How to convert from a GPT partition style on my portable hard drive whilst maintaining all the information stored in it.

[KaS23]

Assistance urgently required.

My 4TB StoreJet 25H3 Portable Hard Drive cannot be detected by my computer or Television. I tried to access the hard drive in my computer's Computer Management, however it simply shows that it is a GPT partition. It has about 68GB of free space. Please help me to change the file system into one that can be read by my devices, I would much prefer that I do not lose any of the information stored on the hard drive. 

 

I observed all the guidelines presented to me by Transcend and I'm still waiting for their response. 

I thought I could get help from this tech savvy community. I will attach the necessary screenshots.

[KaS23]

I forgot to mention that at the moment I don't have any extra storage space to backup the data in my hard drive and I no longer have the original computer in which I used my portable's hard drive for storage in my computer system. I only have a laptop with a 500GB hard drive. If I should give more details, just let me know. I'll be happy to.

[SupaKomputa]

You need to access it with a 64bit operating system. Your pc and your TV might have a 32bit OS.

[KaS23]

5 minutes ago, SupaKomputa said:

You need to access it with a 64bit operating system. Your pc and your TV might have a 32bit OS.

My PC has a 64bit OS. The screenshot s are from it, plus one screenshot is from another 64bit PC. 

 

[SupaKomputa]

This might help.

https://www.diskgenius.com/how-to/gpt-protective-partition.php

[KaS23]

4 minutes ago, SupaKomputa said:

This might help.

https://www.diskgenius.com/how-to/gpt-protective-partition.php

Wow thanks, I've only schemed through it and it already looks promising. I think I'll continue after sun up. Good looking out .

[SupaKomputa]

Just be sure to not format the drive, once formatted your data will be corrupted.

Conversion is okay though if done properly.

[LeapFrogMasterRace]

Im not a storage expert but GPT is a partition format not an actual file system (like NTFS for FAT32) so there shouldn't be any data on it in the first place? This is really confusing not sure what happened.

[KaS23]

9 minutes ago, SupaKomputa said:

Just be sure to not format the drive, once formatted your data will be corrupted.

Conversion is okay though if done properly.

Noted, so during a Diskpart setup, does it mean that I can choose not to Clean the drive and just convert the partition style without any data loss?

[SupaKomputa]

no don't clean, wiping a drive same as resetting, it will destroy all data. data recovery can only save at best 30%.

even if you messed up the convertion and you cant restore the partition, if not wiped, the data will still be there, can be recovered one way or another.

 

my suggestion is not using the diskpart and just let the partition program do it for you.

[KaS23]

10 minutes ago, LeapFrogMasterRace said:

Im not a storage expert but GPT is a partition format not an actual file system (like NTFS for FAT32) so there shouldn't be any data on it in the first place? This is really confusing not sure what happened.

You're right. 

At first the I removed the disk in my portable so that I could use it in my desktop PC, then I had to give the PC to a friend far away from me, so I removed the hard drive and put it back into the portable casing.

I then tried the very same portable on my TV and laptop, but the laptop can only detect it in the Disk/Computer Management.

Later I read about the MBR and GPT partition styles and then I decided to come here for aid, .

I hope we're on the same page now, .

[KaS23]

4 minutes ago, SupaKomputa said:

no don't clean, wiping a drive same as resetting, it will destroy all data. data recovery can only save at best 30%.

even if you messed up the convertion and you cant restore the partition, if not wiped, the data will still be there, can be recovered one way or another.

 

my suggestion is not using the diskpart and just let the partition program do it for you.

Okay. You mean the DiskGenious program right?

[LeapFrogMasterRace]

17 minutes ago, KaS23 said:

You're right. 

At first the I removed the disk in my portable so that I could use it in my desktop PC, then I had to give the PC to a friend far away from me, so I removed the hard drive and put it back into the portable casing.

I then tried the very same portable on my TV and laptop, but the laptop can only detect it in the Disk/Computer Management.

Later I read about the MBR and GPT partition styles and then I decided to come here for aid, .

I hope we're on the same page now, .

Oh I see...do you know if the computers have UFEI bios? check by typing msinfo32 into run (windows + r)

[KaS23]

21 minutes ago, LeapFrogMasterRace said:

Oh I see...do you know if the computers have UFEI bios? check by typing msinfo32 into run (windows + r)

Yes. The computer that went with my friend did have a UEFI BIOS, but the laptop I'm using now is an older model type with just the regular BIOS.

Curious, why do you ask?

[LeapFrogMasterRace]

9 minutes ago, KaS23 said:

Yes. The computer that went with my friend did have a UEFI BIOS, but the laptop I'm using now is an older model type with just the regular BIOS.

Curious, why do you ask?

Because GPT only works on UEFI so now we know why it was working on that PC but not these other ones. 

[KaS23]

9 minutes ago, LeapFrogMasterRace said:

Because GPT only works on UEFI so now we know why it was working on that PC but not these other ones. 

Ahhh, that makes a whole lotta sense, I wish I had done all my reading before letting that PC go.

So what do you think is the best remedy for my issue? 

To use the app DiskGenious, which claims it can change my partition style without data loss or is there another method you're familiar with?

[LeapFrogMasterRace]

3 minutes ago, KaS23 said:

Ahhh, that makes a whole lotta sense, I wish I had done all my reading before letting that PC go.

So what do you think is the best remedy for my issue? 

To use the app DiskGenious, which claims it can change my partition style without data loss or is there another method you're familiar with?

Unless you have access to another PC that does have UEFI just go ahead with DiskGenious. With MBR you can only have ~2 TB partitions so I am not sure how your files will get split up though. 

[KaS23]

9 minutes ago, LeapFrogMasterRace said:

Unless you have access to another PC that does have UEFI just go ahead with DiskGenious. With MBR you can only have ~2 TB partitions so I am not sure how your files will get split up though. 

My worry as well, I question whether it will simply move the files across another partition it makes. 

Either way, I'll be sure to heed the prompts and cautions the app might give. If all else fails I'll just wait till I get a new PC sometime next year. 

Either way I'll update this post with the results of my actions from this point on.

You've been a Godsend, thanks.

[LeapFrogMasterRace]

44 minutes ago, KaS23 said:

My worry as well, I question whether it will simply move the files across another partition it makes. 

Either way, I'll be sure to heed the prompts and cautions the app might give. If all else fails I'll just wait till I get a new PC sometime next year. 

Either way I'll update this post with the results of my actions from this point on.

You've been a Godsend, thanks.

No problem good luck