GPT partitioning basics and how to install WIN7 on GPT partitions

Large hard disk and WIN8 system, let us from the traditional bios+mbr mode upgrade to UEFI+GPT mode, now buy mainstream computers, are pre-installed WIN8 system, in order to better support 2TB hard disk, faster start Win8, pre-installed systems have taken the GPT partition format, and the motherboard BIOS supports UEFI boot.

If you are unfamiliar with these special terms, I would simply explain:

MBR and GPT are two different partition forms, like you buy back a new hard disk, to be divided into different areas, systems, tools, music and so on, to see how you divide, the traditional MBR mode can only be divided into 4 primary partitions, and the largest support 2.1T hard disk. GPT can be divided into numerous partitions and supports 9.4ZB hard drives (9.4ZB=94 billion TB).

Ntfs,fat32 is a file system, which makes it easier to fill in the data by playing a grid on the hard drive of the sub-zone. As to what type of grid you decide, now win mainstream is NTFS.

Several common partition interpretations:

1.MBR partition table: Master boot record, which is the hard drive master boot Record partition table, supports only hard drives with capacity below 2.1TB. Drives exceeding 2.1TB can only manage 2.1TB, up to 4 primary partitions or three primary partitions and one extended partition, with multiple logical partitions under the extended partition.

2. GPT partition table: GPT, globally unique identity partition table (GUID Partition table), GPT has no limit on the number of partitions compared to the MBR maximum of 4 partition table entries, but Windows Max supports only 128 GPT partitions. GPT managed hard drive size up to 18EB. GPT partition boot boot is supported only on UEFI platform-based motherboards.

3. ESP Partition: EFI system partition, which is used in a computer system with an EFI BIOS to start the operating system. The boot manager, drivers, system maintenance tools, etc. are stored in the partition. If your computer uses an EFI system, or if the current disk is used to start the operating system on the EFI platform, you should recommend the ESP partition.

4. MSR Partition: The Microsoft Reserved Partition, which is used to reserve space on a GPT disk for alternate partitions, such as the need to use these partition spaces when converting a disk to a dynamic disk.

Mainstream partition comparison:

First, MBR partition structure

MBR includes: boot code, Windows disk signature, MBR partition table, and MBR end flag total of 4 parts. 0 Cylinders, 0 heads, 1 sectors on the hard drive

Second, GPT partition structure

The GPT partition structure solves the disadvantage that MBR can only be divided into 4 primary partitions, and supports large hard disks, with clear and simple partition structure and backup.

How to install WIN7 on a GPT partition

Having learned about the PT partitioning structure, we need to know that to use the GTP format partition system, the required system must be more than WIN7 X64 bits, and the motherboard supports UEFI boot mode.

The GPT format partition must have a minimum of three extents.

The first is the EFI System Protected Area (default hide does not load) the second is the MSR Microsoft Reserved Partition, and the third one is the system data partition.

Installation process:

1, prepare a new hard drive, boot, insert WIN7 X64-bit installation CD, boot from CD. (What, no CD-ROM, that only make U disk installation disk)

1> mobile Hard disk (USB stick) to prepare a FAT32 partition, be sure to FAT32 partition, because the EFI BIOS can only recognize FAT32 partition, recommended 5g+, minimum requirements, can put down the win7 image extracted all files. The primary partition is also OK, logical partitioning is OK, and no boot function is required. For the convenience of narration, this partition is called the Install partition.

2> Copy all files in the Win7 x64 mirror to the Install partition root directory

3> Unzip the EFI SHELL (x64). zip to the Install partition root directory,

Ps:efi SHELL (x64). zip already contains the DiskPart tool

4> Copy the Bootmgfw.efi to the install partition root directory

Finally, the install partition directory structure, such as

2, installation screen selection is now installed, custom installation, to select the partition when (this time see should be a completely no partition of the empty hard disk) this time press SHIFT+F10.

3. Create a GPT partitioning process (important):

Enter DiskPart, enter.

Enter list disk, you can see the hard disk number, 0,1,2,3 ... What

Enter select disk x (x is the hard disk number) to select the hard disk you want to partition.

Enter clean to clear all the partitions on the hard disk (if your hard disk is not in the unpartitioned state).

Input convert GPT converts the hard disk into a GPT partition table (which is basically a permanent conversion and cannot be reversed until you clear the partition table with clean again).

Now start creating the EFI partition:

Enter create partition efi size=xxx (XXX is the partition size, in megabytes, Windows defaults to 128m,mac default 200M)

Enter create partition msr size=xxx (MSR is Microsoft Reserved Partition, Windows defaults to 100M)

Enter create partition primary SIZE=XXX D=YYY creates a data partition that can be used to install the operating system (ID=YYY can not be entered, it represents the GUID partition type (format, like the MBR partition table fat/ntfs/hfs+ Uses a string to represent the partition format, except that the GUID is a long, globally unique identifier that is not entered here and is automatically generated when the operating system is installed and the partition is formatted.

Then repeat the sentence above to create multiple data partitions.

After you have finished partitioning, you can format the EFI partition to mount it by:

Enter list partition to see how much the EFI partition is numbered.

Enter select partition x to select the EFI partition (typically 1).

Enter assign Letter=x (x for the letter you want to assign to it, just fill in an unoccupied drive letter)

Enter Exit to exit the DiskPart partition tool, which goes back to the command line.

Enter format x:/fs:fat32/q/y The EFI partition.

Such a GPT disk is ready, and the rest is installed.

4, after the partition is good, you can install the operation under the graphical interface.

Appendix: Win8 Installing win7 under GPT partition (can retain the original WIN8 system and one-click Restore)

Postscript:

In addition to using EFI boot to install Windows on the GPT partition table, EFI has a lot to play with. We can write the EFI program ourselves, and we can also download the EFI program on the Internet to run. Just put the *.efi in the EFI directory of the FAT32 USB flash drive and the motherboard will be able to execute it. It's exciting to have someone on the web load the EFI program, open the hidden options for the Sony notebook BIOS, support RAID and overclocking, and so on.

EFI is an inevitable trend to replace the BIOS as a proven technology (not a new technology) that has been used in server systems. The same MBR as the legacy of the DOS era, will also be eliminated. EFI+GPT will become the mainstream, it is really good practice oh.

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GPT Partitioning basics and how to install WIN7 on GPT partitions