Compatibility help formating 3TB Drives with GPT


  1. endoftheline2
    Posts : 20
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       New #1

    Compatibility help formating 3TB Drives with GPT


    I am planning to setup a windows 7 64bit based HTPC, and I have realized that I need more then 2TB of storage, so I am planning to use 2x3TB Hard drives, setup in Raid 1. Right now there are two ways I am thinking of setting it up, either with the 2x3TB drives in Raid 1 directly attached to the HTPC (sata3), or with the 2x3TB drives in a separate NAS drive, so I can make the media more available on the network.

    I read the thread here, and I see that I would need to format the drives as GPT instead of MBR, and I have some questions on how would work with my setup and if it would be compatible. If I put the drives locally in the HTPC, I would just be using them as data drives setup in Raid 1, the OS would still boot from a separate normal MBR hard drive.

    It has also been mentioned that you may need a EFI bios, which I understand is very new and few motherboards ship with this type of bios, or can even be upgraded to to it? Is this needed at all for using these drives, if I am not attempting to boot from a GPT drive?

    >>>So my main questions are, if I install win 7 normally on a separate MBR hard drive on this AM3 motherboard, and then connect the 3TB drives, should I be able to format them as GPT with no issues, and setup them up in a raid 1? And then if I share them on the network, should other computers be able to access them with no issues?

    Also should they work fine in this dlink NAS listed below, and be accessible on the network as normal? Would I need to format them to GPT first in a win 7 computer, or could they maybe be formatted directly in the NAS?

    Thanks for any guidance on this, I have never worked with anything bigger than 2TB requiring these GPT partitions before.


    Motherboard: Newegg.com - ASRock 770 EXTREME3 AM3 AMD 770 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

    Harddrives: Newegg.com - HITACHI Deskstar H3IK30003272SW (0S03208) 3TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
    Potential NAS I might use: Newegg.com - D-Link DNS-323 2-Bay Network Storage Enclosure
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  3. logicearth
    Posts : 5,642
    Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       New #2

    If the 3 TB driver is only going to be used as data drives you do not need an EFI motherboard. You only need an EFI motherboard to boot from GPT formatted drives.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

 

  Related Discussions
step 1 - deleted partitions step 2 - selected unlocated space and choosed for windows to install (windows asked me to have system reserved partition) step 3 - I formated system reserved partition and primary partition step 4 i choose primary partition and click install step 3 is what i ask...
hp dv7 hd formating gone wrong
in Installation & Setup

in short, I used software dban to wipe the hd,reinstalled the os, now it will not reconize the hd as a bootable deive,will boot from dvd only but thats all, what steps did I miss or did I do a nonrecoverabl deed.I cannot even open devicemanger to check if its even seeing it at all,or can I use some...
formating new HDD
in System Security

hey, i want to format a new external 2 TB hard drive, will that get a virus? thanks
USB Formating Query
in Hardware & Devices

Hi I've been looking at sites and watching videos of people formating there USB drives from FAT32 into NTFS, and have noticed that when they right click there drive and click format , under the system tab they only have the choice of FAT and Fat32,but on mine there are the options for NTFS,FAT32...
USB RAW formating
in Hardware & Devices

hello! i'm new at the forums i've been checking out many answers to a similar problem but i can't seem to solve it, the trouble lays in here: i had my USB-flash memory working out fine till one day i was unable to open, and windows asked me to format to proceed, as i didn't care for what was inside...
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

 © Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 15:19.
Find Us