When it comes to choosing between MBR and GPT for Windows 10, it's important to consider the type of firmware your computer has. If your computer has a BIOS firmware, you can only install Windows 10 on an MBR disk. On the other hand, if your computer has a UEFI-based firmware, you can only install Windows 10 on a GPT disc. MBR is limited to only 4 primary partitions, while GPT allows the creation of up to 128 primary partitions.
Therefore, GPT is the most appropriate option if more partitions are going to be created. However, the basic format of the MBR drive does not support drives larger than 4 TB and it's also difficult to set up more than four partitions. The GPT drive format allows you to configure drives larger than 4 terabytes (TB) and easily configure as many partitions as you need. If your computer has a BIOS-compatible UEFI firmware, you can install Windows 10 on an MBR or GPT disc.
If you try to install Windows on a GPT disk on a UEFI-based computer, you will receive the error message Windows cannot be installed on this disk. The selected disk is in the GPT partition style. Similarly, an error message will appear that says The selected disk has an MBR partition table if you try to install Windows on an MBR disk on a BIOS-based computer. GPT disks automatically back up the main GPT header and partition entries in the last sectors of the disk.
Unlike that of an MBR disk, the MBR protector of a GPT disk performs the function of preventing tools that only support MBR disks from erroneously recognizing GPT disks and overwriting GPT disks. Therefore, when it comes to MBR or GPT for SSDs, GPT is the most logical choice depending on compatibility. If you need a system that is more compatible with older hardware, MBR should be the option. However, if you prefer a faster boot time, it is recommended to use a GPT disk as the system disk; if the computer is BIOS-based, choose MBR as the system disk; while if you use a disk of less than 2 TB for data storage, both GPT and MBR work well.
