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Have you ever wondered how a computer boots? Regardless of hardware and operating system, all computers boot using either the traditional BIOS-MBR method or the more modern UEFI-GPT implemented in the latest OS versions.

In this article, we will compare the GPT and MBR partition structures; GPT stands for GUID Partition Table and MBR stands for Master Boot Record. Let's start by looking at the boot process itself.

The following chapters highlight the differences between GPT and MBR partition styles, including instructions on how to convert between the two styles and advice on which one to choose.

Understanding the download process

When you press the power button on your PC, a process starts that will eventually load the operating system into memory. The first command depends on what the partition structure is on your hard drive.

If there are two kinds of partition structures: MBR and GPT. The partition structure on a disk determines three things:

1. Data structure on disk.
2. Code to be used at boot if the partition is bootable.
3. Where the section begins and ends.

MBR boot process

Let's go back to the boot process. If your system uses an MBR partition structure, the first run will load the BIOS. The Basic Input / Output System includes the bootloader firmware. The bootloader firmware contains low-level functions such as keyboard input, video display access, disk I / O, and code to load the bootloader bootstrap. Before the BIOS can determine the boot device, it performs a series of system configuration functions, starting with the following:

• Self-test at power-on.
• Detection and initialization of the video card.
• Display the BIOS start screen.
• Performing a quick check of memory (RAM).
• Configuration of plug and play devices.
• Determining the boot device.

Once the BIOS has detected a boot device, it reads the first disk sector of that device into memory. The first sector of the disk is a 512-byte master boot record (MBR). This size fits three objects:

• First stage bootloader (446 bytes).
• Disk Partition Table (16 bytes per partition × 4 partitions) - MBR only supports four partitions, more on that below.
• Signature (2 bytes).

At this stage, the MBR scans the partition table and loads the boot sector into RAM - Volume Boot Record (VBR).

VBR usually contains an Initial Program Loader (IPL), this code initiates the boot process. The boot loader includes a second stage of the boot loader, which then loads the operating system. On Windows NT systems, such as Windows XP, the boot loader first loads another program called NT Loader (abbreviated as NTLDR), which then loads the operating system.

For operating systems based on the Linux kernel, the GRUB (Grand Unified Bootloader) boot loader is used. The boot process is similar to the one described above, the only difference is in the names of the boot loaders in the first and second stages.

In GRUB, the first stage of the boot loader is called GRUB Stage 1. It loads the second stage, known as GRUB Stage 2. The second stage loads gets a list of operating systems on the hard drives and presents the user with a list to choose which OS to boot.

GPT download process

During the same boot phase, the following occurs in the GPT partition structure. GPT uses UEFI, which does not have the same MBR procedure for storing the boot sector in the first stage of the bootloader followed by a call to the second stage of the bootloader. UEFI - Unified Extensible Firmware Interface - is a more advanced interface than BIOS. It can analyze the file system and even download files itself.

After turning on your computer, UEFI first performs system configuration functions just like the BIOS. These are energy management, setting dates and other system management components.

Then UEFI reads GPT - GUID Partition Table. GUID stands for Globally Unique Identifier. GPT is located in the first sectors of the disk, just after sector 0, where the Master Boot Record for the Legacy BIOS is still stored.

GPT defines the disk partition table on which the EFI boot loader recognizes the EFI system partition. The system partition contains boot loaders for all operating systems installed on other partitions of the hard disk. The loader initializes the Windows boot manager, which then loads the operating system.

For Linux kernel operating systems, there is an EFI-enabled version of GRUB that loads a file like grub.efi, or an EFI bootloader that loads its own file like elilo.efi.

You may notice that and UEFI-GPTand BIOS-MBR transfer control to the loader, but do not directly load the operating system themselves. However, UEFI does not have to go through multiple bootloader stages like BIOS does. The boot process takes place at the earliest stage, depending on your hardware configuration.

Differences between GPT and MBR Partition Structures

If you have ever tried to install Windows 8 or 10 on a new computer, then most likely you have seen the question: which partition structure to use, MBR or GPT.

If you want to know more or are planning to install a new operating system on your computer, then read on. We've already covered the differences in boot processes to keep in mind when partitioning a disk or choosing a partition structure.

GPT is a newer and more advanced partitioning structure, and it has many advantages, which I will list below. MBR has been around for a long time, it is stable and has maximum compatibility. Although GPT may eventually supplant MBR because it offers more advanced features, in some cases only MBR can be used.

Master boot record

MBR is a traditional structure for managing disk partitions. Since it is compatible with most systems, it is still widely used. The Master Boot Record is located in the first sector of the hard disk, or, more simply, at the very beginning of it. It contains a partition table - information about the organization of logical partitions on a hard disk.

