legacy, but the cloning and conversation to GPT went ok, as daunting as it was

Can ask what size was your new cloned C drive?

 

[Paulie-W]

Can ask what size was your new cloned C drive?

It`s a WD Black 1tb

 

[Box Brownie]

It`s a WD Black 1tb

Thanks

As you managed to initialise it as GPT and then clone the source C drive...............it makes me think that my 500GB might be a limiting factor in the 'status' (MBR or GPT) permitted???

 

[Paulie-W]

Thanks

As you managed to initialise it as GPT and then clone the source C drive...............it makes me think that my 500GB might be a limiting factor in the 'status' (MBR or GPT) permitted???

I have a sata SSD too, which I converted to GPT (just checked to make sure it was). I just figured it was best to keep everything the same. Especially now with big ass HDD`s

 

[Box Brownie]

I have a sata SSD too, which I converted to GPT (just checked to make sure it was). I just figured it was best to keep everything the same. Especially now with big ass HDD`s

Depending on the size of your SSD, it makes me think what I am seeing is an idiocyncrasy of Acronis True Image

 

[Paulie-W]

Depending on the size of your SSD, it makes me think what I am seeing is an idiocyncrasy of Acronis True Image

Oh yeah, sorry `bout that. It`s 500gb

IIRC easeus was the only software that could do it. See post #6

 

[seaodyssey]

Thanks

As you managed to initialise it as GPT and then clone the source C drive...............it makes me think that my 500GB might be a limiting factor in the 'status' (MBR or GPT) permitted???

My 120GB SSD drive in my laptop is GPT.
I always re install windows when changing disks, it gets rid of all the crud that builds up over time. It does not take much time to re-install programs that I want to carry on using.

In this old (8years) laptop I went from 1TB HDD to 120Gb SSD drives.

I also have a Desktop which is all Solid State. I use Samsung as a brand and the Samsung magician software works well when I upped the data drive.

 

[Box Brownie]

Oh yeah, sorry `bout that. It`s 500gb

IIRC easeus was the only software that could do it. See post #6

@Paulie-W

Paul

EaseUS was a good call. thank you

I have bought a 30 day licence/subscription (for £9.76) and the first thing I have done is to change the MBR to GPT for my intended new C drive.
NB I initially emailed them about this and was reassured that the conversion would be non-destructive(my word not theirs) to the partition and file structure.

Oh, the other thing I was told to my question about the way True Image behaved i.e. changing the drive from MBR to GPT:-
"If the source SSD is MBR disk, it's necessary to convert the target SSD to MBR in order to complete this clone task." Therefore the basis of the way all(?) cloning software works is the same!

As for the way that EaseUS Partition Master works, with its PC Restart(s) to complete a process(only certain ones???) is different to what I am used with Macrium Reflect.

So, moving on I will also use it to clone my data drives too.....then I can get on with the new build once I everything 'ready to go'

 

[Paulie-W]

No worries, mate. Glad I could help

Now get building.