⚠️ Lost Files After Converting MBR to GPT? Here’s How to Recover Them!

Converting a disk from MBR (Master Boot Record) to GPT (GUID Partition Table) can provide numerous benefits, such as supporting drives larger than 2TB, allowing more partitions, and enabling modern UEFI boot modes. However, this process may sometimes lead to lost access to your files if partitions become unrecognized by the operating system. From personal experience, it’s crucial to act quickly if you find your files missing after conversion. The reason is that the new partition scheme may overwrite or alter the partition table, making your data temporarily inaccessible but still recoverable until overwritten by new data. One of the first tools I recommend trying is TestDisk, a powerful open-source utility designed specifically for partition recovery. Running it as an administrator allows you to scan your affected drive by selecting the appropriate partition table type — Intel for MBR or EFI GPT for GPT disks. TestDisk can analyze and locate lost partitions, enabling you to mark and restore them safely. I found its “Quick Search” very helpful for spotting lost partitions before writing changes. Another option is gdisk, a terminal-based tool useful for examining and repairing GPT disks on Linux. It allows backing up and restoring the partition table, and offers recovery functions to carefully repair corrupted GPT tables without risking data loss. For users preferring a more user-friendly approach, commercial software like MyRecover Professional provides a straightforward interface to scan the converted drive and preview recoverable files. Recovering files to a separate safe location is vital to prevent any overwriting of lost data. Additionally, don’t overlook backup solutions that might offer quick restores: Windows File History, Shadow Copies (accessed via folder properties), or cloud backups like OneDrive and Google Drive often store previous versions of your files, which can be recovered independently from the disk itself. In conclusion, losing files after an MBR to GPT conversion can be stressful, but with appropriate tools and careful steps, data recovery is feasible. Remember to always back up important data before making disk-level changes. If you follow these recovery strategies promptly, you stand a great chance of restoring your lost files safely and avoiding permanent data loss.