The MBR also contains executable code that scans partitions for an active OS and initializes the OS boot procedure.

An MBR disk only accepts four primary partitions. If you need more, you can designate one of the partitions as an extended partition, and you can create more sub-partitions or logical drives on it.

The MBR uses 32 bits to record the length of a partition, expressed in sectors, so each partition is limited to a maximum size of 2 TB.

Benefits

• Compatible with most systems.

disadvantages

• Allows only four sections, with the ability to create additional subsections on one of the main sections.
• Limits the partition size to 2 terabytes.
• Partition information is stored in only one place - the master boot record. If it is damaged, then the entire disk becomes unreadable.

GUID Partition Table (GPT)

GPT is a newer standard for defining the structure of partitions on a disk. Globally unique identifiers (GUIDs) are used to define the structure.

This is part of the UEFI standard, that is, a UEFI-based system can only be installed on a disk using GPT, for example, this is the requirement for the Windows 8 Secure Boot feature.

GPT allows an unlimited number of partitions to be created, although some operating systems may limit the number of partitions to 128. Also in GPT there is practically no limit on the size of a partition.

Benefits

• Allows an unlimited number of sections. The operating system sets the limit, for example, Windows allows no more than 128 partitions.
• Does not limit the size of the partition. It depends on the operating system. The limit on the maximum size of a partition is larger than the size of any disks existing today. For drives with 512-byte sectors, a maximum size of 9.4 ZB is supported (one zettabyte equals 1,073,741,824 terabytes)
• GPT keeps a copy of the partition and boot data and can recover data if the main GPT header is damaged.
• GPT stores cyclic redundancy check (CRC) checksum values \u200b\u200bto check the integrity of its data (used to check the integrity of the GPT header data). In case of corruption, GPT may notice the problem and try to recover the damaged data from a different location on the disk.

disadvantages

• May not be compatible with older systems.

GPT vs MBR

• GPT allows an unlimited number of primary partitions, while MBR only allows four primary partitions and the rest are optional.
• GPT allows you to create partitions of any size, while MBR is limited to 2 TB.
• GPT keeps a copy of the partition data, allowing you to recover it in case of damage to the main GPT header; MBR stores only one copy of the partition data in the first sector of the hard disk, which can lead to the loss of all information in case of corruption of the partition information.
• GPT stores checksum values \u200b\u200bto verify that data is not damaged and can perform the necessary recovery from other areas of the disk in case of damage; MBR has no way to know about data corruption, you can only find out about it if the computer refuses to boot or the partition disappears.

Operating system compatibility

The first sector (sector 0) on a GPT disk contains an MBR protection record, which records that there is one partition on the disk that spreads across the entire medium. In the case of using older tools that only read MBR disks, you will see one large partition the size of the entire disk. The protective write is made to prevent the old tool from mistakenly treating the disk as empty and overwriting the GPT data with a new master boot record.

MBR protects GPT data from being overwritten.

Apple MacBook "and use GPT by default, so it is not possible to install Mac OS X on an MBR system. Even though Mac OS X can run on an MBR disk, it cannot be installed on it. I tried to do this but was unsuccessful.

Most operating systems based on the Linux kernel are GPT compatible. When installing Linux, GRUB 2 will be installed as the boot loader on the disk.

For Windows operating systems, booting from GPT is only possible on computers with UEFI running 64-bit versions of Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 and corresponding server versions. If you bought a laptop with 64-bit Windows 8, then most likely there is GPT.

Windows 7 and earlier are usually installed on disks with MBR, but you can still convert partitions to GPT, as described below.

All versions of Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 can read and use data from GPT partitions - but they cannot boot from such disks without UEFI.

So GPT or MBR?

You can feel comfortable with both MBR and GPT. But given the benefits of GPT mentioned earlier, and the fact that modern computers are gradually transitioning to this technology, you might prefer GPT. If the goal is to support legacy hardware, or if you need to use a traditional BIOS, then you're stuck with the MBR.

Check your hard disk partition type

Each hard drive under Windows can check the type of partitions using Disk Management. To start Disk Management, do the following:

Press the combination of "hot keys" Windows + R, a window for launching programs will open.

Type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.

Windows will scan the hard drives and show them shortly. To check the type of partitions of any hard disk, right-click on the disk plate at the bottom of the interface. You need to click on "Disk 0", "Disk 1" and so on, and not on partitions.

In the context menu that appears, select Properties. A window with the properties of the selected disk will open.

Click the Volumes tab and look at the Partition Style value.

If you prefer the command line, you can choose another option. Its advantage is that it is slightly faster as it immediately displays disks and partition styles.

