Brief introduction to GPT and GPT

disk
Globally Unique Identifier
Partition Table Format
It is a framework of disk
partition based on
Expandable Firmware
Interface (EFI) in Itanium.
Compared with Master Boot
Record (MBR), GPT has
more advantages. It permits
every disk having up to 128
partitions and supports
maximum volume of 18KM
bytes. And primary disk
partition table and backup
of disk partition table can be
used in redundancy. In
addition, it also supports
sole disk and partition ID
(GUID)
--Source from
http://www.powerdatareco
very.com/data-recovery/gpt.html
Comparison of GPT and MBR
Master Boot Record supports the maximum volume of 2TB( terabytes) and every diskhas
4 primary partitions( or 3 primary partitions , 1 extended partition and an unlimited
logical driver ) at most. Compared with MBR, GPT of GUID partition supports the
maximum volume of 18TB (terabytes) and every disk has 128 partitions at most. Different
from disk in MBR partition, the data of operating platform is located in partitions in GPT,
but not located in non-partitioned or implicit sectors. Besides, there are spare primary
partition tables and backup of partition tables to improve the integrity of data structure in
disks of GTT partition. In "disk management", on the tab "VOL" in the Dialog of disk
attributes, the disk of GPT partition is displayed as GUID partition table(GPT) disk and
disk of MBR partition is displayed as MBR disk. The operations supported by MBR can be
implemented in GPT disk if the following accident occurs. When the computer based on
x84 and the computer based on x86 having Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
(SP1) are operated, the operating system must be located in MBR disk and other disks
can be MBR or GPT. In the computer based on Itanium, the loading program of operating

system and boot partition must be located in GPT disk. And other disks can be MBR or
GPT.
Features of GPT
GPT can not be transfered to computer based on x86 running Windows NT 4.0, Windows
2000, Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. However, GPT disk can be transfered from
computer based on x64 or computer based on x86 running Windows Server 2003 with
SP1 to computer based on Itanium running Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP, or vice
versa.
The Windows edition based on Itanium can not be applied to transfer GPT disk from
computer based on Itnium to computer based on x64 or computer based on x86 running
Windows 2003 with SP1 and to start he operating system. In the computer based on
non-Itanium, GPT disk must be applied only for data storage.
MBR disk and GPT disk can coexist in single group of dynamic disks. And basic GPT and
MBR disks can be mixed to use but they are not a part of the disk group.. MBR and GPT
disks can simultaneously be applied to build mirrored volume, Striped volume, spanned
volume and RAID 5 volume. But the limits of Cylinder alignment make it difficult to build
mirrored volume. The MBR disk can be mirrored to GPT disk to avoid cylinder alignment.
Disadvantages of GPT
MBR disk can be transfered into GPT disksand only the disk is empty, can GPT disk be
transfered into MBR disk. Of course, the third-party tools must be used. And MiniTool
Partition Wizard is recommended. It can easily exchange disk types of MBR and GPT.
More help informations are provided in How to initialize disk to GPT disk or MBR disk?
GPT is not in support of mirror of EFI system partition. The command bootcfg must be
applied to copy EFI system partition.
GPT partition type can not be applied in removable media or cluster disk connected to
Fibre Channel trunk or sharing SCSI applied in cluster service.
The command DiskPart.exe can be applied to run utility program or EFI program
(Diskpart.efi ) to built partitions in basic GPT disk.