MBR disk uses a master boot record disk partition system which contains a master boot record (MBR for short)

MBR disk uses a master boot record disk partition system which contains a master boot record (MBR for short). MBR includes operating system boot code, master partition table and exit code. Master partition table is used to record some basic information of disk partition and boot operating system to help users find desired partition. MBR disk supports 4 primary partitions or 3 primary partitions and 1 extended partition, and the biggest partition size can reach 2TB. MBR is the most widely-used disk type, and also the default type of newly-added disk under Windows operating system. When you mount a new disk in Windows operating system, Windows operating system will guide you to initialize new disk to MBR disk. However, what if we mount an initialized GPT disk and we want to initialize GPT to MBR? There are two common ways to initialize GPT disk to MBR disk. That is to use Disk Management Tool and the third-party partition magic like MiniTool Partition Wizard.

Initialize GPT disk to MBR disk with Disk Management Tool
Take Windows Server 2003 for example, I will initialize GPT disk to MBR disk with Disk Management Tool (Utility) below:
1. Click "start".
2. Select "My Computer" on pop-up menu and right click.
3. Click "Management" on pop-up menu.
4. On the computer management interface, click "Disk Management" on the left storage unit to see interface below:



5. Delete all partitions on GPT disk.



6. After that, select GPT disk and right click, and then click "Convert to MBR Disk" on pop-up menu.



Performing steps above, we will initialize GPT disk to MBR disk on Windows Server 2003. Because Disk Management Tool of Windows Server 2003 only can delete partition one by one, it's troublesome if you have many partitions.
Note: Because deleting partition will cause partition data loss, please back up data before deleting GPT disk partition.

Use MiniTool Partition Wizard to initialize GPT disk to MBR disk
MiniTool Partition Wizard is a piece of professional partition magic software. In order to use it to initialize GPT disk to MBR disk, please visit its official website http://www.partitionwizard.com/ to download it and. Install it to the disk partition not to be operated, and then run MiniTool Partition Wizard to see its main interface:



Please choose the desired GPT disk on the disk partition list, and then click "Delete All Partitions" on action panel. The following interface will appear:



On this interface, choose the GPT disk which will be initialized to MBR disk, and then click "Initialize to MBR Disk" on action panel. And click "Apply" to perform all previous operations. After that, you will initialize GPT disk to MBR disk.

When users use MiniTool Partition Wizard to initialize GPT disk to MBR disk, the software provides preview in the whole process. Once you find accidental operations, you can use "Undo" to repeal it. It will decrease accidental operations to the minimum degree, thereby reducing unnecessary troubles and losses.