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd.exe while holding Ctrl and Shift, press Enter.
2. Confirm the system privilege elevation UAC message.
3. Type diskpart and press Enter.
4. Type list disk and press Enter again.

All drives are listed. The Gpt column lists the partition style for each disk. If you see an asterisk in the column, it is GPT, if it is not there, it is MBR.

Converting between MBR and GPT during Windows Setup

There are two typical error messages that you may encounter when installing Windows to your hard drive:

• Error # 1: “Windows cannot be installed on this drive. The selected disk does not have a GPT partition style. "
• Error # 2: “Windows cannot be installed on this drive. The selected disk has a GPT partition style. "

When one of these two errors appears, you may not be able to select a partition to install. But this does not mean that something is wrong with the computer.

As you already know, MBR and GPT are two completely different structures of hard disk partitions. MBR is the traditional partition structure, while GPT is newer.

Error # 1 occurs when you are trying to install Windows on a UEFI computer and the hard disk partition is not configured for UEFI mode or Legacy BIOS compatibility. Microsoft TechNet offers two solutions to the problem.

1. Restart the computer in Legacy BIOS compatibility mode. This option will keep the current section style.
2. Reformat the disk to UEFI using the GPT partition style. This option will allow you to use the UEFI firmware features. You can reformat yourself by following the instructions below. Always back up your data before formatting.

Of course, there are third-party utilities to convert disks to GPT while preserving the data, but it's still safer to make a backup in case the utility fails to complete the conversion.

Instructions for converting hard drive from MBR to GPT

Using Windows Setup

1. Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows will detect that the computer is booted in UEFI mode and will automatically reformat the disk using the GPT partition style. The installation process will start immediately after that.

Manual conversion

1. Turn off your computer and insert a Windows bootable drive (USB or DVD).
2. Boot from it in UEFI mode.
3. Clean up the disk: clean.
4. Conversion to GPT is done with the convert gpt command.

Instructions for converting hard drive from GPT to MBR

Sometimes it is necessary to convert a disk to an MBR partition structure. For example, if you receive an error message like this during Windows setup:

“Windows cannot be installed on this drive. The selected disk has a GPT partition style "

Booting from GPT is only supported on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 and corresponding server versions on UEFI systems. This error message means that your computer does not support UEFI and therefore you can only use a BIOS that works with the MBR partition structure.

Microsoft TechNet offers two solutions to the problem.

1. Restart the computer in BIOS compatibility mode. This option will keep the current section style.
2. Reformat the disk using the MBR partition style. Always back up your data before formatting. Although there are third-party utilities to convert disks to GPT while preserving the data, it is still safer to make a backup in case the utility fails to complete the conversion.

If you chose the second option, then follow the step-by-step instructions:

Using Windows Setup

1. Turn off your computer and insert a Windows bootable drive (USB or DVD).
2. Boot from it in UEFI mode.
3. Select "Custom" in the installation type.
4. A screen appears with the message "Where do you want to install Windows?" Select all partitions on the disk and click "Delete".
5. After successful deletion, the disk will be a single area of \u200b\u200bunallocated space.
6. Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows detects that the computer is booted into BIOS mode and automatically reformats the disk using the MBR partition style. The installation process will start immediately after that.

Manual conversion

1. Turn off your computer and insert a Windows bootable drive (USB or DVD).
2. Boot from it in BIOS mode.
3. From a Windows installation, press Shift + F10 to open the console. Press Enter after each next command.
4. Run the diskpart tool with the diskpart command.
5. To select the disk to convert, type list disk.
6. Specify the disk number to convert: select disk #.
7. Clean up the disk: clean.
8. Conversion to GPT is done with the convert mbr command.
9. Type exit to exit diskpart.
10. Close the console and return to installing Windows.
11. Select "Other" when choosing an installation type. The disk will be a single area of \u200b\u200bunallocated space.
12. Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows will begin installation.

Good day everyone!

It sometimes happens that when you try to install Windows OS on your computer, you may see an error like this: "Windows cannot be installed on this disk because the disk uses the MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed on a GPT disk." ... Or it is possible that your system simply does not see a disk that is larger than 2 TB.

In these cases, you need to convert the MBR to GPT partition table to fix this problem. This can be done in different ways and ways, in this article I will consider how it can be done no data loss (see method 1 and 2)!

As a side note!

Difference between MBR and GPT. MBR supports partitions up to 2 TB. If your disk is, say, 4 TB (which is no longer a rarity), then when using MBR - 2 TB on such a disk will be listed as an unallocated area (and will not be used).

How to convert MBR to GPT

Method number 1: step by step in the AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition

AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition

An excellent and free program for working with hard drives. Allows literally in 2-3 clicks to change the file system, partition sizes, clone, etc. Moreover, many operations are performed without loss of information (which is so lacking in the tools built into Windows).

