[SOLVED] GPT Windows with MBR Hard Drive ?

[Jacob 51]

I bought a new 4 Tb hard drive and used GPT partition scheme on it because MBR doesn't support more than 2 TB.

My old HDD is formatted with MBR partition scheme. I got some highly valuable data in it. I've seen people say that windows will format MBR HDDs to GPT without asking, if MBR HDD is inserted into the system.

Can I get data out of that HDD using my PC by connecting it alongside the new boot drive?

 

[Colif]

I've seen people say that windows will format MBR HDDs to GPT without asking, if MBR HDD is inserted into the system.

it shouldn't do that

PC won't format drive unless you ask it to.

just put drive in and make sure its not in boot order, it should be fine.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I bought a new 4 Tb hard drive and used GPT partition scheme on it because MBR doesn't support more than 2 TB.
My old HDD is formatted with MBR partition scheme. I got some highly valuable data in it. I've seen people say that windows will format MBR HDDs to GPT without asking, if MBR HDD is inserted into the system.
Can I get data out of that HDD using my PC by connecting it alongside the new boot drive?

What model 4TB drive?
Hope it's not Seagate Barracuda Compute. Those are SMR drives - not suitable to be used as windows OS drive.

When you install widnows on the new drive, have old drive disconnected. Connect only after windows is installed.

 

[Dean0919]

What model 4TB drive?
Hope it's not Seagate Barracuda Compute. Those are SMR drives - not suitable to be used as windows OS drive.

When you install widnows on the new drive, have old drive disconnected. Connect only after windows is installed.

What's SMR drive and why are you saying that?
I have Seagate 4TBs (but not barracuda, however my 2TB seagate HDD is barracuda) in my case.

 

[SkyNetRising]

What's SMR drive and why are you saying that?
I have Seagate 4TBs (but not barracuda, however my 2TB seagate HDD is barracuda) in my case.

What model name Seagate 4TB?
(you can see model name in HDtune)

Read here:

https://www.extremetech.com/computi...g-slow-smr-drives-without-informing-customers

TLDR
Any write to SMR drive requires overwriting of neighboring tracks also. This is being done in background.
Since windows is writing to OS drive all the time, on SMR drive this will require constant correction of neighboring tracks.
As the result - this will cause high disk activity and reduced performance.

 

[alceryes]

When you install widnows on the new drive, have old drive disconnected. Connect only after windows is installed.

This.
During the Windows install process you need to format a drive for the OS install. This is the easiest way to make sure you don't accidently format your data drive.
Windows will never automatically format or perform a GPT conversion on a drive.

 

[Dean0919]

What model name Seagate 4TB?
(you can see model name in HDtune)

Read here:

https://www.extremetech.com/computi...g-slow-smr-drives-without-informing-customers

TLDR
Any write to SMR drive requires overwriting of neighboring tracks also. This is being done in background.
Since windows is writing to OS drive all the time, on SMR drive this will require constant correction of neighboring tracks.
As the result - this will cause high disk activity and reduced performance.

These ones:

 

[SkyNetRising]

4TB drives are not SMR.
2TB drive is SMR.

 

[Dean0919]

4TB drives are not SMR.
2TB drive is SMR.

Thanks for the information. I use those two 4TBs for videos (I keep videos there for watching) and I use 2TB one for games and everything else (pictures and etc..).