No, you don't have to convert your drive to GPT when installing Windows 10.
No, you don't have to convert your drive to GPT when installing Windows 10.
You should convert your drive to GPT before installing Windows 10. The videos likely mentioned conversion to ensure proper formatting and compatibility.
The installer will handle this automatically. If your drive has a Linux partition, you shouldn’t install Windows as it could damage the Linux setup. I don’t recall the exact solution, but it’s possible to resolve it. Ideally, install Windows first, then Linux.
If your system supports UEFI, consider using GPT because it lets Windows boot securely and quickly in UEFI mode. In 2020 it makes sense to adopt GPT TBH. The MBR is becoming outdated, and Windows only keeps supporting it for old systems. For drives over 2TB, GPT (or GUID) is necessary. GUID supports up to 128 partitions on a single drive without needing to distinguish between primary and extended partitions. It's generally simpler to repair an EFI bootloader than an MBR one. In recovery mode, run your Linux installer and execute sudo grub-update.
In reality, resolving old boot issues is generally simpler than dealing with UEFI. The MBR boot and system partition might overlap (often just one partition on the drive), and fixing Windows boot usually resolves problems with BCD settings. Tools such as EasyBCD can be very useful, but... It's worth noting that using GPT is advised and sometimes starts booting quicker than legacy methods (depends on how well the BIOS is written – I saw MSI encounter some fast-boot issues on newer boards).
If you don’t intend to run another OS alongside Windows 10, consider GPT and UEFI boot—it usually starts faster. Even though Windows 10 boots quickly, the wait can be a few seconds. If you’re testing Linux or planning hardware changes, using MBR makes it simpler to troubleshoot boot problems.