Supplement (from 10.11.18): the option for converting MBR to GPT in the 7th version of the program became paid (in the 6.6th version it was free, and it was on it that I relied on when writing the article).

I do not consider downloading and installing the program - it is standard. After starting, in the main window of the program, you can immediately find out which of the available disks are in the system in GPT, and which in MBR (see the screenshot below).

As you noticed, "Disk 3" I have MBR and I am converting to GPT.

To do this, just right-click on the disk itself (where it is directly written that this is "Disc 3", see the screenshot below), and in the menu that appears, select "Convert to GPT disk".

After that, in the left corner of the screen, you need to confirm all the commands that we gave the program in the current session: press the "Apply" button.

The current operation will require a reboot. Therefore, first of all, save all your open documents, and then click on the "Go" button in the program window (see example below).

The final touch: agree to reboot ...

After rebooting the device, instead of loading Windows, a special will be launched. conversion utility (see example below). Within seconds, my 1TB disk was converted to GPT (again, no data loss).

That, in fact, is all the action.

Addition!

If you want to convert the system disk (that is, the disk on which you have Windows installed and from which you are currently booted), then you will fail. In this case, there are two options:

1) remove the disk from the PC / laptop, connect it to another device and perform the conversion operation;

2) create a bootable USB flash drive (can be done in the same AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard), and already booted from it to carry out the operation.

Make Bootable CD Master

Method number 2: using the MiniTool Partition Wizard utility

Multifunctional program for working with hard drives. Allows you to split, format, resize hard disk partitions. The free version of the program supports converting from MBR to GPT (which is what we need).

Perhaps one of the significant disadvantages for the majority will be the lack of the Russian language.

Note: screenshots in the article are made from version 10.3.

After starting the program, you will be presented with a list of all drives connected to the system (HDD, SSD, USB flash drives, etc.). Please note that next to the name of the disk, its partition table (MBR, GPT) is indicated.

To convert from one to another: just right-click on the desired disk and select "Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk" from the menu (example in the screenshot below).

Then another warning will pop up, after confirming the operation, the disk will be converted. If you are converting a non-system disk (i.e. not the one on which you have Windows installed), then the operation takes 1-2 minutes. (see screenshot below).

Method number 3. Command Prompt or Disk Management

Important! This method will delete all your data on the disk!

If you encounter the error "On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to a GPT disk" when installing Windows: then in order to open the command line, press the combination of buttons Shift + F10.

Otherwise, to start the command line, open the task manager (keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc) , click "file / new task" and enter the command CMD (check the box that the task must be performed by an administrator!).

Windows also has another good tool for working with disks. It's called just that - disk management .

To open it, you need:

1. press a combination of buttons Win + R ;
2. enter command diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.

To find out what partitioning on the disk (MBR or GPT), just right-click on the disk (in the place where it says "Disk 0", "Disk 1", etc., see the example below), and open properties .

• "Partition table with GUID ..." is GPT;
• the MBR markup will be indicated directly.

To convert MBR to GPT - you must first completely delete all partitions on the disk (important! when deleting a partition - you will lose all data on the disk!) ... If the sections are not deleted, then the "Convert to GPT" button will simply be inactive (as in the screenshot below).

That's all for me today.

When adding a new HDD or SSD to your computer, the system will ask you how to initialize your disk - in MBR or GPT. Perhaps you have already met these terms before, or have encountered them quite recently, and want to understand what is the essence and semantic load of these concepts. In this article I will tell you what is MBR and GPT, what is the difference between them, as well as which of these schemes is more suitable for your PC.

MBR vs. GPT - Which Is Better?

« MBR» (abbreviation for "Master Boot Record" - main account) and " GPT» (abbreviation for GUID Partition Table - GUID Partition Table) - these are two partition schemes for HDD, SDD and various removable devices. These schemes perform a similar function, determining the specifics of creating and organizing partitions on your hard drive.

To find out which scheme your hard disk uses, I recommend downloading and installing the free MiniTool Partition Wizard utility, and after its launch, the partition scheme used on your PC will be displayed on the main screen.

Use "MiniTool Partition Wizard" to determine the current layout of your partitions

With regard to specific differences, these schemes differ in the following:

Time of creation

• MBR was introduced with IBM PC DOS 2.0 in March 1983 and is still in use today.
• GPT was developed in the late 90s as a building block of the later emerging UEFI (modern replacement for BIOS), and has gained particular popularity in recent years.

Structure

The MBR consists of the master bootloader code, the hard disk partition table, and the disk signature (signature). In this case, the partition table can have a maximum of 4 inputs for the primary (primary) partitions in Windows OS.

