GUID partition table (GPT for short) disks that use GUID partition table are called GPT disks) are a newer disk partition table structure standard derived from the EFI standard. At the same time, MBR only supports setting the hard disk into four partitions.
If MBR is used for a larger-capacity hard disk, the extra part will not be recognized. However, MBR is only suitable for hard disks with a maximum capacity of 2TB.
When starting Windows, a piece of code is used from the sector to start the system, so if the MBR startup information is damaged, Windows cannot start normally. It is a special sector located at the beginning of the hard disk, which contains the boot loader of the installed system and the information of the logical partitions in the hard disk. MBR, Master Boot Record, as the best disk layout in the 20th century, is connected closely with HDD. If you’re still running XP/Vista, you certainly won’t get GPT to work at all, which leaves you with the MBR option only.Different partition table formats define how data information is framed in the hard disk partition.
Unfortunately, compatibility gets based on whether the motherboard and CPU support a UEFI BIOS, or else it can only get used on non-boot partitions.
Windows 7 and onward, however, can use GPT. If you deal primarily with drives below 2TB or older versions of Windows, you might be better off formatting all of your drives to MBR so that you don’t risk breaking compatibility with any of your hardware. There are some reasons to continue using MBR. This option lets you take advantage of the faster speeds, unlimited partitions, and significantly larger storage capacities.
If you get an external HDD or SSD, and your PC supports MBR and GPT partitioning, you should format the drive with GPT. Lastly, bootup is usually faster with GPT and UEFI. Other than the differences between MBR and GPT mentioned above, GPT can use newer device technologies, and it’s compatible with BIOS/MBR functions for backward compatibility of older, non-UEFI devices. The GUID consists of details on drives, partitions, storage sizes, boot information, and other essential data related to boot and functionality. The data stored in the GPT header includes drive information in the form of a GUID partition table. In GPT technical terms, MBR sector #1 (LBA 1) is LBA 0 for GPT, and GPT is sector 1 (LBA 1). However, GPT uses sector two because sector one gets reserved for MBR and BIOS compatibility. GPT uses UEFI firmware, and it also stores disk information, such as partitions, sizes, and other essential data, just like MBR does in sector one. Just like MBR, it also manages the creation and organization of partitions on the HDD. Next, the MBR activates the boot sector of the drive to launch the OS. The PC’s/motherboard’s basic input/output system (BIOS) looks for the device with an MBR, and then it executes the volume boot code from the partition that has it. This identifier ensures that the correct drive and partition reads and writes data when using several disks, and it ensures proper PC functionality and security protocol for all read/write data transactions. Disk signature: Every drive needs a unique identifier, which gets created in the form of a signature.Master boot code: Sometimes abbreviated as MBC, the code executes the launch of the operating system and manages the configuration for the bootup process (to confirm any changes), such as detecting drives, calculating RAM (external), detecting displays, and other essential device and configuration information.The MPT provides all that essential information. For the OS and the PC to function correctly, they need a record of HDD partitions and sizes and a way to identify the bootable, active partitions. Master partition table: Abbreviated as MPT, the table stores all partition information found on each HDD, including their format type, capacity, and other necessary details.The MBR data stored in LBA 1 of the HDD includes the following: