is it risky convert a drive from GPT to MBR and vice versa?

mantra,

Sorry but you can't have logical partitions on a GPT disk. Only primary partitions.

 

I'm not quite sure yet but the primary concern WAS how much easier? it could be to toast an MBR table from the likes of a Petya etc. drive wiper. LoL.

Of course I do keep backup images but not nearly on the order of most of you backup guru's here. I make perhaps one FULL image every so many months (varies). So far that luck is held out well enough and since all defensive measures are also pretty potent it's not inevitable but there's always that first time right?

Seems when time to do a new HD upgrade to GPT whenever that is, i'll just feel better that it's install goes with GPT and not MBR like before. Don't know how I missed that the last time but did.

 

blacknight,

You can do that with Win10 on a GPT disk but the more OS you add the easier it becomes if the disk is MBR. Multi-booting on a GPT disk requires sharing booting files in the ESP so the OS aren't independent. We are still waiting for a good boot manager to be developed that will run in UEFI BIOS mode and allow independent OS that can be added and deleted at will. BIBM is the best boot manager for MBR disks but can't be installed on GPT disks. The Partition Work and TBOS components of BIBM do work in UEFI mode.

 

THAT's the point that stood out for me and although a backup image was reserved in case of human error, it was decided instead just to forego that risk for the time being and in the near future perhaps replace the drive with a 2Tb and just move all that data over to it.

Appreciate the really valuable and vital info for safety regarding that procedure and is something worth putting it to the test on this end at some point

 

EASTER,

Just stick with your current MBR disks until you buy or build a new computer. Your next computer will almost certainly have Win10 installed on a GPT disk. There is no need to buy your next computer for years if your current computer is working fine.

Large data disks are a different matter.

 

That's pretty much the way I ended up thinking about it.

I admit there's nothing more I would like better than to take up such a delicate matter as the challenge when it comes to disk platter data modification, but i'm also very well aware of the shortcomings I've experienced before when wandering outside my area of expertise too.