The GPT structure includes the so-called “protective MBR” (used to prevent a partitioned GPT disk from being identified as unpartitioned by MBR utilities, informing the latter that this disk is a large GPT partition). It also includes a primary GUID partition table loader (contains information about its size and location, as well as the size and location of the second GPT loader). Primary GUID partition table entry, backup (copy) of GUID array table entry, and GUID partition table bootloader backup.

The GUID Partition Table can contain up to 128 separate entries in Windows.

Number of sections

Since a table by an MBR partition can include 4 main partitions, we are only allowed to create 4 main partitions on an MBR disk. If we want to create more partitions, we will need to create an extended partition where there will be a large number of logical partitions. However, logical partitions cannot be active.

GPT theoretically allows an almost infinite number of partitions, but the specifics of Windows limit its capabilities to a maximum of 128 partitions. Each partition in a GPT can function as a primary partition on an MBR disk.

Supported disk sizes

If we initialize the disk to MBR, then we can use 2TB or 16TB of hard disk space no matter how large the disk is. If our disk uses a standard sector size of 512 bytes, then we can use a maximum of 2 Terabytes. If it uses 4K sector (extended format), then we can use 16 Terabytes.

GPT can use 2 ^ 64 logical blocks, and each logical block can be 512 bytes or 4K. Therefore, a disk with a GUID partition table can be enormous compared to an MBR disk. At the moment, we cannot talk about the GPT limits, since for a long time there will not be a disk that exceeds these sizes.

Difference between GPT and MBR in compatibility

All modern Windows OS can use GPT disks for data (Windows 7,8,10, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2016, but only 64-bit OS versions support booting from a GPT disk when the mode is supported and activated) UEFI boot (UEFI boot mode).

At the same time, the 32-bit version of Windows XP can only see the "protective MBR" (I already wrote about it above), and even the 64-bit version of this OS can use GPT only for data.

Different boot mode

If the motherboard of our computer only supports the "Legacy boot" boot mode, we can boot Windows only from the MBR disk. If you want to install Windows on a GPT disk in this mode, you will receive the message “Windows cannot be installed on this disk. The selected disk has a GPT partition table. "

However, if the motherboard of our computer only supports booting into UEFI, we can start Windows only from a GPT disk. Otherwise, we will get an error similar to the one already mentioned.

But if your motherboard supports both modes ("Legacy boot" and "UEFI boot"), you will need to activate (CSM - "Compatibility Support Module" - "Compatibility Support Module") in the BIOS. In this case, you can boot Windows from both MBR and GPT, or you can activate UEFI when you want to boot from a GPT disk, or activate Legacy BIOS when you plan to boot from an MBR disk.

Which is better than MBR or GPT

Let's try to analyze which is better - MBR or GPT:

• GPT better if you plan to create more than 4 sections... As I wrote above, MBR disks contain 4 main partitions, while GPT disks support up to 128 partitions in Windows, so choose GPT if you need more partitions;
• GPTit is better if your hard disk is more than 2 Terabytes... Traditional MBR specifics limit a disk to 2 Terabytes;
• GPTmBR is better if you are worried about the safety of your data.GPT disks use the master partition and its copy to back up data, as well as CRC32 fields to improve the integrity of the data structure, so choose this scheme if you are concerned about the security and safety of your data;
• ChooseGPTif your system supports Compared to MBR boot, it is faster and more stable when booting Windows OS, therefore, your computer will perform better. Do not forget to go to the BIOS of your PC and activate the UEFI boot (UEFI boot), if it has not been activated earlier;
• ATchooseMBR for your system drive if your PC motherboard does not supportUEFI;
• ATchooseMBR for the system disk if you want to install a 32-bit version of Windows.Only 64-bit versions of Windows can boot from a GPT disk;
• ChooseMBRfor the system disk, if you are still using an old version of Windows OS(e.g. Win XP).

The entire hard disk can be divided into several partitions, with each partition presented as if it were a separate disk. Partitioning is used, for example, when working with two operating systems on one disk. Moreover, each operating system uses a separate section for work and does not interact with others. Thus, two different systems can be installed on one hard drive. Without using partitions, in this case it would be necessary to purchase a second disk.

From the point of view of disk managers such as Norton PartitionMagic and Acronis PartitionEx-pert, there are three main types of hard disk partitions:

Primary (Primary partition);

· Extended (Extended partition);

Logical (Logical partition).

The primary partition of the hard disk can house the operating system, applications, and user data. In each session of working with a computer, only one primary partition can be active, i.e. the one from which the operating system boots.

Many operating systems, including DOS and Windows, can only boot from the active primary partition. If you intend to use several different operating systems on your computer, you may need to create multiple primary partitions on the disk. A maximum of four primary partitions can be created on a hard disk. Some operating systems, such as OS / 2, do not see the primary partitions other than the ones they boot from.

