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Is it possible clone an MBR disk onto on GPT disk successfully?

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Folks,

I know that Acronis True Image 2017 functions on MBR or GPT formatted disks.  What I'l like to know is whether I can clone myMBR disk ((with Windows 10 Pro OS on it) onto a GPT disk, to allow me to use its entire 4 TB.  My BIOS allows booting from a GPT disk. I'm hoping to get another TB of disk space. 

I understand that the bytes/sector must be the same on the source and target, but am unsure about whether cloning from MBR to GPT is possible.  Any insight would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

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Arthur,

Cloning would not work...it would format the GPT disk to MBR during the clone operation.

What you could try is to perform a Disk Mode backup (full partition list) of the MBR disk.  Keep that backup in a safe place, in case something goes wrong.  Then perform a restore of the MBR disk to the GPT disk.  Since I have not tried this, I don't know if the restore would reformat the GPT disk to MBR.  If the restore does reformat the GPT disk, you could then try to convert the disk from MBR to GPT.

The other thing you could try, after you have the MBR disk backed up, is to convert it to GPT...see if it will boot as a GPT disk. If it boots as a GPT disk, then back it up (disk mode, full partition list)...then restore that backup to the new GPT disk.  It is critical that you perform the disk mode full partition list backup of the MBR disk, to protect against something going wrong. 

I have not tried this and cannot guarantee that it will work.  However, this is how I would proceed.

Regards,

FtrPilot

Arthur, please see the ATIH 2017 User Guide section below:

Migration method

Acronis True Image 2017 New Generation allows you to select a partition layout for a target disk after clone operation completion:

  • MBR (Master Boot Sector) - a 512-byte boot sector, which is the first sector of a hard disk, used to hold a disk's primary partition table.
  • GPT (GUID Partition Table) - a standard for a partition table layout for hard disks. GPT allows disks/partitions size up to 9.4 ZB (9.4 x 10^21 bytes).

Using this wizard you may convert your partitions layout while cloning operation or clone them as is, not changing the layout.

  • Copy partitions without changes - select this option to migrate your system as is, not changing the partition layout. Note, in this case the disk space in excess of 2TB will be inaccessible.
  • Copy partitions and use a disk as non-system, GPT style - select this option to convert your partition to a GPT layout.

With Acronis True Image 2017 New Generation you also can convert BIOS to UEFI systems. For more information please see Unified Extensible Firmware Interface

Be advised that it is only possible to convert to GPT partition style of non OS system disks using the clone feature.   OS system disk conversion can be done with the backup/restore method.