GPT

Updated: 05/06/2024 by Computer Hope

GPT may refer to any of the following:

1. Short for GUID partition table, GPT is a part of the EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) standard that defines the layout of the partition table on a hard drive. GPT is designed to improve the MBR (Master Boot Record) partitioning system, which has a 2.2 TB (terabyte) partition size limitation. GPT is part of the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) standard, but may also be used on older BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) systems. Using GPT, a drive could support between 8 and 9.4 ZB (zettabyte), depending on the sector size.

If you're using a version of Windows that supports GPT, while setting up a drive in Disk Management, you will receive a prompt similar to the example below. Selecting GPT and clicking OK initializes the disk as a GPT partition style.

Initializing Disk using GPT

How do I know if my hard drive uses GPT or MBR?

Use the diskpart command to determine if your drive uses a GPT or MBR.

  1. Open a command prompt window.
  1. Type diskpart and press Enter. If a UAC (User Account Control) prompt is displayed, click OK.
  2. At the DISKPART> prompt, type list disk and press Enter. You will see a listing of disk partitions, similar to the following example. If GPT is enabled, you have a mark under the GPT column for each drive with GPT enabled.
  Disk ###  Status         Size     Free     Dyn  Gpt
  --------  -------------  -------  -------  ---  ---
  Disk 0    Online          953 GB      0 B        *
  Disk 1    Online         7452 GB      0 B        *
  Disk 2    Online           16 TB      0 B        *

2. GPT is short for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, a language model developed by OpenAI to help give systems intelligence and is used in such projects as ChatGPT.

AI, Computer acronyms, Deep learning, GUID, Hard drive terms, Machine learning, Partition, TLA