How To Recover a GPT Protective Partition for Windows and Mac?

GPT Protective Partitions are essential for new computers because they help store more things and manage data better. However, suppose a GPT partition is lost or corrupted; you might be unable to access your files. Furthermore, it could cause serious issues when you try to open them. In such cases, you might have no option other than to recover the GPT partition.

If you’re facing a similar issue, you’re lucky because this article has covered you. Here, we will explain GPT partitions and explore different situations that can lead to data loss. In addition, this article also briefs you on how to recover lost data on GPT partitions using various manual methods and a trusted tool such as Yodot Hard Drive recovery.

What is GPT Partition?

• GPT refers to the GUID Partition Table, a standard outline for hard drive partitioning used in Windows, Mac, and UNIX operating systems. This hard drive partitioning mechanism replaces Master Boot Record (MBR) and Advanced Partitioning Manager (APM) partitioning techniques
• GPT protective partition is a newer way of organizing data on your computer’s hard drive than the older MBR method. GPT partition was introduced because MBR had some limitations, like not being able to support large hard drives. GPT protective partition is designed to work with modern computers and can support much larger hard drives than MBR.
• GPT partition started in the late 1990s as part of the UEFI specification. Still, it was widely adopted in the early 2000s.
• GPT partition divides the hard drive into sections, each with its label and purpose. This allows the computer to manage the data more efficiently and makes it easier to find files. A GPT partition helps a computer to understand where the data is stored on a hard drive, making it easier to locate and access files. If a GPT partition becomes corrupted or lost, it can cause data loss and other issues with accessing files on the hard drive.
• Overall, GPT is widely recommended for modern computer systems and is the default partitioning scheme used by many operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and many Linux distributions.

What Is The Difference Between GPT And MBR?

GPT	MBR
GPT uses a 64-bit disk signature to identify a disk uniquely.	MBR uses a 32-bit disk signature.
GPT stores partition data at the beginning and end of the disk for redundancy.	MBR only stores partition data at the beginning of the disk.
GPT includes a protective MBR to prevent legacy partitioning tools from modifying the disk.	MBR does not provide this protection to prevent legacy partitioning tools from modifying the disk.
GPT allows for the use of larger sector sizes.	MBR is limited to 512-byte sectors.
GPT stores partition data in a data structure called partition entries.	MBR stores partition data in a partition table.

One can also find a secure MBR area in the GPT partition table for backward compatibility with disk management utilities to run MBR. However, despite advancements in partition schemes, even GPT partitions are not exempted from unforeseen data loss scenarios

Common Reasons Behind GPT Partition Loss

There can be several reasons why a GPT (GUID Partition Table) partition loss may occur.

Operating system errors:	Errors or bugs in the operating system can also cause GPT partition loss. This can happen during installation or when performing system updates.
Disk errors:	Physical damage to the hard drive, bad sectors, or other disk errors can lead to GPT partition loss. These errors can occur due to natural wear and tear, power surges, or other issues.
Accidental deletion or formatting:	One of the common reasons for GPT partition loss is accidental deletion or formatting of the partition. This can happen due to human error, software malfunction, or viruses/malware.
Software conflicts:	Some conflicts between software programs or updates can cause GPT partition loss. This is more likely to occur when installing or updating system-level software.
Malware attacks:	Viruses, malware, or hacking attempts can cause GPT partition loss. These attacks can be aimed at damaging the hard drive or stealing data.

To prevent GPT partition loss, it’s important to regularly back up important data and keep your software and operating systems up to date. Additionally, using a reliable antivirus program and avoiding downloading infected software can help protect against malware attacks.

How to Recover GPT Protective Partition in Windows and Mac?

There are various ways to recover GPT Partition on Windows and Mac; the below section provides some tried and tested methods.

Method 1: Recover GPT Protective Partition Using Disk Management

Disk Management is a beneficial tool for managing drive letter issues. For example, suppose you’re experiencing a problem where a drive letter has disappeared. In that case, you can use Disk Management to fix it. Just follow these steps to recover a GPT partition:

Step 1: To access Disk Management, right-click the Start button in Windows and choose it from the options.

Step 2: Search for the disk that has the GPT partition missing and see if any unallocated space is present.

