What is the native way to backup and restore my GPT partition table in Windows 10?
When I Google this subject the only people that seem to care about this are Linux admins.
Interesting question. Mine gets backed up when I image the drive using Macrium Reflect.
I've had bad experiences with Disk Manager being able to read my system OK, but after telling it to do something --like change a drive letter or the size of a simple basic partition, I lose other partitions, or they get set to "raw". I want to be ready next time. (BTW I'm talking about an SSD, if that makes a difference.) I skimmed the Deployment Tools Reference but I didn't find anything. What I'm asking for it would seem is a pretty basic tool. Hard to believe there's nothing native.
Operations you just now described can be handled natively with diskpart:I've had bad experiences with Disk Manager being able to read my system OK, but after I telling it to do something --like change a drive letter or the size of a simple basic partition, I lose other partitions, or they get set to "raw". I want to be ready next time. (BTW I'm talking about an SSD, if that makes a difference.) I skimmed the Deployment Tools Reference but I didn't find anything. What I'm asking for it would seem is a pretty basic tool. Hard to believe there's nothing native.
Thank God. What is the command to backup the GPT partition table. I must be missing it.
I pointed you at diskpart more specifically because of the things you mentioned in post #3, not specifically for your question in your 1st post.Thank God. What is the command to backup the GPT partition table. I must be missing it.
When you say "backup and restore my GPT partition table", it's a little confusing at to what specifically you're after. GPT itself stands for "GUID Partition Table". That is, GPT is a disk partitioning scheme.
Is it an entire disk that is created with GPT layout that you want to backup and restore? There is native backup for your disk, whether it be in GPT layout or MBR, at Control Panel / System and Security / Backup and Restore (Windows 7), in Windows 10.
I'm not a fan of that means and use Macrium Reflect for doing entire disk images.
I believe all that's getting wiped out is the partition table info, just the structure information of what sector each partition starts at, etc. There are typically only a handful of data files on each partition that I want to save, so I have my own very efficient backup scheme, but obviously when I lose several partitions all of a sudden it throws a wrench into my works.
Here's a link that describes better what I want.
...but it's for Linux.
Sorry, but same as ztruker, I don't rely on native means but use Macrium Reflect for full disk images and don't worry specifically about the GPT headers and various specific components of it. I'm not surprised that you're only landing your searches in a Linux context - that may be because there are no longer any Windows native capabilities for manipulating/copying data of this type at such a detailed level - and that, in Microsoft's eyes at least, may be for good reason.Here's a link that describes better what I want.
...but it's for Linux.
I can suggest no more than how I would pursue an understanding by starting at these 3 links, in order of progression from Linux to Windows context:
Good luck and sorry I couldn't directly answer your specific question.
Hi,
It's always wise to make a backup before touching any partitions.
One of the big plusses of Macrium Reflect Free is that it allows you to backup and restore any partition and even shifting them around if you'd want to do so.
Learn how to use this program and you'll stop thinking about backing up partition tables GPT or MBR.
Image
Cheers,
