This is the catch. To go back to Basic, you usually have to delete all volumes on the disk first, which wipes your data. Always back up your files before trying to revert. The Verdict

When you initialize a new hard drive in Windows (versions from XP to Windows 11 and Windows Server), you are prompted to choose between two partition styles: or GPT . However, once that choice is made, you face another critical decision: Basic Disk or Dynamic Disk .