GPT Mounter provides Windows XP and Windows 2000 users transparent access to GPT-partitioned disks.

This functionality is invaluable if you are attempting to use a hard disk that has been created by newer operating systems -- including Windows Vista.

What is a GPT-partitioned disk?

Windows-based PCs have long partitioned disks using the Master Boot Record (MBR) disk partitioning scheme. MBR is popular because it has been around for a long time and is compatible with many operating systems. It is also very limiting, however, especially given the capacity of modern hard drives.

Newer operating systems such as Windows XP x64, Windows Server 2003 (64-bit), Windows Vista (both 32- and 64-bit editions), and Intel-based Mac OS X support the GUID Partition Table (GPT) disk partitioning scheme. GPT is a modern, flexible, and forward-looking disk partitioning schema. GPT Mounter was created to give Windows XP and Windows 2000 access to volumes on GPT-partitioned disks created using these newer versions of Windows.

GPT Mounter Limitations

Neither Windows XP nor Windows 2000 are capable of properly formatting volumes on GPT-partitioned disks. Though GPT Mounter does what it can to protect against damage if this is attempted, it should be avoided, and should not be expected to work. If you need to reformat a volume on a GPT-partitioned disk, you should use the operating system that created the disk.

GPT Mounter does not enable Windows to read foreign file systems. Though GPT Mounter will work with a disk GPT-partitioned using Mac OS X or Linux, you are only able to mount volumes created using a file system Windows understands, such as FAT16, FAT32 or NTFS. Windows doesn't natively understand Linux ext2, ext3 or ext4 volumes, nor does it natively understand Mac HFS or HFS+ volumes.

If you want to mount HFS and HFS+ volumes under Windows, you need MacDrive.