The extended hard disk partition creates logical disks, which are called Logical partitions in disk manager terminology. Moreover, it is possible to create any number of logical partitions (disks). But all of them will be located, we repeat, only in the extended section.

Logical partitions (disks) do not differ much from primary partitions. They can host applications, user data, and install some operating systems that do not require a primary partition to boot, such as Linux.

Primary partitions are best used to boot operating systems and store only system folders and files on them. All other information can be stored on logical partitions, since these partitions will be accessible from most operating systems. In addition, if you intend to use several different operating systems on your computer, then those that are capable of booting from logical partitions should be installed there, so that they do not occupy the primary partitions, the number of which is limited.

Primary and logical partitions are the main types of partitions. A physical hard disk can contain up to four primary partitions, or up to three primary and one extended partition, in which you can create an unlimited number of logical drives.

Information about partitions on a hard disk is recorded in a special area of \u200b\u200bthe disk called the Partition Table. It is located in the zero sector of cylinder zero, head 0. This sector is called the Master Boot Record (MBR). The first 446 bytes of the MBR are occupied by the main bootloader program. It is followed by a 64-byte Partition Table. The last 2 bytes contain a "magic number" that is used to check if the given sector is bootable.

Each primary, extended and logical partitions also contain their own Partition Table, which is stored in the boot sectors of their partitions (sector zero of the partition). The partition boot sector also contains the boot loader for the operating system. The main loader and the partition loader are connected in the following way: the function of the main loader is to find the position of the first (boot) sector of the active partition, load the code contained there into memory and transfer control to it. Further actions to load the operating system are performed by the loader of the active partition.

You can use the Debug program included with DOS and Windows to understand exactly what instructions the main bootloader (partition loader) code contains. This program allows you to both read any disk sector and disassemble the code contained there, that is, translate the machine code into assembly language. Of course, understanding the instructions received will depend on how familiar you are with assembly language.

The above limitation on the number of primary partitions on a disk is due to the capacity of the Partition Table, which consists of only four entries of 16 bytes each.

Partitioning of a hard disk is done by special programs or system utilities. As a rule, such programs allow:

· Create a primary partition containing a single logical disk;

· Create an extended partition and split it into an arbitrary number of logical partitions (disks);

· Install active partition — the partition from which the operating system is loaded.

After installing the Windows XP operating system, referring to the Control Panel, you can call the administrative console, the tools of which (Disk Management) will allow you to delete the partition, create a partition (primary, extended, logical) on the free (unallocated) disk space, format section.

But you cannot change the structure of partitions using system tools. To do this, you will need a specialized program such as Norton PartitionMagic or Ac-ronis PartitionExpert. Unlike system tools, these programs will allow you to resize a partition or move it to another location on the disk, make it invisible or change the activity sign, create a copy of a partition, and perform other operations on partitions without losing data or causing any disruption to the operating system and applications. ...

7. Classes of malware: Trojans.

Trojans are of three main types:

May Sender is a type of Trojans that work by sending information to the "master". At the moment, this is a very common type of Trojan. With the help of this type of "horses", people who set them up (well, and the author, of course) can receive Internet accounts, ICQ passwords, mail passwords, passwords for CHATs by mail, In short, by running such a "honey" on their computer , you can lose everything that is so sweet and dear to the heart of the user :), And this is at best. At worst, you won't even know that someone (that's a nit!) Reads your mail, enters the Internet through your ak-count (damn! Why did my account go down?), Uses your UIN ICQ for distribution of the same Trojans to users of your own contact list (Masha! No! I did not send THIS to you!) MailSender does not depend on the "owner" in any way, he lives his own life in your computer, since everything is put into it at the time of setup - Trojan everything is done according to plan (send - sleep, send more, etc.).

The hard disk is designed to permanently store the information used when working with a computer. They are also called hard drives or hard drives. The abbreviation HDD also stands for hard disk in computer terminology. Hard disk is one of the fastest devices for writing and reading information, not counting the RAM.

Most often, it is not comfortable to use a hard disk as a single storage of information, therefore, most users of PCs and laptops for their convenience divide the hard disk into partitions.

Hard disk partition concept

A partition (often referred to as a volume) is an area of \u200b\u200ba hard disk that can be formatted for a specific file system. A section or volume is denoted by a letter of the Latin alphabet, for example F, E, H, Z or other letters that are not currently used on this hard drive.

Computer hard drive view

Types of hard disk partitions

Experts in modern computer terminology related to hard disk partitions distinguish three main types of volumes on a hard disk:

• Primary partition;
• Extended (Extended partition);
• Logical partition.

