A GPT header damage recovery test asks whether a surviving backup can reconstruct damaged partition metadata. In the generated sample below, it can—provided the backup header and its entry array validate and describe the intended layout. However, a matching header CRC alone does not establish that the partition table is usable. This experiment calculates seven […]
When comparing unallocated vs free space in Windows, the key difference is where the capacity belongs. Unallocated space sits outside the partitions or volumes currently assigned on a disk. File system free space is available capacity inside an existing formatted volume. Windows can normally save files into the latter, but it does not automatically add […]
A Volume Boot Record (VBR) is a boot-related data structure stored at the beginning of a file system volume. It contains information that describes the volume’s layout and may also include bootstrap code used during legacy startup. Although the VBR is commonly associated with the first sector of a partition, its exact structure and role […]
Logical block addressing (LBA) is a method of identifying storage blocks with sequential numbers instead of cylinder, head, and sector coordinates. LBA 0 identifies the first logical block, LBA 1 identifies the second, and so on. However, an LBA number alone does not determine a byte offset: you also need the logical block size and […]
A GPT partition entry is a record that describes one partition on a GUID Partition Table (GPT) disk. It identifies the partition’s type, unique GUID, starting and ending logical block addresses (LBAs), attributes, and name. The usual GPT partition entry structure occupies 128 bytes. By decoding these fields, you can locate a partition, calculate its […]
A GPT header is a metadata structure that describes a disk’s GUID Partition Table. It identifies the disk, locates the partition entry array, defines usable disk boundaries, and stores checksums used to detect metadata corruption. GPT maintains primary and backup headers for redundancy. Understanding their byte layout and CRC32 fields helps explain how partition information […]
The EFI System Partition (ESP) is a small partition that stores startup files used by a UEFI-based computer. On a typical Windows UEFI/GPT installation, it uses the FAT32 file system and normally has no drive letter. It helps the computer start Windows; it is separate from the partition containing your documents and installed applications. You […]