Step 3: If you see some space on your computer’s hard drive that is the same size as the missing section, click the space and select New Simple Volume.

Step 4: Click on partition size, assign a drive letter, and select the file system format and allocation unit size.

Step 5: Review the settings and click Next to create the partition, and then you can open the files using the new drive letter.

Method 2: Restore from a Backup

If you get ready for a situation where you might lose essential data, using a backup is the easiest and quickest way to get it back. This is because the backup will have the data ready for you to use.

If you still need to take your data, this solution won’t work. So, it could help if you moved on to the following data recovery method.

Method 3: How to Recover a GPT Partition Using Command Prompt?

Command Prompt is a text-based tool in Windows that lets you enter commands to perform various tasks on your computer. It’s used for system administration and troubleshooting purposes.

Here are the steps to recover a missing GPT partition using Command Prompt:

Step 1: Launch the Command Prompt by clicking on Run as administrator.

Step 2: Type the disk part and hit Enter to start using the DiskPart tool.

Step 3: Enter List disk to view all connected disks and find the one with the missing GPT partition.

Step 4: Choose the disk by typing select disk R (replace R with the number of the disk).

Step 5: Type list partition to see all the partitions on the chosen disk and identify the absent GPT partition.

Step 6: Type recovers from initiating the recovery process.

Step 7: Now, wait for the recovery process to complete.

Step 8: Type exit to exit the DiskPart tool.

Step 9: Check Disk Management or File Explorer to see whether the missing partition has been recovered.

It’s essential to remember that working with computer disks can be dangerous and may cause you to lose your data if you make mistakes. Suppose you need to decide whether you should try those steps. Use a safe and reliable alternative method, such as a professional partition recovery tool, to recover your GPT partition.

Method 4: Use a Hard Drive Recovery Tool

You can use a professional partition recovery tool like Yodot to recover your GPT partition quickly.

Yodot is an excellent software for recovering lost or deleted files from various storage devices. Its advanced GPT partition recovery feature enables quick restoration of lost partitions and valuable data recovery.

If you’ve lost your GPT partition or it’s corrupted, don’t worry! You can download Yodot hard drive recovery to retrieve your valuable data quickly.

Steps To Perform GPT Partition Recovery On Windows

Yodot Hard Drive Recovery is a powerful software that recovers GPT partitions and files from GPT disks. This works on Windows and Mac and can handle issues like deletion, formatting, system crashes, and raw partitions.

Steps To Recover GPT Partition:

Step 1: Download and install the Yodot Hard Drive Recovery

Step 2: After installing the software, open the application and select partition recovery.

Step 3: Select the GPT partitioned hard drive from the list of drives. Then, click Next. After that, choose the partition you want to recover, and click Next to start the recovery process.

Step 4: Mark the folders and files you want to restore using the Data View or File Type View tabs.

Step 5: preview the recovered GPT partition files using the Preview option.

Step 6: Finally, save the retrieved files to the desired destination using the Save button.

Steps To Perform GPT Partition Recovery On Mac Computer

Yodot Mac Data Recovery is a tool that helps you recover lost or damaged data on your Mac computer. It has a simple interface that anyone can use. You can use this tool to restore data from different Mac operating systems. If you need help, you can always on technical support team. You can try this tool for free before you buy it.

Step 1: Connect the affected machine as a slave to a working Mac and use the Yodot Mac Data Recovery tool on the Mac machine.

Step 2: Select the Partition Recovery or Formatted/Reformatted Recovery option based on your situation.

Step 3: Go to next screen and choose the drive you want to restore your Mac partition.

Step 4: Select all the volumes that have been found on the drive and begin the process of recovering your Mac partition.

Step 5: After completion of the scanning procedure, view restored data from the recovered partition in Data View or File Types View.

Step 6: Select the required files and Preview them.

Step 7: Save your recovered data on the master Mac machine hard drive.

Conclusion:

The GPT partition is an essential part of your computer system. If it accidentally gets deleted or lost, don’t worry! You can still retrieve it with data recovery software like Yodot Recovery. Ensure to only overwrite any new data onto the GPT partition once recovered. Yodot recovery works with both Windows and Mac computers.

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