The primary partition on a hard disk typically stores user data, programs, and operating system files. There can be more than one primary partition on a hard disk, but there cannot be more than four. It is impossible to install more than one operating system in one primary volume of the hard drive, so if you want to use several operating systems on one PC, divide the hard drive into several partitions. And since there cannot be more than four primary partitions on one hard drive, there cannot be more than four installed OSes either.

During each session of work with the computer, only one primary partition is active, the one from which the operating system was loaded. Many operating systems only have the ability to boot from an active volume on the hard drive.

An extended partition combines logical drives, which are also called logical partitions. You can create a huge number of logical disks in an extended partition. They can store various information, such as user data, applications, programs, personal photos, videos and documents, even operating system files that can be loaded not only from the primary partition.

Logical partitions are almost indistinguishable from extended partitions. Any logical drive is just an extended partition area.

Computer hard drive

Partitioning a hard drive

Many owners of laptops and personal computers, after purchase, think about the problem of partitioning the hard drive into partitions. The essence of such a partition is to divide the computer hard drive into two or more sections. In most cases, they create a local drive C containing the operating system and system folders, as well as a local drive D, which mainly stores your favorite movies, music, photos, text documents, etc. But for storing personal data, not one, but several local drives and you can call them any letters of the Latin alphabet.

Hard disk division is only formal

Benefits of dividing the hard drive into partitions

Splitting a hard drive into several partitions has many advantages. For example, the most compelling benefit of this procedure is that personal files such as videos, photos, and documents will be stored on a separate disk. Because if the need arises to reinstall the operating system, and formatting the OS disk is simply inevitable in this case, then all your personal files and folders will be saved.

There is, of course, another solution to this problem. Before reinstalling the operating system, move all important data to removable media, but this is a rather laborious task, especially if the amount of information that needs to be saved is tens or even hundreds of gigabytes. And if a situation arises when an emergency reinstallation of the operating system is required, access to personal files saved on a shared local disk with the OS is no longer possible, important information will simply be lost.

It looks like a computer hard drive when buying in a store

Storing system and personal files in different partitions of the hard drive will be more convenient. It will be easier to find the information you are interested in, since the clutter of each section will be less, and you can easily find the necessary files or folders. In addition, the obvious advantage of partitioning a hard disk into partitions is that it is easier for the operating system to work with a less loaded partition, that is, the operating system's performance is significantly increased.

Another advantage of partitioning a hard disk into partitions is the ability to use several operating systems on one computer. For example, Windows 7 and Windows 8 or Windows XP can be installed on one hard drive, but for this the hard drive must be partitioned. In the event of a failure in one of the operating systems, you will have another operating system installed and ready to work.

To summarize, it is worth highlighting the main advantages of partitioning a hard drive into partitions. So, the advantages of such a procedure include:

• ensuring the security of personal data even in the event of failures in the OS;
• high efficiency of organizing information stored on the hard disk;
• increase in OS performance due to less load on the partition;
• the ability to install and use multiple operating systems on a computer.

A hard disk is a very complex device that provides quick access to stored information.

Partitioning a hard drive with built-in Windows OS tools

Since we have found out the main reasons for partitioning a hard disk into partitions, we got acquainted with the main advantages that such a solution brings later, we should consider in detail how to divide the hard drive into local disks in practice. Moreover, we will describe the algorithm for performing this procedure in relation to the most popular operating systems - Windows 7, 8 and 10.

Partitioning a hard drive in Windows 7

If your computer or laptop is running the Windows 7 operating system, then to divide the hard disk into partitions, follow these steps:

Step 1. On the "Computer" icon on the desktop or in the "Start" panel, right-click, calling the context menu, click "Manage".

Right-click on the Computer icon

Step 2. In the window that opens, select the Disk Management utility from the menu. After that, you will have to wait for a few seconds until the window with the structure of the hard drive opens.

Select the Disk Management item

Hard disk partitions

Step 3. To partition the hard disk into partitions, you need to select a volume that has a large enough space, but it is worth remembering that it is better not to compress the system partition if possible. Right-click on the selected volume and select "Shrink Volume" from the context menu. A small window will open and you will need to wait a while.

Select Compress disk and wait a few seconds

Step 4. The system will suggest available compression options. The maximum values \u200b\u200bwill be indicated, but it is not recommended to use them, therefore, reduce the size a little to the level required for you. This will be the size of the future logical disk. Enter the required values \u200b\u200bin the boxes and click on the "Compress" button. Then we wait again for the compression process to complete.

Maximum allowable values \u200b\u200bfor volume compression

Step 5. When the process is complete, a new partition will appear in the Disk Management window. On top of it you will see a black bar and the inscription "Not distributed". To convert it to a hard disk volume, right-click, then "Create Simple Volume".

