GPT (GUID Partition Table): What it is, how it works and why it matters
Direct answer
GPT (GUID Partition Table) is the modern partition table standard (part of UEFI), replacing MBR. Supports disks larger than 2 TB, 128 partitions per disk and keeps a redundant header at both start and end of the disk.
Full definition
GPT structure: LBA 0 holds a protective MBR (legacy compatibility), LBA 1 holds the primary GPT header with CRC32, LBA 2-33 hold partition entries. At disk end, GPT keeps a backup copy of header and entries. If the primary becomes corrupted, tools can restore from the backup automatically. In recovery, GPT is more resilient than MBR due to the end-of-disk backup. If an SSD/HDD shows up as 'no partitions' but previously had GPT, checking the GPT backup (last 33 sectors) is the first step. Tools like gdisk and TestDisk do this automatically.
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