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PTEDIT is a legacy free disk partitioning utility originally developed by PowerQuest and later maintained by Symantec. Though officially discontinued, this compact tool remains valuable for advanced users who need to directly modify partition table entries on Windows systems.

PTEDIT | Classic Portable MBR Editing Tool

Symantec version of PTEDIT tool — The Symantec-branded release of this lightweight disk editor

Original PTEDIT by PowerQuest — Using the original PowerQuest version to adjust disk structures. A key feature is its ability to toggle the active partition flag (e.g., changing the boot indicator from 00 to 80) without requiring a reboot or third-party boot manager. Although it lacks support for GPT partitions, it remains handy for managing legacy MBR-based setups. Best of all, it’s portable — you can run it directly from a USB drive.

What Can PTEDIT Be Used For?

Mark partitions as active (bootable) from within Windows
Change partition type codes to match different operating systems
Edit MBR entries without restarting the machine
Unhide or configure recovery partitions
Resolve boot errors caused by incorrect partition flags

Main Features:

Small Footprint: Less than 500KB in size
Truly Portable: Can be run from external storage devices
Visual Interface: Basic but effective UI for structural edits
Legacy Windows Support: Compatible with Windows XP and earlier (limited success on Vista/7)
Direct MBR Access: Enables low-level partition record modifications

Specifications & Download

Size After Extraction: 493KB
Original Developer Site: symantec.com (discontinued)
License: Freeware (archived tool)
Supported OS: Windows XP and earlier (use compatibility mode on newer versions)
User Rating: 4 Stars
Download Link:
Download PTEDIT (ZIP)

Is PTEDIT Safe to Use?

Yes — but only if you know what you're doing. This tool directly modifies Master Boot Record data. Incorrect changes can lead to an unbootable system. Always back up your data, and ideally use it in test environments or on non-critical drives.

Modern Alternatives

While PTEDIT remains useful for traditional BIOS/MBR configurations, it's not compatible with modern GPT or UEFI-based setups. Consider these up to date partition managers:

GParted Live – A free Linux-based graphical partitioning tool
MiniTool Partition Wizard – A feature-rich Windows utility
EaseUS Partition Master – Another well-known drive manager
DiskPart – Built-in Windows command-line tool for disk management
HxD - Hex & disk-level binary editor

Conclusion of this Partition Table Editor

In summary, for those maintaining older machines or working in forensic environments, PTEDIT is still a powerful and lightweight solution for managing MBR entries. Despite being discontinued, this partition table editor retains its place in the toolkit of experienced technicians. Always proceed with caution, and back up your drive before making structural changes.