If you're looking for ways to recover GPT partition data, this guide is tailored for you. No matter if the data was permanently deleted or lost after resizing the partition, you'll find actionable tips to get your GPT partition data back successfully.
GPT, short for GUID Partition Table, is the modern partitioning standard introduced as part of the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) system. It was designed to overcome the limitations of the older MBR (Master Boot Record) system.
GPT stores and organizes partition-related information, including their start and end points. It supports disk sizes larger than 2TB and also allows you to create multiple partitions to store more data. Due to these advantages, GPT has become the default for most modern operating systems including Windows 10/11, macOS, and Linux. However, these improvements also make GPT-based data recovery a bit more complex when things go wrong.
Understanding the differences between GPT and MBR is essential, not just for system design but also for knowing the proper steps when your GPT disk becomes unreadable or protected. This becomes especially important when searching for solutions like how to recover data from GPT partition.
| Feature | GPT (GUID Partition Table) | MBR (Master Boot Record) |
| Maximum Disk size | supports disk larger than 2 TB | Limited to 2 TB |
| Number of partitions | Up to 128 primary partitions | 4 primary (or 3 primary + 1 extended) |
| Boot compatibility | Requires UEFI firmware | Compatible with legacy BIOS |
| Redundancy | Has bakcup partition tables | No redundancy |
| Error checking | Uses CRC32 checksums | No built-in checksum |
With more robust structures and safety checks, GPT offers more security—but once data loss occurs (especially involving a GPT Protective Partition), traditional tools often fall short. That’s when you need more advanced methods for GPT partition data recovery.
When your GPT partition is in a healthy state and data loss only occurs due to reasons like accidental deletion or formatting, you can directly recover the lost files from a backup if any backup is available. However, if no backup is available, a professional data recovery tool such as MyRecover will be your last resort.
✅No Command Line Needed – Beginner-friendly GUI (graphical interface) for easy file recovery.
✅500+ Devices Support - Recover files from all types of devices like SSD, HDD, USB flash drive, SD card, cameras, game consoles like PS4/5 and more.
✅Handle 500+ Data Loss Scenarios – Recover from deleted partition, formatted hard drive, emptied Recycle Bin, system crash, virus attack, etc.
✅Supports over 1,000 File Types – Including documents, photos, videos, audio, archives, and Outlook data files.
✅OS Compatibility – Work not only on Windows 11 /10, but also on Windows 8.1/ 8/ 7 and all Servers.
✅Higher Success Rate – Advanced deep scan for NTFS/FAT16/FAT32/exFAT drives.
✅Read-only Scan – Avoid overwriting the original data to enhance the security of the data recovery process.
Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer from secure channel, avoid installing it on the drive with lost files.
Step 2. Launch it and select the drive where lost data were stored to scan, then click "Scan". If you are recovering permanently deleted data or recovering from a formatted partition, you can also perform a deep scan for more data recovery after the quick scan is completed.
Step 3. Choose the files you wish to recover from the recoverable lists and click "Recover". You can quickly find the files you want to recover using the "Filter" function in the upper right corner.
Step 4. Select a location (different from the old one) to save the recovered files.
When the process is completed, the message "Files have been recovered successfully" will pop up. You can access and check the recovered files by clicking the destination folder path or "Browse".
Another scenario is when a GPT protected partition appears. This means that the system may fail to read partition information correctly due to issues such as a damaged partition table, and the data in the partition also becomes inaccessible. Even in such a complex situation, you can first recover data from the GPT protective partition using MyRecover according to the above steps, and then convert the partition to GPT or MBR using tools like DiskPart.
1. Can I convert a disk to GPT without losing data?
If your GPT disk appears as “GPT Protective Partition,” you can try to convert it backup to a normal accessible partition using third-party tool like AOMEI Partition Assistant. It can convert GPT disk to MBR and vice versa without erasing data on the disk.
2. Is GPT better than MBR?
Yes, GPT is generally better than MBR, especially for modern systems. For anyone using modern hardware, GPT is the recommended standard.
3. How to remove "GPT Protective Partition" error without data loss?
A “GPT Protective Partition” usually appears when a Windows system fails to interpret a GPT disk created on another OS. To remove it without data loss, follow these steps:
Step 1. Use professional data recovery software like MyRecover to retrieve data and save them in a safe location.
Step 2. Use DiskPart's clean command to initialize the partition. Open command prompt and run it as administrator.
Step 3. Enter the following command:
Diskpart
List disk
Select disk X
Clean
Convert GPT
Finally, enter "exit" to end the process. Then the partition will become normal and accessible again.
GPT partitions offer reliability, performance, and flexibility compared to MBR. But when things go wrong, such as accidental formatting, deletion, or a drive showing as GPT Protective Partition, you need a clear plan. First, use a professional data recovery tool like MyRecover to recover the data from GPT partition, and then fix the partition issues.
If you want to unlock more advanced features of MyRecover, such as unlimited data recovery, data recovery from a crashed system, and previewing file contents in advance, upgrading to MyRecover’s Professional version is a great option.