Unallocated hard disk space

Step 6. The "Create Simple Volumes Wizard" will open, click "Next" and select the maximum size.

Creating a simple volume

Step 7. Assign from the proposed letters of the Latin alphabet the letter that will become the name of the new section in the future and click "Next".

Working with the Create Simple Volumes Wizard

Select the name of the future section in the Simple Volume Creation Wizard

Step 8. Check the box next to "Format this volume as follows"; select the NTFS file system; cluster size - default; check the box next to "Quick Format" and click "Next".

Manual setting of formatting options

Step 9. When the "Completing the Simple Volume Wizard" window appears, check all the data and click "Finish".

Completing the Simple Volume Wizard

Step 10. And the new hard disk partition is ready!

Ready new section

So, without the use of additional software tools, you can easily and simply partition the hard disk on a computer or laptop with the Windows 7 operating system installed.

Partitioning a hard drive in Windows 8

Owners of Windows 8 can partition the hard disk into partitions using the Disk Management utility, but to open this window, you need to hold down two Windows + R keys at the same time. As a result, the Run window will appear, you need to enter diskmgmt.msc in the command line »Only without quotation marks and press the Enter button on the computer keyboard.

Next, the "Management" window will open, similar to that in the operating system discussed earlier. In order to create a new partition on your hard drive, you need to sequentially perform the same steps as in the algorithm described in Windows 7. That is, do all the manipulations described in steps 2-10.

Partitioning a hard drive in Windows 10

Winchester on computers and laptops with Windows 10 operating system can be partitioned using the same built-in Disk Management utility. You can open this utility in Windows 10 by opening the Start menu. We type "Control Panel", click on it with the left mouse button and select "System and Security".

Finding Control Panel in Windows 10

Control Panel in Windows 10

Hard disk structure

In the window that opens, scroll down the scroll bar and find the "Administration" item. At this point, you need to find "Creating and formatting a hard disk", click on it and wait a couple of seconds, after which a window with the "Disk Management" utility opens in front of us. The further steps are performed in full accordance with the hard disk partitioning algorithm in Windows 7, again we do steps 2-10.

Other ways to create a new volume on the hard drive

It is worth mentioning that the Disk Management utility also allows you to delete partitions from your hard disk. You will need this if, for example, there is no more free space left, and you just need to create a new volume. To do this, you can right-click on the hard disk partition to be deleted and select "Delete volume". An unallocated volume will appear in place of the deleted partition, which can be formatted to suit the parameters you need.

Deleting a volume using the Disk Management utility

The steps described in the algorithm show how to create a new partition using the compression method. But there is a way to create a new volume from unallocated space, which may appear after deleting a partition, as described in the paragraph above, or after previous divisions, there may simply be unallocated space on the hard disk, from which you can create a new volume by following steps 5-10 of the above algorithm ...

In addition, it is possible to expand one of the existing volumes to the free space after deleting the old volume, or the partition can be expanded to unused unallocated space. To do this, click on the "Expand volume" item in the context menu, select "Next" and "Finish".

Partitioning the hard drive when installing Windows

After starting the operating system loader, select the language, accept the terms of the License Agreement, and select "Full installation". The loader will prompt you to select the partition on which the operating system will be installed later. Next, a window will open with a button "Disk settings". By clicking on this button, you will have access to all the tools that will allow you to work with disk space.

In this window, using the buttons, you can format a disk or disks, delete partitions, create new disks and select the desired size for them. Any changes you make will take effect only after clicking the "Apply" button.

External hard drive

Partitioning a hard disk with special programs

In addition to built-in tools, such as the Disk Management utility, special programs are also used to divide the hard disk into partitions, they are also called volume managers. At the moment, there are a lot of them. The functionality of these programs allows you to perform many functions, not only dividing a hard disk into partitions. Among the most popular programs that have received a large number of positive reviews, the following are worth noting:

• Acronis Disc Direktor;
• Paragon Partition Manager;
• AOMEI Partition Assistant;
• Norton Partition Magic;
• EASEUS Partition Master
• Ranish, etc.

Most of these programs can be downloaded for free on the Internet, in addition, many of them are available in Russian.

Acronis Disc Direktor hard disk management software

Paragon Partition Manager hard disk manager

Conclusion

The above describes in detail how to quickly and easily divide a hard disk into partitions using the built-in tools of Windows operating systems in versions 7, 8 and 10. Also, an option is considered how to partition the hard drive initially when installing the operating system on a computer or laptop. A list of the best programs for managing hard disk partitions according to users' opinions is given.

The described benefits of dividing a hard drive into partitions are simply undeniable. After all, this way you not only rationally use disk space, but also increase the speed of the operating system.